Play Book Tag discussion

Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan - 5* - My Review

Biography of photographer Edward S. Curtis (1868 – 1952) and narrative of his efforts to capture the lives of the American Indian tribes on photographic plates. Curtis came from a poor family. His father died when he was young, and he had to support the rest of the family. He was not an educated man, but he was intelligent. After being injured, he resolved to make his living in photography. He began by photographing people of the Pacific Northwest, including Princess Angeline, the last remaining daughter of Chief Seattle of the Duwamish tribe. This initial contact with an indigenous person spurred his interest in the Native American way of life.

In 1900, he envisioned a much larger project. His “big idea” was to photograph the remaining Indian tribes throughout the country in order to preserve a record of a vanishing way of life, or as Egan puts it “a frozen image of a lost time.” His photographs were artistic and finished in an elegant manner, which led him to meet many notable people of the time, such as Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Chief Joseph, George Bird Grinnell. He traveled to remote areas to visit the remnants of eighty tribes. After earning their trust, he was allowed to attend cultural rituals. They nicknamed him the “Shadow Catcher.” He recorded their daily life in photographs, and also made audio recordings of their language, songs, and oral storytelling. He even made movies, an emerging technology at the time. The resulting twenty-volume set is now considered one of the most valued records of the culture and ways of life of the American Indians.

Egan relates history by focusing on specific people of the past. In this way, the reader learns more than just the facts. His writing method provides much more intimate feeling of the time period, documenting the interactions among people. Curtis’s work was underappreciated at the time. He was snubbed due to his lack of education. He was a visionary who knew he was in the right place and the right time to complete a work of ethnographic, artistic, and historic significance. The prejudices of the time almost kept this work from being finished.

The book is accessibly written and provides many story-type vignettes that maintain the reader’s interest. Egan examines Curtis’s life from many perspectives. His family suffered from his obsessive pursuit of “the project,” but he felt a sense of urgency to finish it. This sense of a need to hurry comes across in the writing, as it was obvious that the indigenous cultures were “rapidly losing the distinctive traits and customs, which they had slowly developed through the ages.” Curtis recognized the significance of indigenous cultures, and his work ensured they would not be lost. He attempted to correct many misconceptions, particularly regarding spiritual beliefs.

From the perspective of time, it is easy to see that Curtis was right. His work was important, and many people have never heard of him. I researched more of Curtis’s photographs after finishing the book, and they are impressive. This is a remarkable account of adventure and commitment at great personal cost. It brings Curtis’s legacy to a position of prominence that it so obviously deserves. In short, (too late) I loved this book.

I loved it when I read it as well.

We do often enjoy the same books! This would make an excellent choice for the indigenous tag. I got lucky to land on it for the Subdue Challenge.

I absolutely loved this book! The photographs were wonderful as well.

This sounds perfect for this month!

Ellen wrote: "I absolutely loved this book! The photographs were wonderful as well."
So glad to hear you loved it too!

NancyJ wrote: "This sounds perfect for this month!"
It is! The tag for the month was the reason I put it on my Subdue list. I love it when I find a gem due to the monthly tag.

Joy D wrote: "We do often enjoy the same books! This would make an excellent choice for the indigenous tag. I got lucky to land on it for the Subdue Challenge."

I always think of Egan as a sure bet for a good book. I think JGrace turned me on to this one.