The North American Indians: The Complete Portfolios

this is a small format but beautiful book, you can spend hours looking at these amazing pictures. A wonderful book to have.

This book is an indispensable reference for any artist who aspires to paint or draw Native Americans as part of their Western art if they want an authentic representation of those forgotten times. [As an aside, I managed to find a hardback copy of this book, so they are out there if one looks hard enough for one.]

Edward Sheriff Curtis dedicated his life's work to documenting the customs and lifeways of the Native American peoples of North America. This extraordinary book includes some of the best photographic examples from Curtis' twenty volume masterpiece, "The North American Indian," one of the most significant representations of traditional indigenous culture ever produced. Curtis was one of two official photographers for the 1899 Harriman expedition to Alaska. On his return, he stopped in northern Montana, accompanied by George Bird Grinell, editor of Forest and Stream. There he witnesses the deeply sacred Sundance of the Piegan and Blackfoot tribes, a sight which transformed his life. Grinell said to him at that time, "Take a good look. We're not going to see this kind of thing much longer. It already belongs to the past". It became clear to him then, that he was to record, with pen and camera, the life of the North American Indian. Beginning in 1900 and continuing over the next thirty years, Edward S. Curtis, sometimes called the "Shadow Catcher" by tribes' people, took over 40,000 photographs and recorded ethnographic information from over eighty American Indian tribal groups, ranging from the Eskimo or Inuit people in the North to the Hopi people of the Southwest. In the end, the work comprised twenty textual volumes and twenty portfolios with over 2,000 illustrations They are organized by tribes and culture areas, encompassing the Great Plains, Great Basin, Plateau Region, Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Featured here are some of the photographer's most impressive pictures, including: seal-hunting Eskimos of Nunivak Island, portraits of three Piegan chiefs on horseback, portraits of Chief Red Cloud, Ogalala Sioux, Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, the magnificent Canon de Chelly, (Navaho), and one of my favorites, Kotsuis and Hohhuq - Nakoaktok - 2 masked performers in a winter dance. These reproductions are a precious American legacy and an artistic masterpiece worthy of any collection. JANA

absolutely stunning recollection of his complete photos. the reproductions are somewhat small, but easily viewable. such a complete set is so awe inspiring, anyone who has an interest or a love for native ameircan history/american history must have this book. absolute beauty.

This book grows upon you as you realize the conditions under which this photograher lived in order to record this aspect of American history. Edward Curtis was truly artistic in his approach to photograhing this way of life . Consequently, the compassion he developed for these people is evident in his images. A great book to have if you're intriqued by photography.