THE LIFE OF PHOTOJOURNALIST EDWARD SHERIFF CURTIS

Edward Sheriff Curtis

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Throughout history, pictures have documented wars, important events, and an endless list of what was, and is, going on in the world. During the late 1800’s, a monumental event that was occurring in our country, the American Indians were being forced to live on Reservations with extremely poor conditions. Edward Sheriff Curtis became a renowned photojournalist who documented the ways of life of over 80 different Indian Tribes from the late 1800’s through the 1930’s.

Curtis was born near Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1868. His father, Reverend Asahel “Johnson” Curtis was a minister, farmer, and American Civil War veteran. His mother was Ellen Sheriff. By the time Curtis was 17 years old, he had become obsessed with photography and even built his own camera. In 1887, Curtis and his family moved to Washington State, and shortly afterwards, in 1891, Curtis had started his own photo studio in Seattle, Washington.

The “Kodak” camera was a brand new Box camera at that time, and was used by Curtis. It had a fixed focus, a single shutter speed, and came pre-loaded with film for 100 exposures. The city of Seattle was named after the Suquamish Indian Chief, Chief Sealth, and Curtis’ first famous photos were two images of Chief Sealth’s daughter, Princess Angeline. The two photos, “The Mussel Gatherer,” and “The Clam Digger,” were chosen for an exhibition sponsored by the National Photographic Society, and were pictures of Princess Angeline.

The Clam Digger

Mussel Gatherer

From that time on, Curtis’ main focus of his photographs were concentrated on pictures of American Indians in their natural habitats on reservations.

In 1906, J.P. Morgan sponsored Curtis with $75,000 to produce a series about Native American Indians. The project, that lasted 20 years, produced 20 volumes that included 1500 photographs. Under the terms of the contract, Morgan was to receive 25 sets of the 20 volumes and 500 original prints as payment.

By 1922, moving pictures were being produced. Curtis was residing in Los Angeles at that time, and to earn money he worked as assistant cameraman to Cecil B. Demille in the filming of the 1923 famous movie production “The Ten Commandments.”

The ethnographic motion picture produced by Curtis called, “The Land of the Headhunters,” was sold to the American Museum of Natural History for a mere $1500 in 1923. It was a severe financial loss for Curtis after he spent over $20,000 on the movie project.

By 1928, Curtis was desperate for money after using all of his cash assets during an Alaskan expedition. He sold the rights of his 20 volume series, including the final volume, “The North American Indian,” to J.P. Morgan.

During his career, Curtis produced over 40,000 photographs of American Indians. The author, Don Guldbrandsen, who wrote “Edward Sheriff Curtis,” stated in the introduction of the book, “The faces stare at you, images seemingly from a ancient time, and from places far, far away…yet as you gaze at the faces the humanity becomes apparent, lives filled with dignity, but also sadness and loss, representations of a world that has all but disappeared from our planet.”

Son of the Desert, Navaho 1904

Geronimo 1905

Qahatika Girl 1907

President Theodore Roosevelt

Curtis was considered by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt as being, “both an artist and a trained observer whose work has far more than mere accuracy, because it is truthful…because of his extraordinary success in making and using his opportunities, has been able to do what no man has ever done; what as far as we can see, no other man could do.”

Despite all the positive reactions to Curtis’ accomplishments, there were many who criticized him for “manipulating his images.” Curtis was known for paying natives, (Indians), to “pose in staged scenes.” Inaccurate attire, simulated ceremonies, were a couple of examples of the way Curtis would “create a scene” for his photographs.

Curtis, to this day, even with all the negative criticism, is known for the most famous portrayals of the American Indians through his photography. His works are in numerous Institutes and Museums such as the Institute for Museums and Library Services. Curtis’ collection is currently on tour and can be seen through August 31, 2019, at Musee de Nouveau Monde in La Rochelle.

Curtis died at age 84 on October 19, 1954 in Whittier, California, and is buried in the famous Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California. Curtis is an example of an exemplary photojournalist whose extraordinary collection of Indian history will never be outdone. His works documented the good and the bad circumstances of the American Indians' suffering and hardships without prejudice, which is the number one qualification of a successful photojournalist.

The following are just a few examples of Curtis’ 40,000 photographs.