Fall Exhibition

Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks

October 11 - December 31, 2016

3c07914u Photistoric HD LOC

Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks features extraordinary vintage photographs of the North American Indian by Edward S. Curtis. Curtis, born in 1868, first encountered intact Native American culture on a trip to Montana in 1900, sparking a monumental quest to safeguard and preserve the sacred legacy of the North American Indian for future generations. Financed by J.P. Morgan and his heirs, the project took thirty years, culminating in Curtis’ magnum opus, The North American Indian, a twenty-volume, twenty-portfolio set of handmade books. By his death in 1952, however, Curtis had faded into oblivion. Only recently has his work been rediscovered and treasured as it was more than 100 years ago. Today, this work stands as a landmark in the history of photography, book publishing, ethnography, and the history of the American West.

The exhibition, which is divided by geographic area, features both iconic and little-known works carefully curated from a collection comprising more than 3,000 rare vintage Curtis photographs and related objects. The one hundred images, created in seven different photographic print processes, are complemented by more than twenty objects and ephemera that enrich the masterworks. The prints are among the finest examples that exist and, in some cases, are the only known example of a particular image.

This exhibition has been organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis/New York City/Paris/Lausanne, in collaboration with the Flagler Museum. It was curated by Christopher Cardozo, author of nine monographs on Curtis and curator of Curtis exhibitions seen on six continents.

Gallery Talk

Christopher Cardozo, exhibition curator and exhibit catalogue author, led the Gallery Talks on Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks.  On Friday, December 9th, at 12:15 and 2:45 p.m., Mr. Cardozo discussed Edward Curtis’ fascinating career, and Cardozo's pioneering work in deepening the understanding and appreciation of the extraordinary body of work co-created by Edward S. Curtis and 10,000 Native people.  A catalogue signing followed each Gallery Talk.

Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks tour:

  • Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 12 - September 20, 2015
  • Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa, October 10, 2015 - January 17, 2016
  • Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, California, February 20 - May 29, 2016
  • Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta, June 18 - September 18, 2016
  • Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, Florida, October 11 - December 31, 2016
  • CM Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana, May 26 - September 17, 2017

Image caption: An Oasis in the Badlands was taken by Edward Curtis in the renowned Badlands of South Dakota in 1905.