Edward S. Curtis, A Snake Priest, 1900
Edward S. Curtis
1868 - 1952
A Snake Priest, 1900
gelatin silver
dated and signed in the negative lower left: COPYRIGHT / 1900 / BY / E. S. CURTIS / 97
negative date: 1900
print date: ca. 1900
Edward S. Curtis’s studio staff made gelatin silver reference prints from selected negatives after his return from the field. These served as a visual record and an editing tool, helping him evaluate images for further use. More durable and refined than the cyanotypes he likely used in the field, reference prints were generally untoned and printed on semi-gloss or glossy paper. This Southwest image of a Snake Priest in large format is an excellent example of a Curtis reference print.
16 1/8 x 12 3/8 in. (41 x 31.4 cm.), overmat: 24 x 20 in. (61 x 50.8 cm.)
Private Collection, Aspen, Colorado
Literature:
The North American Indian (1907-1930), Portfolio 12, pl. 418
Edward S. Curtis was an American photographer, ethnographer, and publisher best known for his ambitious lifelong project documenting Indigenous peoples of North America. Working in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he produced thousands of photographs as well as audio recordings, notes, and texts that culminated in the monumental publication The North American Indian (1907–1930). Curtis is especially admired for the striking beauty of his photogravures, platinum prints, and goldtones. Today, he remains one of the most recognized and influential figures in the history of American photography.
Condition
A condition report for this lot is available upon request (please include the lot number in your request) and is provided by Santa Fe Art Auction as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers.
Edward S. Curtis
1868 - 1952
A Snake Priest, 1900
gelatin silver
dated and signed in the negative lower left: COPYRIGHT / 1900 / BY / E. S. CURTIS / 97
negative date: 1900
print date: ca. 1900
Edward S. Curtis’s studio staff made gelatin silver reference prints from selected negatives after his return from the field. These served as a visual record and an editing tool, helping him evaluate images for further use. More durable and refined than the cyanotypes he likely used in the field, reference prints were generally untoned and printed on semi-gloss or glossy paper. This Southwest image of a Snake Priest in large format is an excellent example of a Curtis reference print.
16 1/8 x 12 3/8 in. (41 x 31.4 cm.), overmat: 24 x 20 in. (61 x 50.8 cm.)
Private Collection, Aspen, Colorado
Literature:
The North American Indian (1907-1930), Portfolio 12, pl. 418
Edward S. Curtis was an American photographer, ethnographer, and publisher best known for his ambitious lifelong project documenting Indigenous peoples of North America. Working in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he produced thousands of photographs as well as audio recordings, notes, and texts that culminated in the monumental publication The North American Indian (1907–1930). Curtis is especially admired for the striking beauty of his photogravures, platinum prints, and goldtones. Today, he remains one of the most recognized and influential figures in the history of American photography.
Condition
A condition report for this lot is available upon request (please include the lot number in your request) and is provided by Santa Fe Art Auction as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers.
