Skip to main content

Edward S. Curtis Art

American, 1868-1952

Edward S. Curtis is arguably the most influential photographer of the American West. His work unquestionably ranks among that of the most important photographers of the 20th century.

Curtis was first and foremost; an extremely gifted and sophisticated artist whose work had the duality of being an incredible artistic creation at the same time as being a document of a people. He was uniquely able to create, out of whole cloth, a lasting vision of the American Indian that never existed before it was first seen through his photographic lens.

Edward Curtis produced images of the American Indian that convey a dignity, a universal humanity and a certain remaining majesty that transcend literally all other work ever done on the subject. In his photographs we see images that are uniquely able to stand alone in the world of photography.

Beginning in 1898 and continuing through 1928, Curtis dedicated his life to documenting the traditional lifeways and cultures of 128 American Indian tribes living west of the Mississippi River, from Alaska to the Mexican border.

Curtis was a genius of an artist possessed by a singular obsession to preserve the traditional lifeways of the American Indian.

Astonishingly, focusing all his immense talents over a staggering 30-year period, Curtis accomplished what he set out to do; he did save the traditional lifeways of these Native Peoples but at tremendous personal cost. It cost him his marriage, it cost him his health, and it cost him any possible financial stability he might ever have had.

In spite of all this, he persevered and left a body of work never to be equaled in the field of photography.

Find authentic Edward S. Curtis photography on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Bruce Kapson Gallery)

to
31
30
30
6
2
1
1
1
1
A Modified Style Of Hair Dressing, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Modified Style Of Hair Dressing 1921 Photogravure Print 22 x 18 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #428, The North Ameri...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

The Potter Mixing Clay, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis The Potter Mixing Clay 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #419, The North American I...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

"Ogalala Woman" by Edward S. Curtis, 1908
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a fine photogravure portrait of an Ogalala woman by Edward Curtis. The image is Plate 94 from Supplementary Portfolio 3 of Edward Curtis' epic project The North American...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

"New Chest, Piegan" by Edward S. Curtis, 1910
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a fine photogravure portrait of a Piegan man named New Chest by Edward Curtis. The image is Plate 200 from Supplementary Portfolio 6 of Edward Curtis' epic project The N...
Category

1910s Vintage Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

"Three Chiefs, Blackfoot, Montana" by Edward S. Curtis, Platinum Print, 1900
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a rare, platinum Master Exhibition Print of Edward Curtis’ The Three Chiefs. Typical of Curtis’ Master Exhibition Prints, this platinum print is double-mounted, signed, with an embossed copyright credit and date stamp. His numeric notation “52-00” is in the photographic negative. Curtis photographed The Three Chiefs during his two weeks on a Blackfoot reservation in the summer of 1900. The photograph depicts three Piegan men in traditional dress on horseback, situated next to a small stream with an expansive cloud-filled sky behind them. The Piegans were the largest group in the Blackfoot Confederacy and still retained a majority of their original culture when Curtis visited the tribe. It reportedly took Curtis several days to find the perfect prairie backdrop and riders for this photo, yet his patience paid off. The image was pivotal in enabling Curtis to form his vision for his next project - his ambitious 20 volumes “North American Indian”publication. This print is believed to be one of only three oversized, platinum Master Exhibition Prints of this image in existence. It was printed by Curtis specifically for his East Coast exhibition tour of 1905-1906. Curtis chose only a small number of what he believed to be his finest negatives to produce prints for the show. He never again mounted an exhibition of his work, nor produced such distinctive, large-format platinum prints. “The extraordinary rarity of The Three Chiefs becomes clearer when viewed in the context of other Master Exhibition Prints, principally the 108 in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the largest collection in existence. The Museum, however, is missing a number of early, iconic images, including The Three Chiefs. It has long been assumed that these missing prints were held elsewhere, possibly in the collection of The New York Public Library. This theory has been substantiated by the Curtis scholar, Bruce Kapson, who unearthed a cache of letters from Curtis to J.P. Morgan and to Morgan's librarian, Ms. Bella da Costa Greene in the Pierpont Morgan Library archives in 2007. The correspondence establishes that 58 of the 100 prints in The New York Public Library's collection are actually Master Exhibition Prints, specifically selected by Curtis for J.P. Morgan as the best examples of his work. A typed letter, dated March 1907, from Ms. Greene to Curtis states: 'I enclose herewith a list of Indian photographs which you sent to Mr. J.P. Morgan'. The letter is accompanied by a handwritten list of 58 photographs, including The Three Chiefs (print number 52.) Morgan donated this group of prints to The New York Public Library in 1912.” (Christie’s Live Auction 1893 Catalog, 2007). Curtis’ platinum prints make up less than 1/2 of 1% of all of the work he created. Curtis’ platinum prints were created only for exhibition or direct sales to patrons and they were always made by Curtis himself. One significant dealer in Curtis prints...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

Edward S. Curtis Original Signed Stamped Platinum Photograph Hopi Weaver, 1899
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Studio City, CA
An original platinum print on textured paper by iconic American photographer Edward Curtis titled "Hopi Weaver"(sometimes known as "The Weaver"). Curtis was famed for his work with the Native American peoples of the American West at the turn of the century. This image features a male Hopi elder weaving a blanket - an exclusively masculine occupation at the time. This platinum print is hand-signed in ink, blind-stamped with Curtis' embossed studio copyright stamp, and dated 1899. The negative number ("X 743") can possibly also be imperceptibly/faintly seen written by Curtis on the lower-left edge. The photo is mounted on a single, handmade lightweight paper typical of other mounted Curtis photos...
Category

1890s American Native American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

"Horse Capture - Atsina" by Edward S. Curtis, 1908
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a fine photogravure portrait of an Atsina man named Horse Capture by Edward Curtis. The image is Plate 170 from Supplementary Portfolio 5 of Edward Curtis' epic project ...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

"Porcupine - Cheyenne" by Edward S. Curtis, 1911
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a fine photogravure portrait of a Cheyenne man with cottonwood leave headdress by Edward Curtis. The image is Plate 216 from Supplementary Portfolio 6 of Edward Curtis' ...
Category

1910s American Vintage Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

"Bear's Teeth - Arikara" by Edward S. Curtis, 1908
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a fine photogravure portrait of Bear’s Teeth of the Arikara tribe by Edward Curtis. The image is Plate 154 from Supplementary Portfolio 5 of Edward Curtis' epic project ...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

Chaiwa - Tewa - Profile, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Chaiwa - Tewa - Profile 1921 Photogravure Print 22 x 18 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #415, The North American Indi...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Return With The Willows - Piegan, 1910
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Return With The Willows - Piegan 1910 Photogravure Print 9 x 12 inches Vintage small format Curtis Volume Photogravure, Volume 6, The North American Indian, on Japa...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Mishongnovi, 1900
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Mishongnovi 1900 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #435, The North American Indian, on Japan...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

The Water Carriers, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis The Water Carriers 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate ...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Buffalo Dance At Hano, 1904
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Buffalo Dance At Hano 1904 Photogravure Print Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #401, The North ...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Walpi Architecture, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Walpi Architecture 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #421, The North American Indian, o...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Flute Dancers At Tureva Springs, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Flute Dancers At Tureva Springs 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #431, The North Ameri...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Looking Out To Sea, King Island, 1928
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Looking Out To Sea, King Island 1928 Hand Colored Volume Photogravure 12 x 9 inches
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

A Hopi Woman, 1905
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis A Hopi Woman 1905 Photogravure Print 22 x 18 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #411, The North American Indian, on Japa...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Counting The Record, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Counting The Record 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #413, The North American Indian, ...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

The Piki Maker, 1906
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis The Piki Maker 1906 Photogravure Print 22 x 18 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #432, The North American Indian, o...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

East Mesa Girls, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis East Mesa Girls, 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12, Plate #427, The North American Indian, on ...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

A Gem Of Basketry - Southern Yokuts
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis A Gem Of Basketry - Southern Yokuts 1924 Hand Colored Photogravure 12 x 9 inches Vintage small format Curtis Volume Photogravure, Volume 13, The North American Ind...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Snake Dancers Entering The Plaza, 1921
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward S. Curtis Snake Dancers Entering The Plaza 1921 Photogravure Print 18 x 22 inches Vintage large format Curtis Portfolio Photogravure, Portfolio 12...
Category

Early 20th Century Other Art Style Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Startug up the Noatak River - Kotzebue, pl. 712
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Dallas, TX
Printed plate number, Curtis's title, date, copyright, and photogravures by John Andrews and Son on recto. Tissue gravure Known for his remarkable documentation of Native Americans ...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Original Edward S. Curtis Photogravure, "The Klamath Hunter" 1923
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a beautiful photogravure showing a Klamath man hunting from a dugout canoe. This image is Plate 458 from Volume 13 of Edward Curtis' epic project The North American Indi...
Category

1920s American Vintage Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

Whaling Crew - Cape Prince of Wales, pl. 709
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Dallas, TX
Printed plate number, Curtis's title, date, copyright, and photogravures by John Andrews and Son on recto. Photogravure on Holland Van Gelder tissue Known for his remarkable documen...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Edward S. Curtis Original Signed Stamped Platinum Print the Vanishing Race, 1904
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Studio City, CA
"The Vanishing Race" is perhaps the most iconic and sought-after photographic print by renowned American artist Edward S. Curtis who was famed for h...
Category

Early 1900s American Native American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

Nungoktôk - Noatak, pl. 719
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Dallas, TX
Printed plate number, Curtis's title, date, copyright, and photogravures by John Andrews and Son on recto. Photogravure on Holland Van Gelder tissue Known for his remarkable documentation of Native Americans in the early twentieth century, Edward S. Curtis, chronicled over 80 different tribes in the Southwest, the Great Plains...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Launching the Whaleboat - Cape Prince of Wales, pl. 707
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Dallas, TX
Printed plate number, Curtis's title, date, copyright, and photogravures by John Andrews and Son on recto. Photogravure on Holland Van Gelder tissue Known for his remarkable documen...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Yokuts Basketry Designs (B), pl. 503
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Dallas, TX
Printed plate number, Curtis's title, date, copyright, and photogravures by John Andrews and Son on recto. Known for his remarkable documentation of Native Americans in the early tw...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Photogravure

Edward S. Curtis Original Signed and Stamped Silver Toned Platinum Print, 1906
By Edward S. Curtis, 1868-1952
Located in Studio City, CA
An original platinum print on textured paper by iconic American photographer Edward Curtis titled "The Piki Maker" The print is hand signed in ink, blind-stamped with Curtis' embos...
Category

Early 1900s American Native American Antique Edward S. Curtis Art

Materials

Paper

Edward S. Curtis art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Edward S. Curtis art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Edward S. Curtis in intaglio, photogravure, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Edward S. Curtis art, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jerry Schatzberg, Lillian Bassman, and Brian Duffy. Edward S. Curtis art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,000 and tops out at $72,000, while the average work can sell for $6,500.

Artists Similar to Edward S. Curtis

Recently Viewed

View All