Busacca Gallery

The Whaler by Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952), an American photographer and pioneer ethnographer renowned for his documentation of Native Americans. The image is clean, with beautiful color tones and is printed on heavy paper. This is a genuine vintage print, not a modern reproduction. The print I have for sale, like many antique and vintage prints you see online, originates from an antique book publication. The North American Indian, Portfolio XI [Nootka and Haida] features 27 of 36 photogravures. These photogravures are printed on Hollande Van Gelder paper, with each image bearing Curtis' credit, title, date, plate number, and the printer's credit on the recto. This print is from an unfulfilled edition of 500, published by the Suffolk Engraving Co., Cambridge, Massachusetts, in [1916].

Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952) was an American photographer and ethnologist renowned for his extensive work documenting the lives and cultures of Native American tribes in the early 20th century. Beginning his ambitious project in 1906 with the support of financier J.P. Morgan, Curtis spent over 20 years photographing and recording the customs, traditions, and everyday life of more than 80 tribes. His work, culminating in the monumental 20-volume series "The North American Indian," is considered one of the most significant ethnographic records of Native American cultures. Curtis's dedication to preserving this heritage has left an enduring legacy in both photography and anthropology.