Edward S. Curtis Digital Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Photographer Edward S. Curtis devoted two decades to making “The North American Indian,” an early 20th century photography and text project studying Western tribes.
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Vine Court Apartments, April 1973
Seattle' "The Old Vinecourt" Vine Str. & Third Av.; view S.E. Old Apt. House rebuilt into modern live in office apts.
Identifier: spl_wl_apt_00099
Date: 1973-04
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, May 8, 1951
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing a visit from Lillian Smart of the Seattle Historical Society to his home in Los Angeles. Curtis writes that Smart attempted to rush him out to a recording studio so he could make a recording of Pacific Coast history but he protested, saying he need more time to gather his thoughts. Curtis wonders if he offended Smart by refusing to do the initial recording. He states that he hasn't heard back from the Historical Society after letting them know he completed a script for the recording and was now ready to go to the studio.
Identifier: spl_esc_026
Date: 1951-05-08
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Pencil sketches of CCC camps: K.P. duty - peeling spuds.
Identifier: spl_art_N779Pe10
Date: 1934
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Winter dance time
Helmi Juvonen was born in Butte, Montana on January 17, 1903. She worked in many media including printmaking, painting and paper-craft. She attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where she met artist Mark Tobey with whom she was famously obsessed. Although she was diagnosed as a manic-depressive in 1930, she gained wide appreciation in the Northwest for her linocut prints depicting Northwest Indian people and tribal ceremonies. She worked with a number of artists on the Public Works of Art Project including Fay Chong and Morris Graves. Over the years, her mental health deteriorated and in 1960 she was declared a ward of the state and was committed to Oakhurst Convalescent Center. She was much beloved and had many friends and benefactors (including Wes Wehr) and was able to have exhibitions despite the confinement. She died in 1985.
Identifier: spl_art_J989Wi
Date: 1946
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, November 4, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing his progress on "The Lure of Gold." He notes that publishing firm has expressed interest in publishing the work but he had to let them know it would be at least two years before he would be able to complete it. Curtis writes "For one of my age, that's looking far ahead."
Identifier: spl_esc_014
Date: 1949-11-04
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, January 2, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing his progress in compiling materials to send and noting that his health is further improved. He promises he has not forgotten her request for a picture of him but the photo he thought to send looked to similar to Bill Cody and may cause confusion. Curtis describes spending time in New York with Cody and says they were sometimes called the "Cody Twins." He notes that this confusion was a common occurrence.
Identifier: spl_esc_007
Date: 1949-01-02
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, July 11, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch, apologizing for his slow response and explaining he is deep in his work on "The Lure of Gold." He writes that the size of the project is overwhelming and he is ""praying that I will live long enough to finish the job." Curtis discusses his climbs of Mount Rainier and his friendship with Ella McBride. He notes that she was one of the few women to summit the mountain unassisted and describes her as "my star helper" both in climbs of Mount Rainier and later, as an assistant in his photography studio. He writes that she lived with the Curtis family and was like a second mother to his daughters.
Identifier: spl_esc_012
Date: 1949-07-11
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, circa March 1949
Note from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch responding to her questions about how long he lived in Seattle and how he began taking pictures of Native Americans. In response to the question "How did you get the confidence of the Indians?" Curtis writes "I said we, not you. In other words, I worked with them not at them."
Identifier: spl_esc_010
Date: 1949-03
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, August 16, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing his further work on "The Lure of Gold." He writes about the overwhelming nature of covering 200 years of history, describing the notebooks he has filled with his research. Curtis states "Why any one of my age should attempt such a task is beyond my understanding."
Identifier: spl_esc_013
Date: 1949-08-16
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