3-005-108 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Shows As He Goes, half-length portrait, c1905. Edward S. Curtis created this half-length portrait of a young Indian while visiting Apache Indian groups from 1903-1907. The image displays Curtis' remarkable ability to fashion portraits incorporating traditional elements of dress and distinctive aspects of his sitters' personalities. Moved "to form a comprehensive and permanent record of the important tribes of the United States and Alaska that retain to a considerable degree their . . . customs and traditions," before they vanished, Curtis labored for 30 years to produce his 20 volume work The North American Indian (1905-1930) illustrated with high quality photoengravings taken from his glass plate negatives. The Library of Congress acquired more than 2,400 photographic prints from this project through copyright deposit, although only one third were ever published. (Source: Exhibit caption).