Curtis, Edward S. Edward S. Curtis: Visions of the First Americans by Don Gulbrandsen.

Chartwell/Greene Media, 2011. Fine with fine protected dust jacket, like new. Reprint. 256 pages.  Large format with more than 300 photos, most in sepia tone, of Native Americans by Edward Sheriff Curtis.  Twenty chapters with images selected from the original 20 volumes, each with one or more tribes, grouped geographically. More than 50 tribes are depicted in both portraits and scenes of daily life. Introduction by Don Gulbrandsen with biography of Curtis and history of his multi-year project that resulted in these exceptional photographs. Summary:

Edward S. Curtis: Visions of the First Americans by Don Gulbrandsen is a photographic and biographical study of the work of Edward S. Curtis, best known for his ambitious documentation of Native American tribes in the early twentieth century. The book serves as an accessible introduction to Curtis’s life, artistic vision, and cultural impact, combining historical narrative with a curated selection of his most iconic images.

Gulbrandsen traces Curtis’s development from a successful portrait photographer in Seattle to the creator of the monumental series The North American Indian, a 20-volume project produced between 1907 and 1930. The author explains how Curtis traveled extensively across North America, photographing and recording the traditions, ceremonies, languages, and daily lives of dozens of Indigenous nations. The book emphasizes the enormous logistical and financial challenges of the project, including Curtis’s reliance on wealthy patrons and institutions to sustain his work.

A central focus of Visions of the First Americans is the power and artistry of Curtis’s imagery. Gulbrandsen highlights Curtis’s dramatic use of light, composition, and staging, which gave his photographs a timeless and often romantic quality. Portraits of tribal leaders, warriors, and families are presented as both ethnographic records and carefully crafted works of art.

At the same time, the book acknowledges the controversies surrounding Curtis’s methods. Gulbrandsen discusses how some scenes were staged or altered to remove signs of modern life, reflecting Curtis’s belief that Indigenous cultures were disappearing. This tension—between preservation and idealization—forms an important part of the book’s critical perspective.

Overall, Edward S. Curtis: Visions of the First Americans presents Curtis as a complex figure: an artist of remarkable dedication and vision whose work remains culturally significant, while also shaped by the assumptions and attitudes of his era.