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These captivating images provide insight on what life was like for Native American tribes at the turn of the 20th century.
The turn of the 20th century was a monumental time for people everywhere around the globe, but particularly Native Americans in the United States. To ensure aspects of their rich culture could never fade, photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis dedicated decades of his life to capturing and recording the peoples’ long-held traditions. To this day, many of the images he captured remain some of the most captivating photos from that era.
The achievement of documenting more than 40,000 images of 80 Native American tribes was made possible thanks to J.P. Morgan. In 1906, the wealthy financier provided Curtis with $75,000 to produce a series on Native Americans, resulting in the 20-volume series called ‘The North American Indian’.
The images that follow are captivating, but it’s essential to note that Curtis’ methods of obtaining the photographs aren’t praised by all. Some anthropologists have critiqued the fact that the photographer would pose individuals from unrelated tribes in the same clothing, removing them from natural settings. In some cases, the individuals would be featured in front of overly romantic landscapes, and so on. Though some of the photographs might not be completely accurate, they provide excellent insight of the life of early Native American tribes in the early 1900’s.
via Mashable, Bored Panda
#1 A Tewa Girl, 1906
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#2 Sioux Chiefs, 1905
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#3 A Group Of Navajo In The Canyon De Chelly, Arizona, 1904
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#4 An Apsaroke Mother And Child, 1908
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#5 An Apsaroke Man On Horseback, 1908
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#6 Black Eagle, An Assiniboin Man, 1908
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#7 A Nootka Man Aims A Bow And Arrow, 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#8 Piegan Tepees, 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#9 A Klamath Chief Stands On A Hill Above Crater Lake, Oregon, 1923
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#10 A Jicarrilla Girl, C. 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#10 A Kwakiutl Shaman Performs A Religious Ritual, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#11 A Koskimo Man Dressed As Hami (“dangerous Thing”) During A Numhlim Ceremony, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#12 Apache Girl And Papoose, 1903
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#13 Navajo Man, 1904
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#14 Apache Woman, 1906
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#15 A Qagyuhl Woman Wears A Fringed Chilkat Blanket And A Mask Representing A Deceased Relative Who Had Been A Shaman, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#16 Piegan Girls Gather Goldenrod, 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#17 A Kwakiutl Wedding Party Arrives In Canoes, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#18 A Qagyuhl Man Dressed As A Bear, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#19 Nakoaktok Dancers Wear Hamatsa Masks In A Ritual, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#20 Hakalahl, A Nakoaktok Chief, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#21 A Qagyuhl Dancer Dressed As Paqusilahl (“man Of The Ground Embodiment”), 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#22 A Hidatsa Man With A Captured Eagle, 1908
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#23 Walpi Maidens, 1906
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#24 Crow Encampment With Tipis, Tents, Wagons, Horses And Men As Seen From The Distant Shore Of The River, 1908
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#25 Navajos, 1905
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#26 A Kwakiutl Gatherer Hunts Abalones In Washington, 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#27 Eskadi, Of The Apache Tribe, 1903
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#28 Kwakiutl People In Canoes In British Columbia, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis#29 Hollow Horn Bear, A Brulé Man, 1907
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#30 A Hupa Spear Fisherman Watches For Salmon, 1923
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#31 The Primitive Artists-paviotso, 1924
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#32 A Qahatika Girl, 1907
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#33 A Kwakiutl Chief’s Daughter, 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#34 Indian Woman Holding Rushes, 1908
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#35 Kominaka Dancer, 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#36 Luzi, Of The Papago Tribe, 1907
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#37 Qagyuhl Dancers, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#38 An Apache Man, C. 1910
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
#39 A Kwakiutl Man Wearing A Mask Depicting A Man Transforming Into A Loon, 1914
Credit: Edward S. Curtis
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