![Curtis](images/sp1a.jpg) |
Biographical
Time Line for Edward S. Curtis
|
1868 | Curtis is born in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and grows up near Cordova, Minnesota. |
1887 | Curtis moves to Washington territory with his father. |
1891 | Curtis buys into, and later owns a photographic studio in Seattle, and develops
a reputation for portraits and landscapes. |
1895 | Curtis meets and photographs Princess Angeline, the daughter of
Chief Sealth. |
1898 | On Mount Rainier, Curtis meets a group of scientists,
including noted anthropologist George Bird Grinnell and C. Hart Merriam |
1899 | Based on his acquaintance with C. Hart Merriam, Curtis is appointed official
photographer for the Harriman Alaska Expedition. |
1900 | Curtis accompanies George Bird Grinnell to the Piegan Reservation in northwest
Montana to photograph the Sun Dance ceremony. |
1903 | Chief Joseph visits the Curtis studio and has his portrait
taken. |
1904 | President Theodore Roosevelt invites Curtis to photograph his
children after seeing Curtis' winning photograph in "The Prettiest
Children in American" contest published in Ladies' Home Journal. |
| Louisa Satterlee, daughter-in-law of financier J. P. Morgan,
purchases Curtis photographs at an exhibit in New York City. |
1906 | Curtis secures funds from J. P. Morgan
for the field work to produce a twenty volume illustrated text American Indians, to be completed in five years. |
1907 | First volume of The North American Indian is published, with a
foreword by Theodore Roosevelt. |
1912 | After 5 years, only part of the project (8 volumes) is
completed |
1913 | J.P. Morgan dies, but his son decides to continue funding The North
American Indian until finished. |
1914 | Curtis releases In the Land of the
Head-Hunters, a motion picture
depicting the "primal life" of Northwest Coast Indians. |
1915 | With 10 volumes of The North American Indian published, U.S. enters
World War I. Interest in the project subsides, delaying publication of
additional volumes for the next six years. |
1916 | Clara Curtis files for divorce; the divorce was finalized in 1919. |
1920 | With his daughter, Beth, Curtis moves photography studio from
Seattle to Los Angeles. Curtis finances fieldwork by working in his studio
and in Hollywood as a still photographer and movie camera operator for
major studios. |
1927 | Curtis' Alaska trip culminates three decades of fieldwork. |
1930 | Last volume of The North American Indian is published. |
1935 | Materials remaining from The North American Indian project,
including photogravure plates, are sold to the Charles Lauriat Company, a rare book dealer in Boston. Curtis turns his attention to gold-mining and
farming. |
1952 | Curtis dies in Los Angeles. |