Edward S. Curtis Portraits: The Many Faces of the Native Americans

"In 1906 J.P. Morgan commissioned Edward S. Curtis to produce a series of books depicting Native American life. Curtis' goal was to not just photograph but to document as much of traditional Native life as possible before it disappeared. Curtis' skill atcapturing the intensity of his subjects, the grim reality of their surroundings, and the unquenchable spirit of the people was second to none. From Alaska to Mexico, Edward S. Curtis Portraits: The Many Face of the Native Americans features over 250 portraits in a compact volume"--
Photographer Edward S. Curtis was a prolific photographer and recorder of Native American culture. Edward S. Curtis Portraits is a collection of his most moving cultural portraits.
In 1906, J. P. Morgan commissioned Edward S. Curtis to produce a series of books depicting Native American life. Edward S. Curtis Portraits contains over 250 of the project’s beautiful and haunting portraits. “In Mr. Curtis we have both an artist and a trained observer, whose pictures are pictures, not merely photographs.” —President Theodore Roosevelt Talented photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis set out on the project with the goal of becoming a successful portrait artist, but as he worked taking photographs of the “vanishing Indian,” he discovered a calling as an ethnographer and embarked on a mission to document every aspect of traditional Native American culture before it disappeared forever. He considered the loss of Native American traditions a national tragedy and sacrificed his financial security, marriage, and even his health to pursue his mission. Curtis’s highly expressive portraits convey the full range of human emotions, attesting to the trust he established with his subjects, and serve as exquisite examples of classic portraiture. From Alaska to Mexico, the photographs in this compact volume feature tribes such as:The ApacheThe JicarillasThe NavahoThe PapagoThe QahatikaThe MohaveThe YumaThe MaricopaThe WalapaiThe HavasupaiThe YavapaiAnd many more Though Curtis has been criticized for idealizing the people he photographed with props and staged shots, his deep respect for them and earnest attempt to understand them is apparent in his work. Today, these portraits allow us a precious glimpse into Native American life as it existed before complete colonial expansion in the United States.
In 1906, J. P. Morgan commissioned Edward S. Curtis to produce a series of books depicting Native American life. Edward S. Curtis Portraits contains over 250 of the project’s beautiful and haunting portraits. “In Mr. Curtis we have both an artist and a trained observer, whose pictures are pictures, not merely photographs.” —President Theodore Roosevelt Talented photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis set out on the project with the goal of becoming a successful portrait artist, but as he worked taking photographs of the “vanishing Indian,” he discovered a calling as an ethnographer and embarked on a mission to document every aspect of traditional Native American culture before it disappeared forever. He considered the loss of Native American traditions a national tragedy and sacrificed his financial security, marriage, and even his health to pursue his mission. Curtis’s highly expressive portraits convey the full range of human emotions, attesting to the trust he established with his subjects, and serve as exquisite examples of classic portraiture. From Alaska to Mexico, the photographs in this compact volume feature tribes such as:The ApacheThe JicarillasThe NavahoThe PapagoThe QahatikaThe MohaveThe YumaThe MaricopaThe WalapaiThe HavasupaiThe YavapaiAnd many more Though Curtis has been criticized for idealizing the people he photographed with props and staged shots, his deep respect for them and earnest attempt to understand them is apparent in his work. Today, these portraits allow us a precious glimpse into Native American life as it existed before complete colonial expansion in the United States.