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19 results found
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 [CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
A Coast Pomo Girl [Pl. 486]
[Pl. 486]. Boston: Suffolk Engraving Company, [1907-1930]. Photogravure after Edward Curtis, printed by the Suffolk Engraving Company, wove paper (watermarked 'Van Gelder Zonen Made in Holland'). Excellent condition. Plate mark: 17 3/4 x 13 inches. Sheet size: 22 x 17 5/8 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on Native Americans, and the single greatest book in Western Americana. Only the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's "Birds of America" surpasses Curtis in its massive ambition and beauty of execution. "...Because of the singular combination of qualities with which he has been blessed, and because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities... (Curtis) has been able to do what no other man has ever done; what, as far as we can see, no other man could do. He is an artist who works out of doors and not in a closet. He is a close observer, whose qualities of mind and body fit him to make his observations out in the field, surrounded by the wild life he commemorates. He has lived on intimate terms with many different tribes of the mountains and the plains. He knows them as they hunt, as they travel, as they go about their various avocations on the march and in camp. He knows their medicine men and their sorcerers, their chiefs and warriors, their young men and maidens. He has not only seen their vigorous outward existence, but has caught glimpses, such as few white men ever catch, into that strange spiritual and mental life of theirs; from whose inner most recesses all white men are forever barred...." (Theodore Roosevelt, Foreword to Volume I)
Renowned for their unrivalled basketry skills, the Pomo tribe inhabited Northern California.
Edward Curtis was fascinated by the story of the Native Americans from childhood. His in-depth knowledge of the various tribes increased in parallel with his skill as a photographer during his participation in a number of scientific expeditions in the 1890s. In 1896, Curtis began to take photographs of the Native American tribes (by 1930 he had taken over 40,000 negatives of eighty tribes) and evolve his hugely ambitious plan for a comprehensive work which would illustrate his romantic vision of Native American life before the disastrous impact of European contact. With the enthusiastic support of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword to the present work) and the financial backing of J. Pierpont Morgan (Curtis was introduced to him by Roosevelt), the publishing project finally got under way in 1906. Pierpont Morgan died in 1913 just before the completion of the ninth volume, but his son agreed to continue underwriting the project; between them, they eventually contributed about a third of the $1,500,000 cost. What had originally been projected to take five or six years eventually stretched to twenty-three, finally reaching a conclusion in 1930 but leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, his grand design was completed, and his work remains as his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#10176 $800.00  
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 [CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
A Walpi Snake Priest [Pl. 429]
[Pl. 429]. Boston: Suffolk Engraving Company, [1907-1930]. Photogravure after Edward Curtis, printed by the Suffolk Engraving Company, wove paper (watermarked 'Van Gelder Zonen Made in Holland'). Very good condition. Plate mark: 17 3/8 x 12 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 22 x 18 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on Native Americans, and the single greatest book in Western Americana. Only the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's "Birds of America" surpasses Curtis in its massive ambition and beauty of execution. "...Because of the singular combination of qualities with which he has been blessed, and because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities... (Curtis) has been able to do what no other man has ever done; what, as far as we can see, no other man could do. He is an artist who works out of doors and not in a closet. He is a close observer, whose qualities of mind and body fit him to make his observations out in the field, surrounded by the wild life he commemorates. He has lived on intimate terms with many different tribes of the mountains and the plains. He knows them as they hunt, as they travel, as they go about their various avocations on the march and in camp. He knows their medicine men and their sorcerers, their chiefs and warriors, their young men and maidens. He has not only seen their vigorous outward existence, but has caught glimpses, such as few white men ever catch, into that strange spiritual and mental life of theirs; from whose inner most recesses all white men are forever barred...." (Theodore Roosevelt, Foreword to Volume I)
This plate depicts Koyawaima or 'Gray [dawn] walking', chief of the Snake fraternity. The Hopi ritual of the sacred Rain (Snake) Dance, in which the Antelope and Snake fraternities participated, lasted for 16 days in the month of August. In 1912, Curtis was permitted to participate in the Dance, the preparation for which he wrote, "We smeared pink clay over our moccasins and other parts of our costume and corn smut mixed with `man medicine' (a concoction of root juices and whatnot) over our forearms, calves and the right side of our head. We whitened our chin and blackened the rest of our face. Around our waist we placed the customary brightly woven fringed belt and in the rear, we hung a fox skin, which moves in rhythm of the dance" (Curtis, Volume XII).
"The Hopi are without doubt among the most interesting of our surviving American Indians, and one of the few groups recently living in a state similar to that of a hundred years ago. They call themselves "Hopitu," The Peaceable people, and peace loving they have always been...Affability and sunny disposition are apt to be one's first impression of the dominating traits of Hopi character..." (Curtis) Originally related to the Pueblo and Zuñi Indians, they inhabited Southwest region of the United States.
Edward Curtis was fascinated by the story of the Native Americans from childhood. His in-depth knowledge of the various tribes increased in parallel with his skill as a photographer during his participation in a number of scientific expeditions in the 1890s. In 1896, Curtis began to take photographs of the Native American tribes (by 1930 he had taken over 40,000 negatives of eighty tribes) and evolve his hugely ambitious plan for a comprehensive work which would illustrate his romantic vision of Native American life before the disastrous impact of European contact. With the enthusiastic support of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword to the present work) and the financial backing of J. Pierpont Morgan (Curtis was introduced to him by Roosevelt), the publishing project finally got under way in 1906. Pierpont Morgan died in 1913 just before the completion of the ninth volume, but his son agreed to continue underwriting the project; between them, they eventually contributed about a third of the $1,500,000 cost. What had originally been projected to take five or six years eventually stretched to twenty-three, finally reaching a conclusion in 1930 but leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, his grand design was completed, and his work remains as his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#9293$4,500.00
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 [CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
Bull Chief - Apsaroke [Pl. 128]
[Pl. 128]. Boston: Suffolk Engraving Company, [1907-1930]. Photogravure after Edward Curtis, printed by the Suffolk Engraving Company, Japon paper. Very good condition. Plate mark: 17 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 21 3/4 x 17 7/8 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on Native Americans, and the single greatest book in Western Americana. Only the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's "Birds of America" surpasses Curtis in its massive ambition and beauty of execution. "...Because of the singular combination of qualities with which he has been blessed, and because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities... (Curtis) has been able to do what no other man has ever done; what, as far as we can see, no other man could do. He is an artist who works out of doors and not in a closet. He is a close observer, whose qualities of mind and body fit him to make his observations out in the field, surrounded by the wild life he commemorates. He has lived on intimate terms with many different tribes of the mountains and the plains. He knows them as they hunt, as they travel, as they go about their various avocations on the march and in camp. He knows their medicine men and their sorcerers, their chiefs and warriors, their young men and maidens. He has not only seen their vigorous outward existence, but has caught glimpses, such as few white men ever catch, into that strange spiritual and mental life of theirs; from whose inner most recesses all white men are forever barred...." (Theodore Roosevelt, Foreword to Volume I)
A revered Apsaroke warrior, Bull Chief or 'Tsidup-batsetsish' was born in 1825 and was a distinguished member of the Fox warrior society. He is pictured here in the buffalo robes he customarily wore to symbolize his rank. "In stature and in vigor the Apsaroke, or Crows, excelled all other tribes of the Rocky Mountain region, and were surpassed by none in bravery and in devotion to the supernatural forces that gave them strength against their enemies" (Curtis, Volume IV). Originally planters from the upper Midwest, they inhabited the Plains and Prairies region of the United States, where they became hunters and skilled horsemen.
Edward Curtis was fascinated by the story of the Native Americans from childhood. His in-depth knowledge of the various tribes increased in parallel with his skill as a photographer during his participation in a number of scientific expeditions in the 1890s. In 1896, Curtis began to take photographs of the Native American tribes (by 1930 he had taken over 40,000 negatives of eighty tribes) and evolve his hugely ambitious plan for a comprehensive work which would illustrate his romantic vision of Native American life before the disastrous impact of European contact. With the enthusiastic support of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword to the present work) and the financial backing of J. Pierpont Morgan (Curtis was introduced to him by Roosevelt), the publishing project finally got under way in 1906. Pierpont Morgan died in 1913 just before the completion of the ninth volume, but his son agreed to continue underwriting the project; between them, they eventually contributed about a third of the $1,500,000 cost. What had originally been projected to take five or six years eventually stretched to twenty-three, finally reaching a conclusion in 1930 but leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, his grand design was completed, and his work remains as his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#10191$3,500.00
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 [CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
By the Pool - Tule River Reservation [Pl. 501]
[Pl. 501]. Boston: Suffolk Engraving Company, [1907-1930]. Photogravure after Edward Curtis, printed by the Suffolk Engraving Company, wove paper (watermarked 'Van Gelder Zonen Made in Holland'). Excellent condition. Plate mark: 13 5/8 x 16 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 17 3/4 x 22 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on Native Americans, and the single greatest book in Western Americana. Only the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's "Birds of America" surpasses Curtis in its massive ambition and beauty of execution. "...Because of the singular combination of qualities with which he has been blessed, and because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities... (Curtis) has been able to do what no other man has ever done; what, as far as we can see, no other man could do. He is an artist who works out of doors and not in a closet. He is a close observer, whose qualities of mind and body fit him to make his observations out in the field, surrounded by the wild life he commemorates. He has lived on intimate terms with many different tribes of the mountains and the plains. He knows them as they hunt, as they travel, as they go about their various avocations on the march and in camp. He knows their medicine men and their sorcerers, their chiefs and warriors, their young men and maidens. He has not only seen their vigorous outward existence, but has caught glimpses, such as few white men ever catch, into that strange spiritual and mental life of theirs; from whose inner most recesses all white men are forever barred...." (Theodore Roosevelt, Foreword to Volume I)
"Tule River reservation, a tract of nearly fifty thousand acres on the edge of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, is the home of about a hundred and fifty Indians, practically all of whom are members of the Yokuts family. Only a small portion of the reservation is suited to agriculture (Curtis, Frontispiece to Volume XIV). Renowned for their unrivalled basketry skills, the Pomo tribe inhabited Northern California.
Edward Curtis was fascinated by the story of the Native Americans from childhood. His in-depth knowledge of the various tribes increased in parallel with his skill as a photographer during his participation in a number of scientific expeditions in the 1890s. In 1896, Curtis began to take photographs of the Native American tribes (by 1930 he had taken over 40,000 negatives of eighty tribes) and evolve his hugely ambitious plan for a comprehensive work which would illustrate his romantic vision of Native American life before the disastrous impact of European contact. With the enthusiastic support of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword to the present work) and the financial backing of J. Pierpont Morgan (Curtis was introduced to him by Roosevelt), the publishing project finally got under way in 1906. Pierpont Morgan died in 1913 just before the completion of the ninth volume, but his son agreed to continue underwriting the project; between them, they eventually contributed about a third of the $1,500,000 cost. What had originally been projected to take five or six years eventually stretched to twenty-three, finally reaching a conclusion in 1930 but leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, his grand design was completed, and his work remains as his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#10173$1,200.00
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 CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
Chief Joseph - Nez Percé [Pl. 256]
[Pl. 256]. [Boston: D. Sacilotto for Charles Lauriat's: 1967]. Photogravure by Curtis, finely printed from the original plate, on wove paper watermarked "Tweedweave", by the master printmaker D. Sacilotto. A rare edition, not to be confused with later restrikes. A fine print, the beauty and quality of which rivals that of the original plates.(Small discrete collection stamp outside of plate mark on verso.) Very good condition apart from some mild rippling. Plate mark: 17 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 22 1/2 x 17 7/8 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on American Indians, and the single greatest book in Western Americana.
"The name of Chief Joseph is better known, than that of any other Northwestern Indian." (Curtis, List of Large Plates Supplementing Volume Eight) Also known as Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, or Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain, Chief Joseph was born in the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon in 1840. He was primarily renowned for his short-lived resistance to U.S. attempts to move his people to a reservation in Idaho, a valiant endeavour that culminated in the Bear Paw Battle. The culturally diverse Nez Percé inhabited the Great Basin region of the United States and were skilled horse breeders and hunters.
The original edition of Curtis' The North American Indian had 214 subscribers and Curtis himself handled the distribution. After Curtis declared bankruptcy, the booksellers Charles Lauriat's of Boston purchased the outstanding stock, and the edition from which this print comes was commissioned in order to complete a number of incomplete portfolios. According to information supplied by the printers, the edition was strictly limited with only 17 sets being produced.
Edward Curtis was fascinated with the story of the American Indian from an early age, honing both his knowledge of them and his skill as a photographer on numerous scientific expeditions in the 1890s. With the enthusiastic backing of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword), Curtis evolved his plan for a comprehensive work that would illustrate his romantic vision of American Indian life before the disastrous impact of European contact. He obtained the patronage of J. Pierpont Morgan, whose support (and later, that of his son) enabled the project to go forward. What had originally been projected to take five or six years stretched to twenty-three, consumed $1,200,000 (a third in subsidy from the Morgans), and finally reached a conclusion in 1930, leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, he succeeded in accomplishing his grand design, and the set remains his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#11616$3,200.00
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 [CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
Fish Shows - Apsaroke [Pl. 135]
[Pl. 135]. Boston: Suffolk Engraving Company, [1907-1930]. Photogravure after Edward Curtis, printed by the Suffolk Engraving Company, Japon paper. Very good condition. Plate mark: 17 3/8 x 11 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 21 7/8 x 18 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on Native Americans, and the single greatest book in Western Americana. Only the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's "Birds of America" surpasses Curtis in its massive ambition and beauty of execution. "...Because of the singular combination of qualities with which he has been blessed, and because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities... (Curtis) has been able to do what no other man has ever done; what, as far as we can see, no other man could do. He is an artist who works out of doors and not in a closet. He is a close observer, whose qualities of mind and body fit him to make his observations out in the field, surrounded by the wild life he commemorates. He has lived on intimate terms with many different tribes of the mountains and the plains. He knows them as they hunt, as they travel, as they go about their various avocations on the march and in camp. He knows their medicine men and their sorcerers, their chiefs and warriors, their young men and maidens. He has not only seen their vigorous outward existence, but has caught glimpses, such as few white men ever catch, into that strange spiritual and mental life of theirs; from whose inner most recesses all white men are forever barred...." (Theodore Roosevelt, Foreword to Volume 1)
Born around 1848, Fish Shows or 'Buusish' was a gallant Apsaroke warrior, who first fought under the renowned chief Red Bear against the Sioux. According to Curtis, in "stature and in vigor the Apsaroke, or Crows, excelled all other tribes of the Rocky Mountain region, and were surpassed by none in bravery and in devotion to the supernatural forces that gave them strength against their enemies." (Volume IV) Originally planters from the upper Midwest, they inhabited the Plains and Prairies region of the United States, where they became hunters and skilled horsemen.
Edward Curtis was fascinated by the story of the Native Americans from childhood. His in-depth knowledge of the various tribes increased in parallel with his skill as a photographer during his participation in a number of scientific expeditions in the 1890s. In 1896, Curtis began to take photographs of the Native American tribes (by 1930 he had taken over 40,000 negatives of eighty tribes) and evolve his hugely ambitious plan for a comprehensive work which would illustrate his romantic vision of Native American life before the disastrous impact of European contact. With the enthusiastic support of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword to the present work) and the financial backing of J. Pierpont Morgan (Curtis was introduced to him by Roosevelt), the publishing project finally got under way in 1906. Pierpont Morgan died in 1913 just before the completion of the ninth volume, but his son agreed to continue underwriting the project; between them, they eventually contributed about a third of the $1,500,000 cost. What had originally been projected to take five or six years eventually stretched to twenty-three, finally reaching a conclusion in 1930 but leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, his grand design was completed, and his work remains as his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#10187$4,500.00
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 CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
In a Piegan Lodge [Pl. 188]
[Pl. 188]. [Boston: D. Sacilotto for Charles Lauriat's: 1967]. Photogravure by Curtis, finely printed from the original plate, on wove paper watermarked "Tweedweave", by the master printmaker D. Sacilotto. A rare edition, not to be confused with later restrikes. A fine print, the beauty and quality of which rivals that of the original plates.(Small discrete collection stamp outside of plate mark on verso.) Very good condition apart from some mild rippling. Plate mark: 13 5/8 x 17 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 22 1/4 x 16 1/2 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on American Indians, and the single greatest book in Western Americana.
"Little Plume with his son Yellow Kidney occupies the position of honor, the space at the rear opposite the entrance. The picture is full of suggestion of the various Indian activities. In a prominent place lie the ever-present pipe and its accessories on the tobacco cutting-board. From the lodge- poles hang the buffalo-skin shield, the long medicine-bundle, an eagle- wing fan, and a deerskin articles for accoutering the horse. The upper end of the rope is attached to the intersection of the lodge-poles, and in stormy weather the lower end is made fast to a stake near the centre of the floor space." (Curtis, List of Large Plates Supplementing Volume Six) A subgroup of the Blackfoot tribe, the Piegan are of Algonquin stock and inhabited the Plains and Prairies region of North America. They were the quintessential Plains Indians, and in his notes, Curtis described them as amiable people, who had a propensity for social formalities and were easy to work with.
The original edition of Curtis' The North American Indian had 214 subscribers and Curtis himself handled the distribution. After Curtis declared bankruptcy, the booksellers Charles Lauriat's of Boston purchased the outstanding stock, and the edition from which this print comes was commissioned in order to complete a number of incomplete portfolios. According to information supplied by the printers, the edition was strictly limited with only 17 sets being produced.
Edward Curtis was fascinated with the story of the American Indian from an early age, honing both his knowledge of them and his skill as a photographer on numerous scientific expeditions in the 1890s. With the enthusiastic backing of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword), Curtis evolved his plan for a comprehensive work that would illustrate his romantic vision of American Indian life before the disastrous impact of European contact. He obtained the patronage of J. Pierpont Morgan, whose support (and later, that of his son) enabled the project to go forward. What had originally been projected to take five or six years stretched to twenty-three, consumed $1,200,000 (a third in subsidy from the Morgans), and finally reached a conclusion in 1930, leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, he succeeded in accomplishing his grand design, and the set remains his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#11361$650.00
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 CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
Kutenai Duck Hunter [Pl. 249]
[Pl. 249]. [Boston: D. Sacilotto for Charles Lauriat's: 1967]. Photogravure by Curtis, finely printed from the original plate, on wove paper watermarked "Tweedweave", by the master printmaker D. Sacilotto. A rare edition, not to be confused with later restrikes. A fine print, the beauty and quality of which rivals that of the original plates.(Small discrete collection stamp outside of plate mark on verso.) Very good condition apart from some mild rippling and a bit of light soiling in the right margin. Plate mark: 12 x 16 1/2 inches. Sheet size: 17 7/8 x 22 3/8 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on American Indians, and the single greatest book in Western Americana.
Curtis described this image as follows: "In the gray dawn of a foggy morning the hunter crouches in his canoe among the rushes, waiting for the water fowl to come within range." (List of Large Plates Supplementing Volume Seven) A semi-nomadic tribe closely associated with the Spokanes, the Kutenai inhabited the Great Basin region of the United States and, through marriage and geographical proximity, were allies of the Flatheads and Kalispel Pend Oreilles. They were renowned boatmen, and their distinct language, Kitunahan, bears no resemblance to any other Native American dialect.
The original edition of Curtis' The North American Indian had 214 subscribers and Curtis himself handled the distribution. After Curtis declared bankruptcy, the booksellers Charles Lauriat's of Boston purchased the outstanding stock, and the edition from which this print comes was commissioned in order to complete a number of incomplete portfolios. According to information supplied by the printers, the edition was strictly limited with only 17 sets being produced.
Edward Curtis was fascinated with the story of the American Indian from an early age, honing both his knowledge of them and his skill as a photographer on numerous scientific expeditions in the 1890s. With the enthusiastic backing of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword), Curtis evolved his plan for a comprehensive work that would illustrate his romantic vision of American Indian life before the disastrous impact of European contact. He obtained the patronage of J. Pierpont Morgan, whose support (and later, that of his son) enabled the project to go forward. What had originally been projected to take five or six years stretched to twenty-three, consumed $1,200,000 (a third in subsidy from the Morgans), and finally reached a conclusion in 1930, leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, he succeeded in accomplishing his grand design, and the set remains his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#11811$2,750.00
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 [CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
Kutenai girls
[Boston]: John Andrew & Son, [1907-1930]. Photogravure after Edward Curtis, printed by John Andrew & Son. Very good condition, apart from a faint blindstamp to the lower right corner. Image area 11 x 15 5/8 inches. Sheet size 18 1/8 x 22 1/8 inches.
An evocative image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on Native Americans, and the single greatest book in Western Americana. Only the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's "Birds of America" surpasses Curtis in its massive ambition and beauty of execution. "...Because of the singular combination of qualities with which he has been blessed, and because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities... (Curtis) has been able to do what no other man has ever done; what, as far as we can see, no other man could do. He is an artist who works out of doors and not in a closet. He is a close observer, whose qualities of mind and body fit him to make his observations out in the field, surrounded by the wild life he commemorates. He has lived on intimate terms with many different tribes of the mountains and the plains. He knows them as they hunt, as they travel, as they go about their various avocations on the march and in camp. He knows their medicine men and their sorcerers, their chiefs and warriors, their young men and maidens. He has not only seen their vigorous outward existence, but has caught glimpses, such as few white men ever catch, into that strange spiritual and mental life of theirs; from whose inner most recesses all white men are forever barred...." (Theodore Roosevelt, Foreword to Volume I)
The Ktunaxa or Kootenay Indians live in the Columbia Basin. The traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Indian Nation includes the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers: it is this system of rivers and lakes that has sustained the Ktunaxa peoples since time immemorial. Here three young girls stand beside a lake with a canoe to their left.
Edward Curtis was fascinated by the story of the Native Americans from childhood. His in-depth knowledge of the various tribes increased in parallel with his skill as a photographer during his participation in a number of scientific expeditions in the 1890s. In 1896, Curtis began to take photographs of the Native American tribes (by 1930 he had taken over 40,000 negatives of eighty tribes) and evolve his hugely ambitious plan for a comprehensive work which would illustrate his romantic vision of Native American life before the disastrous impact of European contact. With the enthusiastic support of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword to the present work) and the financial backing of J. Pierpont Morgan (Curtis was introduced to him by Roosevelt), the publishing project finally got under way in 1906. Pierpont Morgan died in 1913 just before the completion of the ninth volume, but his son agreed to continue underwriting the project; between them, they eventually contributed about a third of the $1,500,000 cost. What had originally been projected to take five or six years eventually stretched to twenty-three, finally reaching a conclusion in 1930 but leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, his grand design was completed, and his work remains as his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#18488$1,900.00
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 CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952)
On Klickitat River (c) [Pl. 291]
[Pl. 291]. [Boston: D. Sacilotto for Charles Lauriat's: 1967]. Photogravure by Curtis, finely printed from the original plate, on wove paper watermarked "Tweedweave", by the master printmaker D. Sacilotto. A rare edition, not to be confused with later restrikes. A fine print, the beauty and quality of which rivals that of the original plates.(Small discrete collection stamp outside of plate mark on verso.) Very good condition apart from some mild rippling. Plate mark: 13 5/8 x 16 1/2 inches. Sheet size: 17 7/8 x 22 3/8 inches.
A breath-taking image from "The North American Indian", the grandest illustrated work ever produced in the United States, the most important illustrated work on American Indians, and the single greatest book in Western Americana.
"Klickitat River flows through what was the territory of the Klickitat, a bold roving, gypsy-like group of Shahaptian bands….The picture, which shows one of a succession of beautiful scenes near the mouth of this stream, accompanies Volume VIII for the reason that the land at its junction with the Columbia was formerly Chinookan territory, and in fact it was never altogether given up to the Klickitat." (Curtis, List of Large Plates Supplementing Volume Eight)
The original edition of Curtis' The North American Indian had 214 subscribers and Curtis himself handled the distribution. After Curtis declared bankruptcy, the booksellers Charles Lauriat's of Boston purchased the outstanding stock, and the edition from which this print comes was commissioned in order to complete a number of incomplete portfolios. According to information supplied by the printers, the edition was strictly limited with only 17 sets being produced.
Edward Curtis was fascinated with the story of the American Indian from an early age, honing both his knowledge of them and his skill as a photographer on numerous scientific expeditions in the 1890s. With the enthusiastic backing of President Theodore Roosevelt (who wrote the foreword), Curtis evolved his plan for a comprehensive work that would illustrate his romantic vision of American Indian life before the disastrous impact of European contact. He obtained the patronage of J. Pierpont Morgan, whose support (and later, that of his son) enabled the project to go forward. What had originally been projected to take five or six years stretched to twenty-three, consumed $1,200,000 (a third in subsidy from the Morgans), and finally reached a conclusion in 1930, leaving Curtis a broken and bankrupt man. Nonetheless, he succeeded in accomplishing his grand design, and the set remains his monument.
Cf. Naef & Goldschmidt The Truthful Lens 40; cf. Howes C-965.
#11724$175.00
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Copyright © 2002-2011 Donald A. Heald
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