The Brief
- A controversial new exhibit is on display at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg.
- The photographs of Edward S. Curtis are on display for viewers to take them as they are or to consider deeper questions.
- The intention of Curtis accompanies his exhibit everywhere it goes as the breathtaking photos draw out questions about what he was trying to showcase and why.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – His career behind the camera spanned much more than 30 years, but that’s how much time he spent documenting the North American Indian. Now, the photographic collection of Edward S. Curtis is on display at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art.
While the images capture a distinct period, the viewer is challenged to examine the motive as well as the history behind the project.
The backstory:
“Edward Curtis is a really interesting character,” Associate Curator Caitlin Pendola said. “He’s most known for his extensive record of Native American communities, and he was working on this project for 30 years. So, he was wildly ambitious. It took everything out of him, but he did complete the project. And he visited around 85 Native American communities.”
That extensive work took Curtis all over the American West and Northwest. However, the timeframe he visited those communities in started in the early 1900s before World War I. …