Edward S. Curtis, Typical Nez Percé, 1899 (Unpublished Variant)
Edward S. Curtis
1868 - 1952
Typical Nez Percé, 1899 (Unpublished Variant)
platinum
signed and dated in the negative lower left: Curtis / COPYRIGHTED / 1899 / 14
copyright blind stamp lower left: COPYRIGHTED 1899 BY E.S. CURTIS
signed lower right: Curtis
negative date: 1899
print date: ca. 1899
This is a relatively rare, unpublished variant of the published image from Portfolio VIII.
15 5/8 x 8 in. (39.7 x 20.3 cm.)
Private Collection, Aspen, Colorado
Edward S. Curtis’s platinum prints are prized for their rich blacks, delicate highlights, and subtle tonal gradations. Curtis often used textured watercolor paper to enhance the softness and warmth associated with his Pictorialist style. Though costly and technically demanding, platinum printing became an important medium for his exhibition work. These exceptionally stable prints remain rare and are regarded as among his finest photographic achievements.
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
Typical Nez Percé, 1899 (Unpublished Variant)
platinum
signed and dated in the negative lower left: Curtis / COPYRIGHTED / 1899 / 14
copyright blind stamp lower left: COPYRIGHTED 1899 BY E.S. CURTIS
signed lower right: Curtis
negative date: 1899
print date: ca. 1899
This is a relatively rare, unpublished variant of the published image from Portfolio VIII.
15 5/8 x 8 in. (39.7 x 20.3 cm.)
Private Collection, Aspen, Colorado
Edward S. Curtis’s platinum prints are prized for their rich blacks, delicate highlights, and subtle tonal gradations. Curtis often used textured watercolor paper to enhance the softness and warmth associated with his Pictorialist style. Though costly and technically demanding, platinum printing became an important medium for his exhibition work. These exceptionally stable prints remain rare and are regarded as among his finest photographic achievements.
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.
