Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indian. The Complete Portfolios.

Through more than 700 photographs in 20 portfolios, Edward S. Curtis artfully preserves the indigenous heritage of North America. With his coffee-table book, "The North American Indian," published by TASCHEN, invites us to embrace the diversity of traditions, revive forgotten stories and foster a spirit of peaceful coexistence.

Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952) devoted his entire life to a project all his own: using a camera to preserve the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of North America. For three decades he traveled through every region of the continent, through every kind of terrain and weather, by land or water, in the 50°C heat of the Mojave Desert or the chill of -20°C at the North Pole; on foot, on horseback, by wagon, by donkey, by boat or train, or later by automobile. More than 40,000 photographs were taken during those years.

During his lifetime, the finest of these photographs, titled The North American Indian, were presented in twenty comprehensive, large-scale portfolios through which Curtis established a monument to commemorate and fully revive the disappearing culture of the indigenous peoples of North America. In addition, the book includes a selection of photographs from the text sections.

Without Edward S. Curtis, we would hardly know anything about the rituals of the Hopi in southwestern America, we would not be able to imagine the Qagyuhl winter dancers, and we would have no idea about the ceremonies on Nunivak Island. The basic humanist message that radiates from his photographs is very relevant, namely peaceful coexistence, where you can overcome hatred and prejudice if you are always willing, when you meet a stranger, to look for a common idea.

Specifications
Title: The North American Indian. The Complete Portfolios
Author: Edward S. Curtis
Publisher: TASCHEN
Format: 243 x 304 x 49 mm
Size: 696 pages
Weight: 2.68 kg
Language: English
Material: Hardcover
ISBN: 9783836596732

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