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Start of a War Party

Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston

Artwork Details

Start of a War Party
1907
Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston
photogravure on paper
9 1/2 in x 12 5/8 in (24.2 cm x 32 cm);14 3/8 in x 19 7/16 in (36.5 cm x 49.3 cm)
Gift of Stephen M. Taylor
1997/1.158

Description

Subject Matter:

This image of a group of Teton Sioux, or Lakota, 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:

This is a photograph of a party of horses and riders. The subjects prepare to head to battle, with spears and regalia. Behind them is a tipi and prairie landscape.

Usage Rights:

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