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Caches at Celilo

Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston

Artwork Details

Caches at Celilo
1909
Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston
photogravure on paper
9 3/16 in x 12 in (23.34 cm x 30.48 cm);14 3/4 in x 19 3/4 in (37.47 cm x 50.17 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Kenyon
1987/1.201

Description

Subject Matter:

This image of wood storage structures at Celilo Village 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 wooden structures in a landscape. The structures are formed of crossing beams to form caches that are several feet off the ground. Beams of lumber are stored in the structures. 

Usage Rights:

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