A Private Collection

The Vanishing Race – Navaho, 1904 Vintage Platinum Print (Also printed as a photogravure; Portfolio I, Plate 1) This is Curtis’ signature photograph. It is an evocative, emotional image that powerfully expresses the central idea and the principle motivator of Curtis’ thirty-year odyssey: that Native Americans having lost most of their land and much of their culture were passing into an unknown future. Curtis became deeply impassioned, and was moved to create his unparalleled record in 1900, when he saw clearly what rich and extraordinary lives and histories Native people had, and how it was disappearing in front of his eyes. For four years he searched for an image that would serve as a powerful visual metaphor for this idea. He finally found it while photographing with the Navaho in the sacred area of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona.

The negative for The Vanishing Race is very difficult to print and most photographs of The Vanishing Race lack contrast and are typically overly dark and “blocked-up”. This is an exceptional example with an important exhibition history.

PRINT BACKGROUND: This is an exceptionally beautiful platinum print of one of Curtis’ most iconic images. It is an unusually warm and open print that beautifully expresses Curtis’ artistic intent and vision. The print is on a heavy, textured period watercolor paper and has a delicate Curtis signature, in ink, on recto as well as Curtis’ blind stamp and negative number. The condition is near-pristine. This print also had an illustrious exhibition history: it was exhibited in ten European museums during 2005-2007. This vintage print is from the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo.