Edward S. Curtis: Coming to Light

by Anne Makepeace

Bold, sometimes abrasive, forever passionate, Edward Curtis was the quintessential romantic visionary. Curtis struggled through an impoverished boyhood in Minnesota to become a successful society photographer in Seattle. But he soon moved far beyond weddings and studio portraits to his life?s work?a multi-volume photographic and ethnogrpahic work on the vanishing world of the North American Indian. Initially, Teddy Roosevelt and J.P. Morgan backed the ambitious project. But as the work stretched over years, Curtis found himself alone with his vision, struggling to finance himself and his crews. The 20-volume North American Indians, finally completed in 1930, cost Curtis his marriage, his friendships, his home, and his health. By the time he died in 1952, he and his monumental work had lapsed into obscurity. In this richly designed book, Anne Makepeace, creator of an award-winning documentary on Curtis's life, reexamines the lasting impact of his work. Curtis's photographs, once ignored, now serve as a link between the romantic past and contemporary Native American communities, who have used his images to reclaim and resurrect their traditions.

Genres: Biography, Photography, History, Nonfiction, Art, Anthropology

216 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Cheryl]

I'd love to have the energy to read this entirely, but if I ever do want to know more about the context of the (amazing, valuable, but controversial) photos, I'd want to read more deeply. This only touches on issues.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Anne Makepeace made a film about Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952), using the same title, "Coming to Light". Might I say at the beginning that the book, published by National Geographic, kept me interested from the writing, the story, and the portraits and other illustrations, to Curtis the man--his steadfast purpose and work and his amiable personality. The fortitude and abilities of Curtis from youth to the end of his life are awesome--photography, motion pictures, lecturing, metallurgy, invention, book writing, and especially preserving the fading, ethnographic evidence of traditional, pre-contact life among all the native American tribes, about eighty, from the western United States and Canada to Alaska. He built his first camera from reading "Wilson's Photographics". No one else could have coordinated researching, writing, and publishing the twenty-volumed "The North American Indian", the result of thirty years spent most often in field work during national economic crises when getting funds and subscriptions was impossible. At the Library of Congress is text about and illustrations from "The North American Indian" and at Northwestern University, a site map.

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a well written biography of Edward Curtis. It seems to be fair about his strong and weak traits. His life was a struggle but examples of his photographs in the book are amazing. It gives the history of the dreadful treatment of the American Indians by U.S. government. His part in Pacific Northwest History is interesting.

[Diane Twomley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at the used book sale because of the photographs. The legend of the man was unknown to me. He lived a fascinating life determined to save the culture of the American Indians through his amazing photographs. He succeeded.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the dollar store, how can I pass that up?

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I am thoroughly heartbroken, but I simply loved it.

[Henry Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good view of study of native Americans in early 20th century.

[Trisha Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Account of Edward Curtis, photographer in America, whose main focus was of Native Americans. Against extreme odds, Curtis's life's "vision" is to complete 20 volumes of photographs but he has to struggle for financial way to do this. He is conflicted emotionally and financially- loses his marriage but his children support him.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is written in a very simple and somewhat pedestrian fashion, the subject, Edward Curtis, is quite a guy and his story and photographs are very interesting.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some wonderful examples of Curtis' photographs, matter of fact text, serviceable introductory biography of the life's work of Curtis.