EDWARD SHERIFF CURTIS (1868-1952) THE PIKI MAKER, 1906 photogravure on tissue, Portfolio 12, Plate 432, The North American Indian, approx. 12 x 16 in., Artist, Title, Date & Copyright info, below plate; Condition: Excellent. ESC-0776

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EDWARD SHERIFF CURTIS

Edward S. Curtis (1862-1952) is best known for his documentation of Native American cultures published as The North American Indian. From about 1900 to 1930, he surveyed more than 100 tribes ranging from the Inuits to the Hopi, making more than 40,000 photographs. He made portraits of important and well-known figures of the time, including Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Red Cloud, and Medicine Crow.

The North American Indian consisted of 20 bound volumes containing approximately 2200 photogravures, written information about the Native American cultures he photographed and 20 supplementary photogravure portfolios. Each volume was devoted to a single or sometimes multiple groups. The photogravures were hand-pulled from a steel-coated copper plate and then printed on one of three types of paper; a rice paper called vellum, a heavier water-marked paper known as Van Gelder, and Japon tissue (mounted on vellum). Each volume was bound in leather and edged in gilt. In addition to the published volumes, Curtis’ output also included gelatin silver prints, platinum prints and orotones.

The project was time consuming and complex, because Curtis needed vehicles, mechanical equipment, skilled technicians, scholars, researchers, and the cooperation of the Indian tribes. His working method was to dispatch assistants to make tribal visits months in advance. Curtis then traveled by horseback or horse drawn wagon to visit the tribes. Once on site Curtis and his assistants interviewed his subjects and then photographed them outside in an indigenous structure, or inside his studio tent with an adjustable skylight. Curtis used a field or view camera, producing his images on glass plates. He developed his images in the field, then created a proof from each image, and sent it, with instructions, back to his Seattle studio where manager Adolph Muhr made decisions related to exposure time, retouching, and enlargement.

Curtis intended to record Native American culture that was disappearing in the face of encroaching modern civilization. However, to preserve these vanishing native cultures, he constructed his portraits using costumes, props, and staged ceremonies. Occasionally he used the incorrect cultural artifacts and costumes to document a particular tribe. Ironically, Curtis believed that the only way that Native Americans could survive was through assimilation. The last volume of The North American Indian was published in 1930. Although accounts vary, about 272 sets were sold. Declining interest in the American Indian and the Depression ultimately reduced sales. Curtis spent the remaining years of his life with his daughter Beth and her husband in Los Angeles. In 1952, Curtis died in Los Angeles, virtually unknown. Fortunately, Curtis’ work was discovered in the late 1970s-1980s. His work is in several major public collections including the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and several major universities.

Excellent

12 x 16 in