Edward S. Curtis
(1868 - 1952)
Homeward - Puget Sound, 1898
platinum print
Signed, in black ink at lower right on print recto: Curtis
In negative at lower left on print recto: X851 A
Copyright Info in the negative, lower left on print recto: COPYRIGHTED 1898
In black ink script at upper left of mount verso: Homeward Siwash

Negative Date: 1898
Print Date: 1898
Puget Sound, Northwest

This was one of Curtis’ very earliest Native American photographs and also one of his earliest award-winning images. Thus, this photograph, taken in Puget Sound, is historically one of Curtis’ most important and played a key role in launching his thirty-year career. This massive canoe was made from a single dugout tree trunk. Canoes were extremely important to many Native American tribes and particularly so in the Pacific Northwest, where survival was often dependent on food gathered from the sea. The dramatic qualities of the clouds and sky are enhanced by the platinum process. This print was included in the ground-breaking exhibition, “Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian”, which traveled throughout Europe in the early 2000’s.
5 15/16 x 7 3/4 in. (15.08 x 19.69 cm.), Double Mount: 10 5/16 x 11 1/4 in. (26.19 x 28.58 cm.)
Edward S. Curtis Studio, Seattle
Private Collection(s)
The Christopher G. Cardozo Collection, 1999

Publication History - Image:
The North American Indian (1907-1930), Portfolio 9, Plate 318
Native Family, Bulfinch/Callaway Editions, 1996, Page 80-81
Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, Simon & Schuster, 2000, Title page, 172
The North American Indian Republication Custom Edition, Christopher Cardozo Fine Art, 2014, Portfolio Volume 3, Plate 318
The North American Indian Republication Reference Edition, Christopher Cardozo Fine Art, 2017, Portfolio Volume 2, Plate 318

The print and smaller original mount are in excellent condition overall. A formal, detailed condition report is available upon request.

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