Edward S. Curtis

Photography Appreciation

American photographer and ethnologist Edward Sheriff Curtis was born on February 19, 1868. He is best known for his photography of the American West and Native American people.

Originally from Whitewater, Wisconsin, Curtis grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. At 17, he moved to Seattle, Washington where he purchased a camera and became a partner with Rasmus Rothi. He then later formed a studio with Thomas Guptill. 

In 1895, Curtis photographed Princess Angeline, daughter of Chief Sealth of Seattle. A few years later, two images he took of Princess Angeline were chosen for an exhibition sponsored by the National Photographic Society. 

While photographing Mount Rainier, he came upon a group of scientists. One of them Wass George Bird Grinnell, an expert on Native Americans. Soon after, Curtis was appointed as the official photographer of the Harriman Alaska Expedition of 1899 then joined Grinnell on an expedition to photograph people of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Montana.

In 1907, Curtis' The North American Indian was published, a book not only included photographs but also extensive written recorded history. 

A few years later, his first feature film depicting Native American life called In the Land of the Head Hunters premiered in North York and Seattle on December 7, 1914. 

In the mid-twenties, Curtis moved to Los Angeles, opened a photo studio, and worked as an assistant cameraman for film director Cecil B. DeMille. 

White Man Runs Him (c. 1908)

Zuni Girl with jar (c. 1903)

Hopi mother (1922)

Sources: Wikipedia.org