“GERONIMO - 1905” AN IMPORTANT OFFERING
Geronimo, 1905
“I like a man who attempts the impossible.” —J.P. Morgan
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GERONIMO PLATINUM PRINT 1) While hundreds of people photographed Geronimo, this is the most powerful, compelling, and fully realized portrait of this great tribal leader that exists. It is the quintessential portrait of one of the greatest leaders and warriors in American history by one of the greatest practitioners in the history of the photographic medium. 2) It is an iconic Curtis image. It is the single most important image from Curtis’ thirty-year odyssey, photographing The North American Indian. Curtis created 40—50,000 negatives during his career and “Geronimo” has been the most sought-after image for decades. It is the Holy Grail for serious Curtis collectors. 3) It is an aesthetic masterpiece. The lighting, composition, and subject matter all contribute to make this a great work of art. It transcends both photography and it’s Native American subject matter. It is an enduring work of art that still moves viewers over one hundred years after it was made. 4) “This will be the first $1,000,000 Curtis photograph.” –Dale Stulz, Internally recognized photography appraiser. 5) Rarity. It is believed that only 6-8 examples of the Geronimo platinum print exist.In terms of condition and print quality, this is arguably the finest example to become available during the past several decades.
6) Condition. This particular print is in excellent condition. It is one of the few that is un-mounted (a plus from a conservation standpoint) and it is in excellent condition. Of the five viewed by Christopher Cardozo over the past twenty-five years, this is clearly in the best condition. 7) Print Quality. The print quality is superb. It has a rich, subtle tonal range found only in fine platinum prints. It is an open, warm print that showcases Curtis’ technical and aesthetic mastery. 8) The image eloquently captures Geronimo’s humanity, dignity and pride, as well as his fierce character. It is a celebration of the human spirit. 9) It is printed in platinum, which is widely regarded by scholars, curators, and collectors as the highest form of photographic printing. It is the connoisseur’s choice and a disproportionate number of vintage photographs that have sold for over $1,000,000 are printed in the platinum process. 10) This print has extraordinary object presence and, upon viewing it for the first time, world-renowned photographic conservator Paul Messier was profoundly moved and stated that the print “...is a direct connetion from the moment of its creation to us.”
THE GERONIMO PLATINUM PRINT TITLE: “Geronimo” ARTIST: Edward S. Curtis MEDIUM: Vintage Platinum Photograph SIZE: 15 7/8” x 11 3/4” NEGATIVE DATE: 1905 PRINT DATE: circa 1905 PROVENANCE: Private collections to Christopher Cardozo and Cardozo Fine Art. CONDITION: Excellent.
Curtis Studio Blindstamp and Negative Number Lower left, Recto
Curtis Ink Signature Lower right, Recto
Geronimo, 1905
GERONIMO: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Geronimo was born in June 1829, in No-Doyohn Canyon, Mexico, and continued the tradition of the Apaches resisting white colonization of their homeland. He became a legend of the untamed American frontier. He was naturally gifted hunter, (who, the story goes, as a boy swallowed the heart of his first kill in order to ensure a life of success on the chase), a fierce warrior, and a revered leader. Adaptability and ingenuity defined Geronimo’s way of life. He belonged to the smallest band within the Chiricahua tribe, the Bedonkohe, who were surrounded by enemies, not just Mexicans, but also other tribes, including the Navajo and Comanches. Raiding their neighbors was also a part of the Apache life. In response the Mexican government put a bounty on Apache scalps, offering as much as $25 for a child’s scalp. But this did little to deter Geronimo and his people. At the age of 17 Geronimo had already led four successful raiding operations. Soon, Geronimo fell in love with a woman named Alope and the two married and had three children together. Then tragedy struck. While he was away Mexican soldiers attacked his camp. Word of the massacre soon reached the Apache men. Geronimo returned home, where he found his mother, wife and all three children dead. The murders devastated Geronimo. In the tradition of the Apache, he set fire to his family’s belongings and then, in a show of grief, headed into the wilderness to bereave the deaths. There, it’s said, alone and crying, a voice came to Geronimo that promised him: “No gun will ever kill you. I will take the bullets from the guns of the Mexicans … and I will guide your arrows.” Geronimo rounded up a force of 200 men and hunted down the Mexican soldiers who killed his family. On it went like this for 10 years, as Geronimo exacted revenge against the Mexican government. Beginning in the 1850s, the face of his enemy changed. Following the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the U.S. took over large tracts of territory from Mexico, including areas belonging to the Apache. Spurred by the discovery of gold in the Southwest, settlers and miners streamed into their lands. Naturally, tensions mount-
ed. The Apaches stepped up their attacks, which included ambushes on stagecoaches and wagon trains. Geronimo’s father-in-law, Cochise, called a halt to his decade-long war with the Americans and agreed to the establishment of a reservation for his people on a prized piece of Apache property. But within just a few years, Cochise died, and the federal government reneged on its agreement, moving the Chiricahua north so that settlers could move into their former lands. This act only further incensed Geronimo, setting off a new round of fighting. Geronimo proved to be as elusive as he was aggressive. However, authorities finally caught up with him in 1877 and sent him to the San Carlos Apache reservation. For four long years he struggled with his new reservation life, finally escaping in September 1881. Out on his own again, Geronimo and a small band of Chiricahua followers eluded American troops. Over the next five years they engaged in what proved to be the last of the Indian wars against the U.S. With his followers in tow, Geronimo shot across the Southwest. As he did, the seemingly mystical leader was transformed into a legend as newspapers closely followed the Army’s pursuit of him. (At one point nearly a quarter of the Army’s forces—5,000 troops—were trying to hunt him down.) Finally, in the summer of 1886, he surrendered, the last Chiricahua to do so. He first went to a prison in Florida, then a prison camp in Alabama, and finally to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. In total, he spent 27 years as a prisoner of war. In 1905 he published his autobiography, and that same year he received a private audience with President Theodore Roosevelt, unsuccessfully pressing the American leader to let his people return to Arizona. His death came four years later. While riding home in February 1909, he was thrown from his horse. He survived a night out in the cold, but when a friend found him the next day, Geronimo’s health was rapidly deteriorating. He passed away six days later, with his nephew at his side. “I should never have surrendered,” Geronimo said on his deathbed. “I should have fought until I was the last man alive.”
“It’s such a big dream, I can’t see it all.” —Edward S. Curtis
Curtis Self-Portrait, 1899