With a legacy half rooted in myth, it is of no surprise that the Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo caught the eyes of both Edward Curtis and Andy Warhol, two esteemed artists in their own right. Geronimo was born near the Gila River headwaters in New Mexico and became a warrior after his mother, wife, and …
If you’re familiar with Edward Curtis’ project, “The North American Indian”, you may have seen vintage photographs of Native Americans wearing medals and adornments around their neck. Have you ever wondered about the significance of such metals? There is still some controversy over the use and impact of ‘peace metals’ in furthering diplomatic relationships between …
Valley Fine Art Hosts Reception to Benefit the Curtis Legacy Foundation Opening reception February 14 & 15 from 5 to 9pm at the gallery Aspen is home to the most thorough collection of Edward S. Curtis photographs in the West. This unique and rare collection is a draw for collectors and historians alike. Mark your …
Though it differs throughout tribes, there are many similarities in Native American Medicine. The primary function of most medicine men is to secure the help of the spirits. Sometimes this help may be sought to heal illness, psyche, or to promote harmony between people or nature. Medicine men are not necessarily doctors or herbalists in …
The epic battle of Little Bighorn took place in 1876 and remains shrouded in controversy to this day. Warriors of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes clashed with men of the 7th Regiment of the US Cavalry led by the famous and well-loved General Custer. The battle was a bloody display of the …
With the support of President Roosevelt and the financial backing of J.P Morgan, Edward Curtis was able to produce a photo-ethnographic study that was (and still is to this day) widely regarded as the finest set of limited- edition books ever made in America. The North American Indian consists of twenty volumes and twenty portfolio sets. …
Known as one of Edward Curtis’ favorite medium, he describes the medium beautifully: “The ordinary photographic print, however good, lacks depth and transparency, or more strictly speaking, translucency. We all know how beautiful are the stones and pebbles in the limpid brook of the forest where the water absorbs the blue of the sky and …
When I think of the Plains Indian Photographs of Edward Curtis, the first images that typically come to mind are of his striking Native American portraiture. But, his images contain so much more than just faces. I find the scenery of the American West that he captures in conjunction with the Natives helps deepen the …
Since the 1970’s Edward Curtis’ iconic images have surfaced from a whole variety of places: libraries, family heirlooms, undocumented museum collections, pawn shops, discovered in the basements of old houses, etc. And, since the 70’s, the artist’s work has consistently gone up in value to collectors. But why is Curtis so relevant? What really makes …
Valley Fine Art presents two of Edward S. Curtis’ most seminal photographs, Canon De Chelly and An Oasis in the Badlands, both traditional gelatin silver prints. Both images were, in fact, included in Curtis’ magnum opus, The North American Indian: Canon De Chelly is Plate 28, photographed in 1904 and An Oasis in the Badlands, …
Ansel Adams, the iconic American photographer, is famous for having said, “No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create, or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.” Isn’t that notion what is in the real guts …
Valley Fine Art in Aspen—a gallery specializing in the work of Edward S. Curtis—gives thanks this November, a time in which we also celebrate Native American Heritage Month. We appreciate and recognize artists who have dedicated their talent and their lives to visual storytelling, and few have created an ethnographic legacy like Edward Curtis with …
Edward S. Curtis and Andy Warhol are both artists with a connection to Theodore Roosevelt: Curtis for his friendship, and Warhol for his iconic “Old American West” imagery. Edward S. Curtis—his photographs of Native Americans, his portraits that honored Indian cultures— moved Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Roosevelt and Edward S. Curtis shared a passion and a …