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At the Spring—Wishham

Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston

Artwork Details

At the Spring—Wishham
1909
Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston
photogravure on paper
12 in x 9 3/16 in (30.48 cm x 23.34 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Kenyon
1987/1.203

Description

Subject Matter:

This image of a woman from the Wishham tribe—now known as Wishram—is from The North American Indian (1907-1930), a twenty-volume series created by Edward Curtis in order to document the lives of Native Americans in diverse regions of the Western United States. This limited edition volume was financially supported by J.P. Morgan, and promoted by Theodore Roosevelt. The resulting works have been criticized and celebrated for their portrayal of Native American life. Curtis often included anachronous props and clothing and presented rituals that had not been performed in years in order to support an idealized and romantic reading of a “vanishing race.”

Physical Description:

A photograph of a woman with braided hair sitting, framed by a landscape of large desert rocks. In her lap she holds a vessel, a stream of water at her feet.

Usage Rights:

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