The Life and Work of Edward S. Curtis
Book Description
When the twentieth century was just getting under way, Edward S. Curtis began documenting North American Indian culture in words and photographs. Today, almost one hundred years later, his work still stands as the most extensive and informative collection of its kind. His photographs are more than mere documents, they are works of art revealing subtleties of human expression missing from other history and anthropology records. For thirty years, Curtis devoted himself to compiling The North American Indian, twenty volumes of text and oversized photogravure plates. This was a largely unprofitable project, and Curtis sacrificed his family life and his health to make lengthy visits to American Indian communities throughout the western United States and Canada. Filled with Curtis’s breathtaking photographs, Shadow Catcher traces Curtis’s life and work from his boyhood in Wisconsin, through his first photo expedition to Alaska in 1897 and the completion of The North American Indian collection in 1930, to his death in 1952.
Awards and Recognition
- Carl Sandburg Award for Children’s Literature, 1995
- Hungry Mind Review 995 Children’s Book of Distinction Award
- SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Book, Nonfiction, 1994
Resources
- “Edward S. Curtis’s The North American Indian,” Northwestern University, Digital Library Collection (Edward Sheriff Curtis published The North American Indian between 1907 and 1930 with the intent to record traditional Indian cultures. The work comprises twenty volumes of narrative text and photogravure images. Each volume is accompanied by a portfolio of large photogravure plates. The entire work is presented here, supported largely by funds from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.)
- Library of Congress National Digital Library, Northwestern University,
North American Indian Photographs by Edward S. Curtis (I used this collection to create the photos selected in the book.) - “Using photography as a teaching tool in human rights and international affairs,” Noam Schimmel, Times Higher Education, 15 Mar 2022
Reviews and Comments
“More than a reference and more than a biography of Curtis, this carefully researched, highly readable book emphasizes the photographer’s perseverance and quest for quality and can serve as a model for young people.” (School Library Journal, starred review)
“The sepia reproductions of [Curtis’s] photographs are as eloquent as Lawlor’s well-written text.” (The Horn Book)
The handsome book, printed on fine, sepia-toned paper, is well worth having.” (Booklist)
“The exceptional quality of this photographic work is a tribute to the man and his vision and will serve to acquaint another generation of Americans with his work.” (VOYA)
“A magnificent biography indeed, chronicling the early 20th century photographer’s quest to document Native American culture.” (Smithsonian)
written by Laurie Lawlor
Bison Books
Imprint of University of Nebraska Press
This version is paperback.
(originally Walker Books, 1994)