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THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 31, 2021
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Cache of historic Native American photos displayed in rare exhibit BY ALEX GALLAGHER GetOut Staff Writer
T
he works of one of the most influential and controversial American photographers are now on display at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Two years of planning went into the exhibit of prolific photographer Edward S. Curtis’s works, which are from exhibition co-curator, collector and trustee Tim Peterson, who began collecting the works of Curtis over a decade ago. “Edward S. Curtis is considered one of the foremost American photographers and a controversial photographer in America based on his photographs of Native American people, which we discuss throughout our exhibit,” said Dr. Tricia Loscher, the assistant director of collections, exhibitions and research and co-curator of the exhibit at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Peterson grew up with a love of the outdoors, Western American history and collecting things. When he put those things together, he began looking for things dealing with the American west. The Boston resident started collecting items that had ties to the famous explorers Lewis and Clark and later stumbled on Curtis’ work. Peterson was drawn to those photographs, explaining, “One of the things that I’ve always been intrigued by is people that will commit and dedicate their lives to a project.” Curtis lived between 1868 and 1952 but his career in photography only lasted a fraction of his life. At an early age, he went with his family to Washington state and began working in a lumber yard. During his 20’s, Curtis sustained a back injury and decided it was time to work a job that wasn’t as physically demanding. Because he had long loved photography, he decided to open his own photography studio. Unfortunately, the studio closed. Unscathed by the business’ failure, Curtis became intrigued by the native people who called Puget Sound, Washington, home. He began photographing them and
In addi- piece in the exhibition is a timeline that tion to the details Curtis’ life and events from Native photos, the American history. museum “I really see this collection as being a walls are study center for the next year and a half lined with and my hope is that it will generate diaq u o t e s logue with the community and indigenous r e f e r e n c - people,” said Loscher. ing Curtis’ While Loscher hopes the exhibit will spur work and conversations of the history of Native Amerwords that icans in the American West, she also hopes came di- for discussions about Curtis’ photos as well. rectly from “It’s my hope that once we get more the photog- programming going again, we can have rapher. some conversations and panel discussions One of where we bring indigenous people here to the most talk about what is seen in these photos,” s t r i k i n g said Loscher. quotes on As for Peterson, he hopes that guests the walls will take notice of the unique variations of is one the photographs on display. that came “I hope people will notice some images Edward Curtis’ influential and controversial photos of Native Americans of from Cur- in four to six different mediums. We did the West in the early 1900s that are now on display at Western Spirit: Scott- tis’ friend, that because we wanted people to appresdale’s Museum of the West. (Ashleigh Carpenter/GetOut Contributing Photog- m e n t o r , ciate the diversity of the work,” he said. rapher) and lifelong “I hope when people look at it, they don’t supporter George Bird Grinnell. scoff at it being the same image but admire quickly found his calling. The quote reads “The results which Cur- that Curtis worked with platinum, silver In 1900, Curtis decided to begin photographing Native Americans of the Ameri- tis gets with his camera stir one as one is and turned something flat into something stirred by a great painting, and when we that had a three-dimensional look to it.” ■ can west and did so until around 1930. Curtis was most inspired by a now are thus moved debunked belief called the “myth of the by a picture, and vanishing Indian” that was among white share the thought cultures and that reinforced their false and feeling that belief that American Indians and their the artist had when he made the traditions were disappearing forever. Throughout his career, Curtis visited picture, we may seven regions of the American West and recognize it as a had early support from big names like work of art.” There are also President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt unique artifacts and J.P. Morgan. Curtis’ works were distributed through throughout the exa series of 20 volumes titled “The North hibition, including American Indian,” which the now-defunct a copy of the type New York Herald said was “the most am- of camera Curbitious enterprise in publishing since the tis used, cultural items and symbols. production of the King James Bible.” There is even a The exhibition at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West features photos phonograph bearing a description from each volume. “When Curtis was taking photos, pho- and QR code that tography was a new medium of art and he guests can scan and was breaking new ground in terms of the hear a song record- The exhibit includes a number of artifacts, including an example of one photography he was taking and the medi- ed by Curtis’ team. of the cameras used by Curtis. (Ashleigh Carpenter/GetOut/Contributing Another striking Photographer) ums he was creating,” said Loscher.
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