Wishham Beadwork
Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston
Description
Subject Matter:
This image of beadwork 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 hand-tinted photograph of woven beadwork. Two larger, identical rectangular pieces frame a smaller piece with multiple tassles in the center.
Usage Rights:
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