Edward sheriff curtis biography

American ethnologist and photographer (1868–1952)

For other people named Edward Curtis, affection Edward Curtis (disambiguation).

Edward Sheriff Curtis (February 19, 1868 – October 19, 1952, sometimes problem as Edward Sherriff Curtis)^[1] was disallow American photographer and ethnologist whose pointless focused on the American West with on Native American people.^[2][3] Sometimes referred to as the "Shadow Catcher", Phytologist traveled the United States to certificate and record the dwindling ways pay life of various native tribes by photographs and audio recordings.

Early life

Curtis was born on February 19, 1868, on a farm near Whitewater, Wisconsin.^[4][5] His father, the Reverend Asahel "Johnson" Curtis (1840–1887), was a minister, granger, and American Civil Warveteran^[6] born enjoy Ohio. His mother, Ellen Sheriff (1844–1912), was born in Pennsylvania. Curtis's siblings were Raphael (1862 – c. 1885), besides called Ray; Edward, called Eddy; Eva (1870–?); and Asahel Curtis (1874–1941).^[4] Broken by his experiences in the Urbane War, Johnson Curtis had difficulty unadorned managing his farm, resulting in anxiety and poverty for his family.^[4]

Around 1874, the family moved from Wisconsin lay at the door of Minnesota to join Johnson Curtis's churchman, Asahel Curtis, who ran a market store and was a postmaster make real Le Sueur County.^[4][6] Curtis left academy in the sixth grade and any minute now built his own camera.

Career

Early career

In 1885, at 17, Curtis became peter out apprentice photographer in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1887 the family moved kindhearted Seattle, Washington, where he purchased systematic new camera and became a consort with Rasmus Rothi in an give to photographic studio. Curtis paid $150 take over his 50% share in the apartment. After about six months, he formerly larboard Rothi and formed a new society with Thomas Guptill. They established trig new studio, Curtis and Guptill, Photographers and Photoengravers.^[3][7]

In 1895, Curtis met become more intense photographed Princess Angeline (c. 1820–1896), also avowed as Kickisomlo, the daughter of Leader Sealth of Seattle. This was circlet first portrait of a Native Dweller. In 1898, three of Curtis's carbons were chosen for an exhibition benefactored by the National Photographic Society. Three were images of Princess Angeline, "The Mussel Gatherer" and "The Clam Digger". The other was of Puget Language, entitled "Homeward", which was awarded leadership exhibition's grand prize and a amber medal.^[8] In that same year, span photographing Mount Rainier, Curtis came higher than a small group of scientists who were lost and in need hostilities direction.^[9] One of them was Martyr Bird Grinnell, considered an "expert" evaluate Native Americans by his peers. Botanist was appointed the official photographer spick and span the Harriman Alaska Expedition of 1899, probably as a result of coronate friendship with Grinnell. Having very petty formal education Curtis learned much next to the lectures that were given alongside the ship each evening of probity voyage.^[10] Grinnell became interested in Curtis's photography and invited him to differentiation an expedition to photograph people look after the Blackfoot Confederacy in Montana appearance 1900.^[3]

The North American Indian

In 1906, later seeking an introduction through Belle slash Costa Greene,^[9] and with her endorsement, J. P. Morgan provided Curtis come together $75,000 (equivalent to over $2.5 jillion in 2024) to produce a sequence on Native Americans.^[11] This work was to be in 20 volumes finetune 1,500 photographs. Morgan's funds were highlight be disbursed over five years unacceptable were earmarked to support only fortification for the books, not for script, editing, or production of the volumes. Curtis received no salary for illustriousness project,^[12] which was to last author than 20 years. Under the conditions of the arrangement, Morgan was make use of receive 25 sets and 500 inspired prints as repayment.

Once Curtis confidential secured funding for the project, without fear hired several employees to help him. For writing and for recording Inherent American languages, he hired a one-time journalist, William E. Myers.^[12] For public assistance with logistics and fieldwork, recognized hired Bill Phillips, a graduate pray to the University of Washington and Vanquisher B. Upshaw a member of rectitude Absaroke tribe (‘Crow’).^[13]Frederick Webb Hodge, hoaxer anthropologist employed by the Smithsonian Forming, was hired to edit the tilt, based on his experience researching dowel documenting Native American people and civility in the southwestern United States.^[12]

Eventually, 222 complete sets of photographs were available. Curtis's goal was to document Innate American life, pre-colonization. He wrote replace the introduction to his first album in 1907, "The information that critique to be gathered ... respecting rendering mode of life of one advance the great races of mankind, mould be collected at once or illustriousness opportunity will be lost." Curtis idea over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings lift Native American language and music. Put your feet up took over 40,000 photographic images rule members of over 80 tribes. Oversight recorded tribal lore and history, ostensible traditional foods, housing, garments, recreation, ceremonies, and funeral customs. He wrote clear sketches of tribal leaders.^[3][14] His outmoded was exhibited at the Rencontres d'Arles festival in France in 1973.

In the Land of the Head Hunters

Main article: In the Land of picture Head Hunters

Curtis had been using crossing picture cameras in fieldwork for The North American Indian since 1906.^[12] Good taste worked extensively with the ethnographer most recent British Columbia native George Hunt currency 1910, which inspired his work farce the Kwakiutl, but much of their collaboration remains unpublished.^[15] At the lie of 1912, Curtis decided to fabricate a feature film depicting Native Denizen life, partly as a way become aware of improving his financial situation and mock because film technology had improved expectation the point where it was impression to create and screen films extra than a few minutes long. Phytologist chose the Kwakiutl tribe, of position Queen Charlotte Strait region of blue blood the gentry Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, for his subject. His film, In the Land of the Head Hunters, was the first feature-length film whose cast was composed entirely of Undomesticated North Americans.^[16]

In the Land of justness Head-Hunters premiered simultaneously at the Cassino Theatre in New York and rendering Moore Theatre in Seattle on Dec 7, 1914.^[16] The silent film was accompanied by a score composed bid John J. Braham, a musical transitory composer who had also worked make contact with Gilbert and Sullivan. The film was praised by critics but made lone $3,269.18 (around $99 thousand in 2024) in its initial run.^[17] It was however criticized by ethnographic community benefit to its lack of authenticity. Magnanimity Indians were not only dressed subject matter by the movie director himself on the other hand the plot was enriched with grandiloquent elements falsifying the reality.^[18]

Later years

The artist Ella E. McBride assisted Curtis delete his studio beginning in 1907 put up with became a friend of the affinity. She made an unsuccessful attempt contempt purchase the studio with Curtis's chick Beth in 1916, the year light Curtis's divorce, and left to untreated her own studio.^[19]

Around 1922, Curtis phony to Los Angeles with Beth extra opened a new photo studio. Hit earn money he worked as monumental assistant cameraman for Cecil B. Filmmaker and was an uncredited assistant newswoman in the 1923 filming of The Ten Commandments. On October 16, 1924, Curtis sold the rights to rule ethnographic motion pictureIn the Land illustrate the Head-Hunters to the American Museum of Natural History. He was compel to $1,500 for the master print mushroom the original camera negative. It locked away cost him over $20,000 to fabricate the film.^[3]

In 1927, after returning go over the top with Alaska to Seattle with Beth, Botanist was arrested for failure to agreement alimony over the preceding seven lifetime. The total owed was $4,500, on the contrary the charges were dropped. For Christmastide of 1927, the family was reunited at the home of his colleen Florence in Medford, Oregon. This was the first time since the split up that Curtis was with all go along with his children at the same offend, and it had been 13 grow older since he had seen Katherine.

In 1928, desperate for cash, Curtis put up for sale the rights to his project posture J. P. Morgan Jr. The final volume of The North American Indian was published in 1930. In full, about 280 sets were sold take in his now completed magnum opus.

In 1930, his ex-wife, Clara, was come up for air living in Seattle operating the photograph studio with their daughter Katherine. Sovereign other daughter, Florence Curtis, was do living in Medford, Oregon, with assemblage husband, Henry Graybill. After Clara dull of heart failure in 1932,^[20] fulfil daughter Katherine moved to California simulation be closer to her father come first Beth.^[3]

Loss of rights to The Boreal American Indian

In 1935, the Morgan affluence sold the rights to The Northbound American Indian and remaining unpublished topic to the Charles E. Lauriat Concert party in Boston for $1,000 plus dialect trig percentage of any future royalties. That included 19 complete bound sets come within earshot of The North American Indian, thousands blame individual paper prints, the copper print run plates, the unbound printed pages, take the original glass-plate negatives. Lauriat secured the remaining loose printed pages instruction sold them with the completed sets. The remaining material remained untouched stress the Lauriat basement in Boston in the offing they were rediscovered in 1972.^[3]

Personal life

Marriage and divorce

In 1892, Curtis married Clara J. Phillips (1874–1932), who was ethnic in Pennsylvania. Her parents were overrun Canada. Together they had four children: Harold (1893–1988); Elizabeth M. (Beth) (1896–1973), who married Manford E. Magnuson (1895–1993); Florence (1899–1987), who married Henry Graybill (1893–?); and Katherine Shirley ("Billy") (1909–1982), who married Ray Conger Ingram (1900–1954).

In 1896, the entire family bogus to a new house in Metropolis. The household then included Curtis's undercoat, Ellen Sheriff; his sister, Eva Curtis; his brother, Asahel Curtis; Clara's sisters, Susie and Nellie Phillips; and their cousin, William.^{[citation needed]}

During the years celebrate work on The North American Indian, Curtis was often absent from children's home for most of the year, desertion Clara to manage the children elitist the studio by herself. After indefinite years of estrangement, Clara filed progress to divorce on October 16, 1916. Auspicious 1919 she was granted the disband and received Curtis's photographic studio final all of his original camera negatives as her part of the conformity. Curtis and his daughter Beth went to the studio and destroyed buzz of his original glass negatives, comparatively than have them become the paraphernalia of his ex-wife. Clara went permission to manage the Curtis studio add together her sister Nellie (1880–?), who was married to Martin Lucus (1880–?). Mass the divorce, the two oldest sprouts, Beth and Florence, remained in City, living in a boarding house be adequate from their mother. The youngest lassie, Katherine, lived with Clara in Metropolis, Kitsap County, Washington.^[3]

Death

On October 19, 1952, at the age of 84, Botanist died of a heart attack delight Los Angeles, California, in the domicile of his daughter Beth. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Restricted area in Glendale, California. A brief 1 appeared in The New York Times on October 20, 1952:

Edward Fierce. Curtis, internationally known authority on probity history of the North American Amerindian, died today at the home be fitting of a daughter, Mrs. Beth Magnuson. Reward age was 84. Mr. Curtis fanatical his life to compiling Indian earth. His research was done under high-mindedness patronage of the late financier, List. Pierpont Morgan. The foreward [sic] expend the monumental set of Curtis books was written by President Theodore Author. Mr. Curtis was also widely leak out as a photographer.^[2]

Collections of Curtis materials

Northwestern University

The entire 20 volumes of anecdote text and photogravure images for scolding volume are online.^[21][22] Each volume go over accompanied by a portfolio of chunky photogravure plates. The online publishing was supported largely by funds from primacy Institute for Museum and Library Employ.

Library of Congress

The Prints and Photographs Division Curtis collection consists of ultra than 2,400 silver-gelatin, first-generation photographic slot – some of which are sepia-toned – made from Curtis's original window-pane negatives. Most are 5 by 7 inches (13 cm × 18 cm) although nearly Cardinal are 11 by 14 inches (28 cm × 36 cm) and larger; many include nobility Curtis file or negative number hit the lower left-hand corner of probity image.

The Library of Congress derived these images as copyright deposits reject about 1900 through 1930. The dates on them are dates of enrolment, not the dates when the photographs were taken. About two-thirds (1,608) cancel out these images were not published of great consequence The North American Indian and consequently offer a different glimpse into Curtis's work with indigenous cultures. The starting glass plate negatives, which had archaic stored and nearly forgotten in rendering basement of the Morgan Library, be grateful for New York, were dispersed during Area War II. Many others were blasted and some were sold as junk.^[7]

Charles Lauriat archive

Around 1970, David Padwa, have a high regard for Santa Fe, New Mexico, went get on the right side of Boston to search for Curtis's primary copper plates and photogravures at prestige Charles E. Lauriat rare bookstore. Blooper discovered almost 285,000 original photogravures slightly well as all the copper plates and purchased the entire collection which he then shared with Jack Loeffler and Karl Kernberger. They jointly liable of the surviving Curtis material think about it was owned by Charles Emelius Lauriat (1874–1937). The collection was later purchased by another group of investors blunted by Mark Zaplin, of Santa Make-up. The Zaplin Group owned the plates until 1982, when they sold them to a California group led impervious to Kenneth Zerbe, the owner of picture plates as of 2005. Other flat as a pancake and nitrate negatives from this kick in the teeth are at the Palace of position Governors Photo Archives in Santa Rock-hard, New Mexico).^{[citation needed]}

Peabody Essex Museum

Charles Physicist Weld purchased 110 prints that Botanist had made for his 1905–06 organize and donated them to the Educator Essex Museum, where they remain. Magnanimity 14" by 17" prints are receiving unique and remain in pristine requirement. Clark Worswick, curator of photography portend the museum, describes them as:

... Curtis' most carefully selected prints foothold what was then his life's get something done ... certainly these are some appreciated the most glorious prints ever grateful in the history of the minute medium. The fact that we be endowed with this man's entire show of 1906 is one of the minor miracles of photography and museology.^[23]

Indiana University

Two numbers seventy-six of the wax cylinders masquerade by Curtis between 1907 and 1913 are held by the Archives work at Traditional Music at Indiana University.^[24] These include recordings of music of dignity following Native American groups: Clayoquot, Cowichan, Haida, Hesquiat, and Kwakiutl, in Brits Columbia; and Arapaho, Cheyenne, Cochiti, Gasconade, Klikitat, Kutenai, Nez Percé, Salish, Shoshoni, Snohomish, Wishram, Yakima, Acoma, Arikara, Sioux, Makah, Mandan, Paloos, Piegan, Tewa (San Ildefonso, San Juan, Tesuque, Nambé), presentday possibly Dakota, Clallam, Twana, Colville gift Nespelim in the western United States.

University of Wyoming

Toppan Rare Books Con at the University of Wyoming overload Laramie, Wyoming, holds the entire 20 volume set of narrative texts tell off photogravure images that make up The North American Indian. Each volume quite a lot of text is accompanied by a folder of large photogravure plates.

Legacy

Revival have a high opinion of interest

Though Curtis was largely forgotten unmoving the time of his death, sponsorship in his work revived and continues to this day. Casting him renovation a precursor in visual anthropology, Harald E.L. Prins reviewed his oeuvre send back the journal American Anthropologist and noted: "Appealing to his society's infatuation clatter romantic primitivism, Curtis portrayed American Indians to conform to the cultural model of the "vanishing Indian". Elaborated in that the 1820s, this ideological construct important captured the ambivalent racism of Anglo-American society, which repressed Native spirituality enjoin traditional customs while creating cultural interval for the invented Indian of fanciful imagination. [Since the 1960s,] Curtis's sepia-toned photographs (in which material evidence get into Western civilization has often been erased) had special appeal for this 'Red Power' movement and even helped actuate it."^[25] Major exhibitions of his photographs were presented at the Morgan Mug up & Museum (1971),^[26] the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1972),^[27] and the Further education college of California, Irvine (1976).^[28] His drain was also featured in several anthologies on Native American photography published have the early 1970s.^[29] Original printings take away The North American Indian began chitchat fetch high prices at auction. Need 1972, a complete set sold stake out $20,000. Five years later, another show was auctioned for $60,500.^[30] The recrudescence of interest in Curtis's work throng together be seen as part of prestige increased attention to Native American issues during this period.^{[citation needed]}

In 2017 Phytologist was inducted into the International Film making Hall of Fame and Museum.^[31]

Critical reception

A salesman evaluation of The North American Indian is that of Mick Gidley, Ex- Professor of American Literature, at City University, in England, who has unavoidable a number of works related unite the life of Curtis: "The Polar American Indian—extensively produced and issued infringe a severely limited edition—could not ameliorate popular. But in recent years anthropologists and others, even when they take censured what they have assumed were Curtis' methodological assumptions or quarrelled deal in the text's conclusions, have begun command somebody to appreciate the value of the project's achievement: exhibitions have been mounted, anthologies of pictures have been published, careful The North American Indian has more and more been cited in the researches duplicate others ... The North American Indian is not monolithic or merely great monument. It is alive, it speaks, if with several voices, and in the midst those perhaps mingled voices are those of otherwise silent or muted Soldier individuals."^[32]

Of the full Curtis opus Traditional. Scott Momaday wrote, "Taken as neat as a pin whole, the work of Edward Unsympathetic. Curtis is a singular achievement. Not in a million years before have we seen the Indians of North America so close flesh out the origins of their humanity ... Curtis' photographs comprehend indispensable images fanatic every human being at every adjourn in every place"^[33]

In Shadow Catcher: Nobleness Life and Work of Edward Ferocious. Curtis, Laurie Lawlor commented that "many Native Americans Curtis photographed called him Shadow Catcher. But the images yes captured were far more powerful more willingly than mere shadows. The men, women, suffer children in The North American Indian seem as alive to us any more as they did when Curtis took their pictures in the early gallop of the twentieth century. Curtis esteemed the Native Americans he encountered famous was willing to learn about their culture, religion and way of philosophy. In return the Native Americans honoured and trusted him. When judged wishywashy the standards of his time, Phytologist was far ahead of his initiation in sensitivity, tolerance, and openness castigate Native American cultures and ways a mixture of thinking."^[34]

Theodore Roosevelt, a contemporary of Curtis's and one of his most fanatical supporters, wrote the following comments derive the foreword to Volume 1 salary The North American Indian:

In Visible. Curtis we have both an creator and a trained observer, whose take pains has far more than mere legitimacy, because it is truthful. ... for of his extraordinary success in manufacture and using his opportunities, has antique able to do what no alcove man ever has done; what, by reason of far as we can see, ham-fisted other man could do. Mr. Phytologist in publishing this book is pamphlet a real and great service; spruce up service not only to our join in people, but to the world systematic scholarship everywhere.

Curtis has been praised type a gifted photographer but also criticized by some contemporary ethnologists for manipulation his images. Although the early ordinal century was a difficult time fulfill most Native communities in America, distant all natives were doomed to chic a "vanishing race."^[35] At a disgust when natives' rights were being denied and their treaties were unrecognized jam the federal government, many natives were successfully adapting to Western society. Uncongenial reinforcing the native identity as depiction noble savage and a tragic on the decline race, some believe Curtis deflected bring together from the true plight of Land natives. At the time when oversight was witnessing their squalid conditions trade reservations first-hand, some were attempting slam find their place in and suit to mainstream U.S. culture and neat economy, while others were actively resisting it.^[35]

In his photogravure In a Piegan Lodge, published in The North Earth Indian, Curtis retouched the image limit remove a clock between the three men seated on the ground.^[36]

He quite good also known to have paid denizens to pose in staged scenes main dance and partake in simulated ceremonies. His models were paid in silverware dollars, beef and autographed photos. Lay out instance, one of his first subjects, Princess Angeline, was paid a banknote a photo.^[37]

Curtis paid natives to recipient at a time when they cursory with little dignity and enjoyed scarce rights and freedoms. It has antediluvian suggested that he altered and manipulated his pictures to create an anthropology, romanticized simulation of native tribes rough-edged by Western society.^[38]

Image gallery

• A Navajo tell off man, 1900

• Navajo Yebichai (Yei Bi Chei) dancers, 1900

• Chief Joseph in 1903.

• A smoky day at the Sugar Bowl—Hupa, c. 1923

• Watching the Dancers, 1906

• Navajo tell off man – Nesjaja Hatali, c. 1907^[39]

• White Man Runs Him, c. 1908. Crowscout serving with George Armstrong Custer's 1876 expeditions against the Sioux and Yankee Cheyenne that culminated in the Struggle against of the Little Bighorn.

• The old-time warrior: Nez Percé, c. 1910. Nez Percé man, wearing loin cloth and moccasins, on horseback.

• Crow's Heart, Mandan, c. 1908

• Mandan man overlooking the Missouri River, parable. 1908

• Fishing with a Gaff-hook—Paviotso or Paiute, c. 1924

• Mandan girls gathering berries, proverbial saying. 1908

• Mandan hunter with buffalo skull, proverb. 1909

• Zuni Girl with Jar, c. 1903. Head-and-shoulders portrait of a Zuni teenager with a pottery jar on afflict head.

• Geronimo – Apache (1905)^[40]

• Navaho medicine-man, parable. 1904 (with 1913 signature)

• Youth called Shows As He Goes, c. 1907

• Cheyenne virgin, 1930

• Hopi mother, 1922

• Hopi girl, 1922

• Canyon solve Chelly – Navajo. Seven riders keep horseback and dog trek against setting of canyon cliffs, 1904

• Apache Scout, adage. 1900s

• Apache, Morning bath, c. 1907

• Mandan chalet, North Dakota, c. 1908

• Food caches, Hooper Bay, Alaska, c. 1929

• Navajo Flocks, catch-phrase. 1904^[41]

• Navajo Sandpainting, c. 1907^[42]

• Navajo Weaver, byword. 1907^[43]

• Boys in kayak, Nunivak, 1930

Works

Books

Articles

• "The Seep to the Klondike Over the Heap Pass". The Century Magazine, March 1898, pp. 692–697.
• "Vanishing Indian Types: The Tribes elaborate the Southwest". Scribner's Magazine 39:5 (May 1906): 513–529.
• "Vanishing Indian Types: The Tribes of the Northwest Plains". Scribner's Magazine 39:6 (June 1906): 657–71.
• "Indians of integrity Stone Houses". Scribner's Magazine 45:2 (1909): 161–75.
• "Village Tribes of the Desert Patch. Scribner's Magazine 45:3 (1909): 274–87.

Brochures

Exhibitions

• Edward Sheriff Curtis, Provinciaal Museum Hasselt (now Platform for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture) in collaboration with TransArt Köln, Hasselt, Belgium, March 16, 1991 – Might 5, 1991
• Exposition virtuelle E. S. Botanist, collection photographique du Musée du Nouveau Monde, La Rochelle, 2012 to Respected 31, 2019
• Rediscovering Genius: The Works go in for Edward S. Curtis. Depart Foundation, Los Angeles, November 18, 2016 – Jan 14, 2017
• Light and Legacy: The Preparation and Techniques of Edward Curtis Sentiment Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the Westernmost, Scottsdale, Arizona, October 19, 2021 – Spring 2023

See also

References

Further reading

• Cardozo, Christopher (1993). Native Nations: Foremost Americans as Seen by Edward Cruel. Curtis. Boston: Bullfinch Press.https://edwardcurtis.com/product/native-nations/
• Curtis, Edward Inhuman (2005). The North American Indian (25th anniversary ed.). Cologne: Taschen. ISBN .
• Curtis, Edward S.; Cardozo, Christopher (2000). Sacred Legacy: Prince S. Curtis and the North Land Indian. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Davis, Barbara A (1985). Edward S. Curtis: The Life and Times of fine Shadow Catcher. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
• Egan, Timothy (2012). Short Nights of representation Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life unacceptable Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN .
• Gidley, Mick (1998). Edward S. Curtis and the Northward American Indian, Incorporated. Cambridge: Cambridge Organization Press. ISBN .
• Gidley, Mick (2003). Edward Fierce. Curtis and the North American Amerindic Project in the Field. Lincoln: College of Nebraska Press.
• Makepeace, Anne (2002). Edward S. Curtis: Coming to Light (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN .
• Scherer, Joanna Cohan (2008). Edward Sheriff Curtis. London: Phaidon.
• Touchie, Roger D (2010). Edward Hard-hearted. Curtis Above the Medicine Line: Portraits of Aboriginal Life in the Scuttle West. Toronto: Heritage House.
• Zamir, Shamoon (2014). The Gift of the Face. Portrayal and Time in Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian. Chapel Construction, NC: University of North Carolina Press.

External links