Davenport, Iowa (October 9, 2015) - Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks will be on view at the Figge Art Museum beginning Saturday in the third floor gallery. The exhibition features a selection of 100 images of the Native American people of the United States taken by renowned photographer Edward S. Curtis.
In 1900, Edward Curtis (born in 1868) set out on a monumental quest to make an unprecedented, comprehensive record of the North American Indian. He traveled to Alaska, the Southwest and the Great Plains in search of his subjects. Over the next 30 years he produced more than 40,000 photographs of Native peoples. The culmination of his project resulted in a 20-volume, 20 portfolio set of handmade books entitled: The North American Indian?one of the most ambitious publishing projects in American history.
With an approximate cost of $35 million in today's dollars, Curtis' effort involved more than 100 assistants, artisans, salespeople and support staff, and required the collaboration of an estimated 10,000 Native Americans who posed or otherwise assisted the photographer. The project bankrupted him and ruined his health, and he died in obscurity in 1952, but today his work is considered a masterpiece of photography and a priceless record of Native American culture.
Visitors to the One Hundred Masterworks exhibition will have the opportunity to view well-known and rare images of Native Americans that range from portraits, including notables such as Red Cloud, to traditional scenes and ceremonies. Included are platinum prints, goldtones, cyanotypes and the more common photogravures, drawn from the largest existing collection of Curtis' work. The photographs are increasingly prized for their artistic value and present a historical record of enormous and irreplaceable importance.
One Hundred Masterworks will be on display October 10, 2015-January 17, 2016 and is sponsored by The Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation.
The Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks book by collector, curator and Curtis authority Christopher Cardozo will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.
COMPANION EVENTS:
Opening Reception
Friday, October 9
5:30 p.m. Members' Reception
7 p.m. Curator Talk
Members are invited to partake in light appetizers in the lobby to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. All are welcome at 7 p.m. to listen to collector, curator and Curtis authority Christopher Cardozo speak.
Documentary Film
7 p.m. Thursday, November 5
Language Healers tells the story of Native peoples striving to revitalize their languages and explores the importance of Native languages and cultures to Alaskans.
Talk
7 p.m. Thursday, November 19
Jane Simonsen, PhD, will present her research on Native American visual culture as it relates to the exhibition.
Family Day
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, January 9, 2016
Docent-led Tours
1:30 p.m. Saturday, October 17
1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 18
Free with museum admission
About the Figge Art Museum
The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members, and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.
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