The Photographs of E.S. Curtis

The Photographs of Edward S. Curtis from the Collection of the Rockwell Museum of Western Art

In the early 20th century, Edward Sherriff Curtis spent more than 40 years photographing and documenting the Native peoples of North America, taking more than 40,000 photographs and amassing a staggering archive of documentary material about North American tribes. The Photographs of Edward Sherriff Curtis will feature 37 photographic prints from the Rockwell Museum's permanent collection. These images will be used as a foundation for visitors to explore Curtis as ethnographer and Curtis as artist.

In 1906, when J.P. Morgan hired Curtis to produce a photographic series on Native Americans, Curtis undertook the project as an ethnographic effort to document the indigenous peoples of North America "before they became extinct." It was an ambitious project from the outset. Curtis took over 40,000 photographic images from over 80 tribes and made over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings of Indian language and music. He recorded tribal lore and history, and meticulously described traditional foods, housing, garments, recreation, ceremonies, and funeral customs. He wrote biographical sketches of tribal leaders, and his material, in most cases, is the only recorded history.

But Curtis was more artist than ethnographer and his photographs hint at this latent prejudice. Curtis made the same mistakes as many of his artistic contemporaries: he sacrificed strict ethnographic practice for artistic composition. He asked Indian models to wear objects foreign to their own culture, or posed them instead of photographing them during their own ritual activities. While such details were seemingly minute in the moment, collectively they imprinted upon public perception and became stereotype.

Today, Curtis' photographs enjoy a nostalgic revival, but have had a lasting, and controversial influence on how Native Americans are viewed.