Skip to main content

The Rock Slide—Wishham

Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston

Artwork Details

The Rock Slide—Wishham
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)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Kenyon
1987/1.199

Description

Subject Matter:

This image of a young child 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 young child with long braids sitting on a large rock. Photographed from a distance, the rock appears small in the plateau landscape.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.