Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2006
Department 1
Art
Department 2
Interdisciplinary Studies
Abstract
From 1907 to 1930, Edward S. Curtis created The North American Indian, a forty-volume edition of photographs and writings that he hoped would cover “every phase of Indian life of all tribes yet in a primitive condition.” All evidence indicates that he set out to make a singular and unified work of art. However, a comparative analysis of photographs made at different moments in this ambitious project reveals that The North American Indian ultimately is characterized not by stylistic and thematic unity but by significant shifts in aesthetic and political orientation. [excerpt]
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Egan, Shannon. 'Yet in a Primitive Condition': Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian. American Art. 2006. 20(3): 58-83.
Required Publisher's Statement
Available from the publisher at http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/journals/journal/amart.html