The North American Indian Overview
A unique pictorial record of more than 80 American Indian tribes At the turn of the century, the American photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868–1952) started on his thirty-year project to produce a monumental study of North American Indians. Using an approach that was both artistically and scientifically ambitious he recorded, in words and pictures, the traces of the traditional Indian way of life that was already beginning to die out.
With tireless personal commitment Curtis visited American Indian tribes from the Mexican border to the Bering Straits, gaining their confidence by his patience and sensitivity. This, his photographic life’s work, was printed in 20 volumes between 1907 and 1930 as The North American Indian. There were only 272 copies in total, so original copies are now extremely rare. This book gives lasting life to Curtis’s great achievements by making the photographs available again.
The North American Indian Specifications
Originally used to illustrate a 20-volume encyclopedia of Native American history and culture, these photographs from the first decades of the 20th century are a valuable document of history. From a striking 1905 portrait of Geronimo to the seal-hunting Eskimos of Nunivak Island, Edward S. Curtis's pictures reflect the diversity of cultures that existed among the various Indian tribes. Their quality is superb--Curtis used the then-state-of-the-art photogravure process to reproduce his images--and the 1906 critique from Theodore Roosevelt remains valid: "In Mr. Curtis we have both an artist and a trained observer ... whose work has far more than mere accuracy, because it is truthful."
Customer Reviews
I caught a special on the Documentary Channel called "Coming to Light: Edward Curtis". I realized right then and there that I had to see this book they were talking about: The North American Indian. This is truly a ONE-OF-A-KIND book. I leave this book out on my coffee table and it gets attention. And because it's mostly pictures, my 7 year old daughter loves it. The most beautiful and meaningful collection of photos ever. I wish more people knew of it. What Curtis went through to make this is equally intriguing as the book itself. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT.
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