Book# 11984

Curtis, Edward Sheriff

The North American Indian, being a series of volumes picturing and describing the Indians of the United States, and Alaska. Written, illustrated, and published by Edward S. Curtis, edited by Frederick Webb Hodge, foreword by Theodore Rossevelt, field research conducted under the patronage of J. Pierpont Morgan, photogravures by John Andrew and Son, Boston.

Ort		Cambridge, Mass.; Norwood, Mass.
Verlag		The University Press; The Plimpton press
Jahr		1907
Auflage		Aufl. 272 nachgewiesene Ex., hier: Nr. 8
Einband		OLdr.
Illustration, Ausstattung		Photogravüre-Illustrationen
Medium		Buch, Mappen, mehrbändiges Werk

Das Werk besteht aus 20 Textbänden, die mit jeweils ca. 75 Photogravüren im Format von ca. 14x19cm illustriert sind, zusammen also etwa 1500 Abb.; zusätzlich gehört zu jedem dieser Textbände eine Mappe im Folioformat mit je etwa 35 Photogravüren im Format ca. 30x40cm, insges. 721 Abb. (die Zählung endet bei 722; ein Bild wurde jedoch ausgelassen). Das Gesamtwerk umfaßt also ca. 2200 Photogravür-Illustrationen. Davon sind einige wenige koloriert. Das Göttinger Exemplar trägt die Nr. 8 sowie Exlibris “Geschenk des Herrn John Pierpont Morgan aus New York”. - Curtis's "The North American Indian" is a classic of Photographic Literature. Its lavish productions values, sumptuous morocco binding, and the 1500 sepia photogravure plates, are the gold standard of photobooks. In 1907, Curtis envisioned an ambitious project to document "the vanishing race" across the United States, a survey he thought would take 15 years to complete. He approached the financier J.P. Morgan for sponsorship and Morgan agreed to advance the photographer $15,000 a year for 5 years provided the books were "the handsomest ever published." By 1930, when Curtis's final volume of his magnum opus was published, he was penniless and forgotten. - Selected by Andrew Roth to be included in The book of 101 books. New York 2001.

Cat. auct. Swann, New York, October 5, 2012: 1.44million $ (result). - Cat. auction Swann Galleries, New York, 18.05.2006 (sale 2080, lot 347): Estimate 150.000-250.000 $ (Vols. 1-18 are edition 225/300 on Holland Van Gelder paper; volume 19 is 342/500, and Volume 20 is 115/500. These last two volumes are each on Vellum paper. With a custom-made archival box containing ephemera relating to "The North American Indian" including: a small-format proof print of "Santa Ana Man"; a small-format gravure of "Navajo Boy"; a sepia-toned signed silver print of "Mori Children, tipped-in to the original presentation folder; a blue-toned gravure of "Gathering Mussels"; a vintage Prospectus from 1906; 3 gravure postcards; an original subscription agreement; a Lauriat Company mailing envelope; a Lauriat prospectus; an original Patrons' Form of subscription; a printed 8vo-size "Foreword" by Theodore Roosevelt; an original Program for "The Curtis Picture Musicale"; a vintage poster about the musicale (in 2 pieces); the Royal Netherlands Geological Society Review; "Picture Opera" review; Hawthorne Review; Guildhall Library, London review; and Extracts of reviews. Folio-size gilt-lettered morocco-backed cloth box; contents laid in. 1907-1935).

Photographie 20. Jahrh. USA 19. Jahrh. Monographie Ethnographie, Indianer Morgan, John Pierpont Hodge, Frederick Webb Roosevelt, Theodore