EDWARD S. CURTIS PRIVATE CLIENT PRESENTATION
Slow Bull - Ogalala, 1907
“I like a man who attempts the impossible.” —J.P. Morgan
VINTAGE PLATINUM PRINTS
Winter – Apsaroke, 1908 Vintage Platinum Print (Also printed as a photogravure; Portfolio IV, Plate 127) This is one of Curtis’ most sought after and iconic images of winter in the Northern Plains. Photographed in the mountains of Montana, this image exemplifies both the beauty and the vigor of the lives of the semi-nomadic tribes of the Northern Plains. It also illustrates the central role women played in Native American life. This heavy load, which may have been carried for a long distance, exemplifies the strength and endurance of Native women and the important role they played in both their family’s and their tribe’s survival. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is a beautiful, warm impression of Curtis’ famous photograph of an Apsaroke woman bringing wood back to her tipi. The slightly oversized 12 1/4” x 16 1/2” platinum print is on Curtis’ original studio mount and is in excellent condition. It has a crisp Curtis signature, in ink, on recto, as well as Curtis’ blind stamp from 1908 and Curtis’ negative number (559-08). The print is in excellent condition and has deep, rich shadow areas. Only 1 in 200 of Curtis’ prints were created in the platinum medium and this is the only platinum print Cardozo has ever seen of this image. It is also very unusual in that it is still on Curtis’ original full studio mount. The mount also has Curtis’ vintage copyright sticker on the back, as well as holographic, period writing on the back stating: “Winter – Crow – Montana.” This photograph from the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo is the only large platinum print of this image that Cardozo has seen in his forty years of collecting.
The Vanishing Race – Navaho, 1904 Vintage Platinum Print (Also printed as a photogravure; Portfolio I, Plate 1) This is Curtis’ signature photograph. It is an evocative, emotional image that powerfully expresses the central idea and the principle motivator of Curtis’ thirty-year odyssey: that Native Americans having lost most of their land and much of their culture were passing into an unknown future. Curtis became deeply impassioned, and was moved to create his unparalleled record in 1900, when he saw clearly what rich and extraordinary lives and histories Native people had, and how it was disappearing in front of his eyes. For four years he searched for an image that would serve as a powerful visual metaphor for this idea. He finally found it while photographing with the Navaho in the sacred area of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. The negative for The Vanishing Race is very difficult to print and most photographs of The Vanishing Race lack contrast and are typically overly dark and “blocked-up”. This is an exceptional example with an important exhibition history. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is an exceptionally beautiful platinum print of one of Curtis’ most iconic images. It is an unusually warm and open print that beautifully expresses Curtis’ artistic intent and vision. The print is on a heavy, textured period watercolor paper and has a delicate Curtis signature, in ink, on recto as well as Curtis’ blind stamp and negative number. The condition is near-pristine. This print also had an illustrious exhibition history: it was exhibited in ten European museums during 2005-2007. This vintage print is from the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo.
Slow Bull – Ogalala, 1907 Vintage Platinum Print (Also printed as a photogravure; Portfolio III, Plate 84) Tatánka-húnkeshni, a.k.a. “Slow Bull” Tatánka-húnkeshni was born in 1844. He was an important tribal leader and revered medicine man/spiritual leader. He accompanied Red Cloud on his first war party at age 14, against the Apsaroke. An extraordinary and honored warrior he engaged in fifty-five battles against a number of other tribes and struck first coup seven times. At age seventeen he captured 170 horses from the Apsaroke and received medicine (his spiritual power) from buffalo in a dream. He is noted both for his many acts of valor and bravery, as well as for his spiritual prowess. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is an exceptional platinum print. It has a luminosity that is rarely found in any photograph. It is a dramatically more vibrant impression than the photogravures made from the same negative. It has an unusual Curtis signature in brown ink on recto, as well as a crisp, clear blind stamp from 1907 and Curtis’ original negative number (520-07). The platinum print is 16 1/8” x 12 1/8”. The condition is excellent. Slow Bull’s clothing and accouterments are stunning; beautiful beaded war shirt, numerous eagle feathers, a hawk’s wing, intricate beadwork, etc. The print has an extremely unusual glowing/luminous quality, giving it a feel that emphasizes Slow Bull’s spiritual nature, while his clothing clearly shows his stature as a warrior and tribal leader.
“It’s such a big dream, I can’t see it all.” —Edward S. Curtis
VINTAGE PHOTOGRAVURES
Apsaroke War-Chief, 1908 Vintage Tissue Photogravure from Portfolio IV, Plate 112 Pédhifsi-wahpásh, a.k.a. “Medicine Crow” Pédhifsi-wahpásh was born in 1848. He was an important warrior who fought in many major battles, killed three men, led ten successful war-parties, had two horses shot out from under him, and counted coup numerous times. At eighteen he fasted for four days and received a powerful vision that foretold of the passing away of the buffalo and the coming domination of the white soldiers and settlers. This powerful warrior, photographed full figure, wears traditional Northern plains clothing with a beaded necklace, large abalone shells, with three fox tails hanging from his coup stick. According to Curtis, the Apsaroke, who lived in Western and Northern Montana surpassed all tribes of the Rocky Mountains both in their bravery and in their devotion to their spiritual lives. They were noted for their fierce independence, their pride, and vitality. For centuries they were surrounded by numerous hostile tribes but never succumbed. They inhabited both the mountains and the great Plains of Montana and the vigor required to survive in such an environment helped produce the character that Curtis so admired. Curtis only devoted two Volumes of The North American Indian to a single tribal group, the Apsaroke were one of them. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is a beautiful tissue photogravure in extraordinary condition. It’s a rich print with a superb exhibition history (a ten museum European tour from 2005-2007). This photogravure has been professionally washed and de-acidified, as has been the overmat. The non-archival under-mat has been replaced with a contemporary, archival mat. Tissue was the premium paper which only the King of England, J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, Edward Curtis and approximately ten other subscribers acquired. Tissue photogravures have always been sought after by the most serious collectors for their beauty, luminosity and subtlety.
Mosquito Hawk – Assiniboin, 1908 Vintage Tissue Photogravure from Portfolio III, Plate 102 Susbécha, a.k.a. “Mosquito Hawk” Susbécha was born in the mid 1800’s in present-day North Dakota in a beautiful area near the confluence of the Yellowstone River and Missouri River, near Lake Sakakawea. He participated in his first war party at age 14 and fought many times against the Piegan and the Dakota and counted coup numerous times. He was a noted warrior and a respected tribal member. The Assiniboin were a sub-tribe of the Dakota. They had separated from the Yanktonai by the early 1600’s. They ranged from Montana to southern Canada. They wore traditional Plains clothing, lived in buffalo-skin tipis and their staple food was buffalo. Like most tribes of the northern Plains the buffalo was at the heart of both their material and spiritual worlds. Like other semi-nomadic tribes of the Northern Plains they were hardy and adaptable, having to live in a variety of environments and depending on a variety of food sources. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is a beautiful tissue photogravure in extraordinary condition. It’s a rich print with a superb exhibition history (a 10 museum European tour from 2005-2007). This photogravure has been professionally washed and de-acidified, as has been the over-mat. The non-archival under-mat has been replaced with a contemporary, archival mat. Tissue was the premium paper which only the King of England, J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, Edward Curtis and approximately ten other subscribers acquired.
The Rush Gatherer – Kutenai, 1910 Vintage Vellum Photogravure from Portfolio VII, Plate 255 This is a rare and important vintage photogravure that was owned and used by Henry Harrison Sheets as an exemplar for selling sets of The North American Indian. Sheets was the direct descendant of two U.S. Presidents and a distinguished figure in his own right. (There is a 17,000-page archive on him and his accomplishments in the Library of Congress). In 1913 Curtis chose Sheets to represent him and The North American Indian, Inc. Sheets worked in a variety of capacities including procuring subscriptions for Curtis’ magnum opus, The North American Indian. This photogravure stayed in the possession of Sheets and his daughter until 2004 when it was acquired in a private sale by Christopher Cardozo. Thus, it has both extraordinary provenance and historical importance. Fewer than 1 in 20,000 Curtis prints have a similar history and it is one of the few photogravures in existence with The North American Indian, Inc. stamp. The print will be accompanied by facsimiles of numerous important documents that are a part of the Sheets archive that was acquired along with Sheets’ original leather portfolio case and a small number of vintage prints. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is a beautiful photogravure printed on Vellum. Overall excellent condition. Four historic pinholes in upper two corners where sheets would have displayed the prints for prospective subscribers. Back has stamp from “The North American Indian, Inc. 437 5th Ave New York City.”
Vash Gon – Jicarilla, 1904 Vintage Tissue Photograuve from Portfolio I, Plate 20 This is a classic, award-winning Curtis portrait that exemplifies his mastery of both the photographic medium and the Pictorialist aesthetic. Curtis was an accomplished practitioner of Pictorialism and noted author on the same subject. To achieve the desired effect, Curtis created a narrowed format, eliminated the detail in the lower portion of the photograph and with dramatic lighting and composition, emphasized the strength of this Apache chief. This was clearly one of Curtis’ most famous and sought-after images as Curtis printed it in at least five different print mediums (something he did for fewer than twelve of his 40-50,000 negatives). It was also reproduced in magazines and newspapers of the time and was used by Curtis for important promotional purposes (including the poster for the Picture Musicale). The Jicarilla inhabited a large, mountainous area in Northern New Mexico. While linguistically of Apache stock, culturally and spiritually they were more closely related to the Navaho. They were a fierce but relatively small group who interacted frequently with, and were influenced by, tribal groups both from the Plains to the north and the Pueblos to the south. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is a beautiful tissue photogravure in extraordinary condition. This photogravure has been professionally washed and de-acidified, as has been the over-mat. The non-archival under-mat has been replaced with a contemporary, archival mat. Tissue was the premium paper which only the King of England, J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, Edward Curtis and approximately ten other subscribers acquired.
Wolf Lies Down – Apsaroke, 1908 Vintage Tissue Photograuve from Portfolio IV, Plate 123 Tset-hupsh, a.k.a. “Wolf Lies Down” Tset-hupsh was born in 1843. A noted warrior and member of the Fox clan. He lead various war parties, counted first coup, and received other honors for his bravery and valor. He once, while suffering from a head wound, rode back into battle to rescue his brother-in-law who had lost his horse and was surrounded by the enemy. He purchased his hawk-medicine, paying the sum of five hundred elk’s teeth. PRINT BACKGROUND: This is a beautiful tissue photogravure in extraordinary condition. It’s a rich print with a superb exhibition history (a 10 museum European tour from 2005-2007). This photogravure has been professionally washed and de-acidified, as has been the over-mat. The non-archival under-mat has been replaced with a contemporary, archival mat. Tissue was the premium paper which only the King of England, J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, Edward Curtis and approximately ten other subscribers acquired.
JULY 19TH SELECTIONS
An Oasis in the Badlands, 1905 Vintage Vellum Photogravure from Portfolio III, Plate 80 This classic Curtis image was made in the heart of the renowned Badlands of South Dakota. The subject is Red Hawk, the Dakota sub-chief who was born 1854. He participated in his first war party in 1865, with Crazy Horse, against U.S. army troops. He was a fierce warrior and ultimately engaged in 20 battles, including the Custer fight in 1876. Red Hawk is majestic as he sits astride his white stallion, while it drinks from a small pool on a vast prairie in the Badlands. He wears a full war bonnet of eagle feathers, a beautifully beaded and fringed war-shirt, beaded leggings, and heavily beaded moccasins. He carries a carbine and his horse wears large eagle feathers both on its mane and forelock. The image and the subject project an unusual combination of strength and calmness in the dramatic, iconic landscape. This print is made in the photogravure photographic process, printed on hand-made Vellum etching stock. Photogravure was an expensive hand-printing process considered to be “the king of print processes”. This lyrical image is widely considered to be Curtis’ most important and beautiful Great Plains landscape. The compelling composition and subject matter still make this one of Curtis’ most sought-after images, more than one hundred years after it was made. PRINT BACKGROUND: This vintage, vellum, photogravure print is in very good overall condition and has a delicate, open, luminous quality. All four margins were trimmed not effecting the image or plate impression. Excellent impression, and a fine example of the photogravure process. This photogravure was professionally washed and de-acidified to restore it to its original archival state and beauty. This print has an illustrious exhibition history: it was a highlight of the only Curtis exhibition ever held in Curtis’ birthplace (Whitewater, Wisconsin) as well as an award winning Curtis exhibition in Columbus, Ohio. Provenance: ex-collection of Karl Letsche.
A Zuni Girl, 1903 Vintage Tissue Photogravure from Portfolio XVII, Plate 613 This is a classic early Curtis portrait of a young woman from the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico. The Zuni are well known for their extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry, as is evidence by this compelling image.
Girl and Jar – San Ildefonso, 1905 Vintage Tissue Photogravure from Portfolio XVII, Plate 590 Pueblo women are adept at balancing burdens on the head. Usually a vessel rests on a fibre ring, which serves to steady it and to protect the scalp. The design on the jar here illustrated recalls the importance of the serpent cult in Tewa life.
The Three Chiefs – Piegan, 1900 Gold-Toned Printing-Out-Paper Print from Portfolio VI, Plate 209 This is historically the single most important of Curtis’ 40-50,000 photographic images. The photograph was made in the summer of 1900 and is the key image from that critical, watershed experience in Curtis’ life. It was made during a short field trip to Montana with noted ethnographer George Bird Grinnell where Curtis first encountered Native Americans whose culture was still largely intact. They also openly shared their religion, mythology, and personal lives with Curtis. This brief experience ignited Cutis’ passion to preserve a comprehensive record of Native American life. It is said that in making this image of three Great Plains tribal leaders in their traditional garb, that Curtis spent three days looking for the perfect combination of riders, sky, and prairie. PRINT BACKGROUND: This print is an extremely rare, gold-toned printing out paper print. Of Curtis’ extant vintage prints, it is estimated only about 1 in 10,000 exist in the extremely rare form, printed only during a brief two to three year period at the turn of the last century. This vintage gold-toned printing-out-paper print is in very good to excellent overall condition. It is mounted on contemporary board, which appears to be archival. Overall print quality very good to excellent and the original signature, in the negative, remains strong and crisp. The foreground and riders show a richness and detail that is absolutely unrivaled in Curtis’ oeuvre. This specific print is illustrated in the major Curtis monograph: Sacred Legacy; Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indian. It was also a centerpiece in the groundbreaking exhibitions of the same name shown in Paris, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.
“Three proud leaders...A picture of the primal upland prairies with their waving grass and limpid streams. A glimpse of the life and conditions which are on the verge of extinction.” —Excerpted from The North American Indian
Fair Market Valuation of Edward S. Curtis Photographs KEY FACTORS I. CORE DETERMINANTS OF VALUE 1. The artist 2. The image (aesthetic value and/or demand) 3. Print quality 4. Print condition 5. Size 6. Medium and/or process 7. Rarity II. SECONDARY FACTORS AFFECTING VALUE 1. Signature 2. Importance of collector/collection from which the print is coming 3. Provenance 4. Exhibition history, if any 5. Publication history, if any 6. Importance of the image within artist’s oeuvre 7. Presentation (on original mount, in original frame, etc.) 8. Broader photography and art markets 9. Bibliophile market 10. Event driven shifts (major, movie, book, etc.) 11. Paradigm shift (environmental movement, etc.) 12. Reputation or expertise of seller 13. Was the print made by artist? Under their supervision? Posthumous print? Etc. 14. Market maker(s) 15. Clear title 16. Currency/Exchange rates
FINAL SELECTION JULY 19TH, 2013 VINTAGE PLATINUM PRINTS 1. The Vanishing Race - Navaho, 1904 2. Slow Bull - Ogalala, 1907 3. Winter - Apsaroke, 1908 GOLD-TONED PRINTING-OUT-PAPER PRINT 1. The Three Chiefs - Piegan, 1900
30,000 55,000 65,000 135,000
PHOTOGRAVURES 1. An Oasis in the Badlands (Vellum) 55,000 2. Zuni Girl, 1903 (Tissue) 6,000 3. Girl and Jar - San Ildefonso, 1905 (Tissue) 8,000 $354,000
“Some years ago I purchased a Curtis photograph of Plains Indians on horseback, moving with travois across an immense landscape of grasses. …I had not seen the photograph before. It struck me with such force that tears came to my eyes. I felt that I was looking into a memory in my blood…There is a quality to the image, the composition, the invisible plane beyond the surface of the scene that is ineffable. It is a quality that informs the greatest art, and it is the standard in the Curtis photographs…” —N. Scott Momaday, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author