Meanwhile, at the Amon Carter

by Bill Davenport July 11, 2009

The Amon Carter Museum has acquired a rare, complete set of Edward Sheriff Curtis’ The North American Indian (1907–1930). Curtis’ 20-volume masterwork of visual anthropology includes 2222 photogravures, making it of one of the most comprehensive (and oft-reproduced) records of American Indian life. The museum plans an exhibition of the work in mid-December 2009.

2 comments

2 comments

psbriggs July 15, 2009 - 15:36

A great resource for the Amon Carter but it might be a misrepresentation, perhaps even a hint of ethnic opacity, to refer to his 2222 photogravures as “one of the most comprehensive records of American Indian life.” Curtis had fun, I am guessing, dressing up and posing native people to fit his vision of what European-Americans might find interesting among native peoples. The images are a record of Curtis’ life. They really have little to do with “recording” American Indian lives. Peter Briggs

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Bill Davenport July 16, 2009 - 07:41

I didn’t say it was “an unbiased record of American Indian life.” Who’s opaque here?

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