Edward Curtis Glass Negatives Signed in Ink. CURTIS, EDWARD S. 1868-1952. A group of 11 glass bluetone negatives and one film negative from the 'Aphrodite Series,' of which eight are SIGNED BY CURTIS IN INK. Provenance: Edward S. Curtis; by descent to his daughter, Beth Curtis Magnuson, and her husband Manfred 'Mag' Magnuson; acquired from the preceding by Dr. Billy T. Utley (accompanied by a signed bill of sale dated March 10, 1987). According to Mag Magnuson's bill of sale: 'The following negatives and prints represent most of the Nude Art Studies printed by the Curtis Studio as 'bluetones.' The first was entitled 'Aphrodite' followed by 'Sunset Trail.' Both were double exposures of nudes and surf. Then, while working for Cecil B. DeMille at the movie studios, Curtis met artist Ferdinand Earl. Earl did the artwork for the third picture entitled 'Castle of Dreams.' These photographs represent the bulk of the 'nude Bluetones' done by Curtis. After 1923, I made 'Drifting Sands' in Imperial Valley, on our way to Yuma, using the Curtis Studio artist, Jean Wickasham as the model.' Comprising: A group of six 8x10 negatives, including five bluetone double-exposure negatives and one film negative: Sunset Trail SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Sunset Trail SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Castle of Dreams Drifting Sands SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Drifting Sands (with a note on the envelope that it is by Mag Magnuson) Film negative of Drifting Sands A group of six 11x14 bluetone negatives: Aphrodite SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Castle of Dreams SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Castle of Dreams SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Sunset Trail Sunset Trail SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Drifting Sands SIGNED IN INK ('Curtis L.A.') Though Edward Curtis is best known for his work on The North American Indian, he worked in Hollywood as a portraitist in the 1920s and 30s after he moved to Los Angeles. Inspired, in part, by that work, he produced the 'Aphrodite Series' of blue-toned silver gelatin photographs that evoked a dreamlike aesthetic. These images, produced out of the Curtis Studio in Los Angeles, represent Curtis's boldest venture into the realm of fine art photography, representing the nude female form in an ethereal pictorialist manner that stands in sharp contrast to the sepia-toned documentary images for which Curtis is best known. Lot to be sold without reserve. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ¤ ¤ Unless indicated by the ¤ symbol next to the lot number (or bearing an explicit statement such as 'No Reserve' or 'Without Reserve'), which denotes no reserve, all lots in the catalog are subject to a reserve. The reserve is the minimum hammer price that the seller is willing to accept for a lot. This amount is confidential and does not exceed the low estimate value. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing