Dubuque Museum of Art Shows Historic Photographs by Edward S. Curtis

Written by Raymond Philips Saturday, 27 August 2011 00:37

Dubuque, IA.- The Dubuque Museum of Art is pleased to present "A New Generation: Images of Children from The North American Indian by Edward S. Curtis", on view at the museum through November 27th. As one of the few repositories in the world of a complete collection of The North American Indian by American photographer and adventurer Edward S. Curtis, Dubuque Museum of Art is proud to once again present a themed selection of images from this extensive and stunning collection. this latest installment features images of Native American children, which are some of Curtis’s most endearing images. It was an image of a child that gave momentum to The North American Indian project, when Curtis was one of the winners in the “Prettiest Children in America” contest sponsored by Ladies Home Journal in 1904.

This spurred his relationship with President Theodore Roosevelt who became one of the project’s most famous supporters. In order to share these appealing images of children with as many visitors as possible, DMA has partnered with local artist Scott Hendron to present a breakthrough tactile exhibition. The real highlight of the exhibition will be four images brought to life in 3D by Hendron using ground-breaking printing technology. Visitors will be welcome to touch the four prints and object labels will be supplemented with Braille text thanks to Horizons for the Blind.

Edward Curtis was born near Whitewater, Wisconsin. Curtis' father, the Reverend Johnson Asahel Curtis (1840–1887), was a minister and an American Civil War veteran. Around 1874 the family moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota. Curtis dropped out of school in the sixth grade. He soon built his own camera. In 1880 the family lived in Cordova Township, Minnesota, where Johnson Curtis worked as a retail grocer. In 1885 at the age of seventeen Edward became an apprentice photographer in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1887 the family moved to Seattle, Washington, where Edward purchased a new camera and became a partner in an existing photographic studio with Rasmus Rothi. Edward paid $150 for his 50 percent share in the studio. After about six months, Curtis left Rothi and formed a new partnership with Thomas Guptill. The new studio was called Curtis and Guptill, Photographers and Photoengravers. In 1895 Curtis met and photographed Princess Angeline (c1800-1896) aka Kickisomlo, the daughter of Chief Sealth of Seattle. This was to be his first portrait of a Native American. In 1898 while photographing Mt. Rainier, Curtis came upon a small group of scientists. One of them was George Bird Grinnell, an expert on Native Americans. Both Grinnell and Curtis were invited on the famous Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899. Grinnell became interested in Curtis' photography and invited him to join an expedition to photograph the Blackfeet Indians in Montana in the year 1900. In 1906 J.P. Morgan offered Curtis $75,000 to produce a series on the North American Indian. It was to be in 20 volumes with 1,500 photographs. Morgan was to receive 25 sets and 500 original prints as his method of repayment. 222 complete sets were eventually published.

Curtis' goal was not just to photograph, but to document, as much American Indian (Native American) traditional life as possible before that way of life disappeared. He wrote in the introduction to his first volume in 1907: "The information that is to be gathered ... respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost." Curtis made over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings of Indian language and music. He took over 40,000 photographic images from over 80 tribes. He recorded tribal lore and history, and he 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.


The Dubuque Museum of Art (DMA) located in the heart of downtown Dubuque's cultural corridor is Iowa's oldest cultural institution established in 1874. The museum eeks to excite, engage, and educate constituents through the presentation of collections, exhibitions, and programming; to form mutually beneficial partnerships to enhance the role of the arts within our community; and to adhere to professional museum standards in all operations. The Dubuque Museum of Art’s permanent collection concentrates on 20th century American art with an emphasis on American Regionalism. DMA’s priority is to collect works by Regionalist artists and artists connected to the Tri-states region. The permanent collection is composed of over 2100 works primarily paintings and works on paper. The collection includes significant works by noted Iowa Regionalist Grant Wood, the complete collection of Edward S. Curtis’ The North American Indian photogravures and texts, and nationally recognized artists including John Steuart Curry, Adrian Dornbush, and Mauricio Lasansky. Examples of local artists’ work include Francesco Licciardi, Louise Halliburton, Joseph Walter, and Dorothy Rossiter. DMA continues to receive an ongoing gift of the complete body of work from artist and author Arthur Geisert, currently consisting of more than 900 etchings. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.dbqart.com

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