Edward S. Curtis 1868–1952
Edward S. Curtis 1868–1952
December 2021
Dear Friends,
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t is difficult for me to believe that the work of Edward S. Curtis ever languished in obscurity, relegated to boxes in a basement and warehouse. It’s almost as hard to imagine that forty-nine years have passed since the day when Mark Zaplin (1952-2014) and I, along with a small group of friends and colleagues, first laid our eyes on those works. As many of you know, that “discovery” and the subsequent purchase of the entire Curtis cache changed our lives. It was 1972, and it marked the beginning of a slow process which has led to a new era of appreciation for this unique photographer.
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Now, his work is the subject of “Light and Legacy: The Art and Techniques of Edward S. Curtis” at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Curated from the Peterson Family Collection, I believe this show is the most comprehensive exhibition on Curtis that has ever been or ever will be mounted. Filling the museum’s Great Hall and Pulliam Fine Arts Gallery, the displays feature an original set of his magnum opus, the twenty-volume The North American Indian, along with examples of his wide-ranging photographs (from Chief Joseph to Theodore Roosevelt). It includes goldtones and their glass plate negatives, original photogravures and their copper plates, along with cyanotypes, and platinum, silver gelatin, and silver bromide photographs.
Particularly interesting is being able to see one iconic image, “The Oath,” presented in every type of printing process Curtis utilized (shown in goldtone at right), side by side, and to be able to hear one-of-a-kind sound recordings of the Indigenous peoples in speech and song that Curtis captured on wax cylinders during his thirty-year project in the field. It was thrilling for me to see an exhibit of such monumental scope come to fruition. Kudos to Tim Peterson, his family, and Scottsdale's Museum of the West. In recognition of this remarkable exhibition, we thought it would be fitting to feature available works by Edward S. Curtis as our December 2021 digital catalogue. These images reflect the enduring interest in what this pioneering photographer set out to accomplish. Through tireless dedication to his subjects, and with dreams of making the people “last forever,” Curtis created an artistic legacy like no other. Warmest regards,
Richard Lampert, December 2021
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Joseph, Nez Percé 1903 Photogravure on Japanese tissue 71/8 x 45/8 inches
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An Acoma Man 1904 Platinum photograph 151/2 x 113/8 inches
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The Potter (Nampeyo) – Hopi 1906 Goldtone photograph in original frame
10 x 8 inches
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Potter Building Her Kiln - Nampeyo 1906 Platinum photograph 115/8 x 151/2 inches
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The Piki Maker 1906 Silver bromide photograph 55/8 x 75/8 inches
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The Piki Maker 1906 Goldtone photograph in original frame 14 x 11 inches
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At the Old Well of Acoma 1904 Goldtone photograph in original frame
11 x 14 inches
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Loitering at the Spring, Hopi 1906 Silver gelatin photograph 13 x 16 inches
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Watching for Salmon, Hupa 1923 Goldtone photograph in original frame 10 x 8 inches
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Wisham Fisherman 1909 Goldtone photograph in original frame 14 x 11 inches
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Spearing Salmon, Hupa 1923 Goldtone photograph in original frame 10 x 8 inches
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The Trout Stream, Hupa 1927 Goldtone photograph in original frame 10 x 8 inches
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Signal Fire to the Mountain God 1909 Goldtone photograph in original frame 10 x 8 inches
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The Maid of Dreams 1909 Goldtone photograph in original frame 14 x 11 inches
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The Oath – Apsaroke 1908 Goldtone photograph in original frame 10 x 8 inches
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The Oath – Apsaroke 1908 Silver bromide photograph 75/8 x 55/8 inches
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Cañon de Chelly, Navaho 1904 Photogravure on Japanese tissue 113/8 x 151/2 inches
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Cañon del Muerto, Navaho 1906 Goldtone photograph in original frame 14 x 11 inches
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The Three Chiefs 1900 Platinum photograph 55/8 x 73/8 inches
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The Three Chiefs 1900 Goldtone photograph in original frame 11 x 14 inches
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An Oasis in the Badlands 1905 Platinum photograph 6 x 8 inches
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Before the Storm 1906 Silver bromide photograph 55/8 x 73/4 inches
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Yeibichai Hogan – Navaho 1907 Platinum photograph 12 x 16 inches
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The Scout – Apache 1906 Silver photograph 101/2 x 131/2 inches
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The Wood Gatherer – Sioux 1908 Platinum photograph 16 x 12 inches
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In the Land of the Sioux 1905 Photogravure on Japanese vellum 117/8 x 155/8 inches
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The Vanishing Race 1904 Silver gelatin photograph 11 x 14 inches
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The Vanishing Race 1904 Goldtone photograph in original frame 8 x 10 inches
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Hopi Snake Priest 1907 Silver bromide photograph 75/8 x 53/4 inches
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Buffalo Dance at Hano 1904 Platinum photograph 131/4 x 163/4 inches
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A Chief of the Desert – Navaho
1904 Photogravure on Japanese vellum 153/4 x 111/2 inches
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Waiting in the Forest – Cheyenne 1910 Photogravure on Dutch Van Gelder 15 x 11 inches
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The Wedding Party - Qagyuhl 1914 Silver photograph 105/8 x 135/8 inches
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Coming for the Bride – Qagyuhl 1914 Platinum photograph 101/2 x 151/4 inches
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Homeward 1898 Goldtone photograph in original frame 11 x 14 inches
©2021 Zaplin | Lampert Gallery Catalogue Design Alex Hanna, Invisible City Designs Photography of Curtis Works James Hart
651 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 505.982.6100 zaplinlampert.com
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651 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 | 505.982.6100 | zaplinlampert.com