Pictographs of the North American Indians. A preliminary paper Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-83, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 3-256

"Pictographs of the North American Indians" by Garrick Mallery is a study that seeks to understand the meaning and cultural importance of visual representations made by North American Indigenous communities. Right at the start, the work introduces the idea of pictographs as an early form of visual communication, demonstrating how these images convey stories and ideas, laying the base for written language. It highlights that these pictures are not only art but also unlock important historical and cultural information about the Indigenous people who made them. The publication explains that its analysis will concentrate on pictographs from tribes located north of Mexico, with the purpose of further research into their importance within these societies, as well as their creation and meaning in Indigenous culture, daily life, and beliefs.