Edward Curtis
September 7 - October 13, 2001

During his life, Edward Sheriff Curtis (American, 1868 - 1952), chronicled over 80 Native American Indian tribes in North America. Curtis' obsession started with a project in Alaska in 1899 accompanying the E. H. Harriman Expedition and ended with the completion in 1930 of his conceived project, The North American Indian, an ethnographic and photographic survey in 20 volumes illustrated with approximately 1,500 photographs.

This was a monumental task of documenting the lives, dress, traditions, profound beauty, and meaning of Native American life. Curtis gave witness, through the lens of his camera, that which was passing out of sight. He combined a nostalgic artistic style of photography with his mission to record the appearance and customs of as many remnant Native American groups to whom he could gain access.
Curtis' talent and topic eventually caught the attention of many Americans, including President Theodore Roosevelt and J. Pierpont Morgan. Between 1900 and 1906, with the support of President Roosevelt and the patronage of Morgan, Curtis and his large team of assistants photographed Native American tribes in the Southwest, the Great Plains, and the Pacific Northwest. They visited such disparate tribes and diverse landscapes as the Kwakiutl, Comanche, Apache, and the Cree. The first volume of The North American Indian was published in 1907 and the final 20th volume was published 27 years later.

The Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery exhibit includes many of Curtis' best photogravures. The photogravure process used by Curtis was considered the most faithful method for the photomechanical reproduction of photographs in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of the featured photogravures are:

The Potter-Santa Clara, 1905
The Kiva Stairs - San Ildefonso, 1925
Girl and Jar - San Ildefonso, 1905
Rattlesnake Design in Yokuts Basketry, 1924
Grinding Machine-Zuni, 1925

The gravures are printed on Holland Van Gelder vellum and on Holland Van Gelder tissue. The image size of each is approximately 11 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches, with printed plate number, Curtis' title, date, and copyright, and "Photogravures by John Andrews & Son" on recto; margins trimmed, sheet approximately 19 x 15 1/4 inches. The large size gravures are the most sought after by collectors.
Girl and Jar
Hupa Mother and Child
Kiva Stairs
Rattlesnake Design
The Offering
The Potter
The Sentinel