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Posted on behalf of Amanda Rogalski [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> __________________________________________________________________________________________ MEDIA CONTACT Tim Greyhavens, Editor The Curtis Census www.curtiscensus.com<http://www.curtiscensus.com/> (206) 769-1370 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Seattle WA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 9, 2018 THE CURTIS CENSUS: TRACKING THE BOOKS THAT DOCUMENTED THE MOST EXPENSIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT OF ALL TIME In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the birth of photographer Edward S. Curtis (1858- 1952) and the continuing national interest in his work, an ambitious effort has launched to catalog all of the published sets of Curtis's epic twenty-volume masterpiece The North American Indian. The North American Indian is one of the most expensive undertakings in the history of book production and one of the most comprehensive ethnographic records of the native tribes of North America. Curtis funded the project that produced the books by securing significant support from financier J. P. Morgan and by selling lavishly expensive subscriptions. Each twenty volume set initially sold in 1907 for $3,000 for a standard edition and $3,850 for a deluxe edition (equivalent to approximately $77,750 and $99,750 in 2017). The books were planned to be issued in a limited edition of 500 sets, but it appears that no more than 300 sets were published due to the extremely high cost of the books and the prolonged publication cycle. (Volume 1 was published in 1907; Volumes 19 and 20 were not published until 1930.) Curtis did not keep a master subscription list, and different historical documentation about the project provides conflicting information. According to author and critic A.D. Coleman, The North American Indian is "an absolutely unmatched masterpiece of visual anthropology, and one of the most thorough, extensive and profound photograph works of all time" (Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, ed. Christopher Cardozo, NY, 2000, p.25). In addition to his photographs, Curtis recorded a multitude of interviews with tribal leaders, transcribed detailed family histories, created glossaries of many Indian languages, and described historical ceremonies, dances, and many other important aspects of Indian life in the early decades of the 20th century. Today it is recognized that The North American Indian is reflective of the time in which it was created and is filled with cultural biases and prejudices, but as a record of its time and American Indian history, it is beyond comparison. Complete sets of The North American Indian rarely come up for auction, and they command top dollar when they do. One set was sold at auction in 2012 for $2,882,500. The Curtis Census will determine, as accurately as possible, the actual number of complete or partial sets that were printed, the present locations, and any provenance that can be documented. The project is complicated by the fact that some copies of the books and portfolios are thought to have been unbound and the contents dispersed in order to sell the highly valuable prints; nonetheless, it hopes to complete its work by the end of 2018. The Census maintains a "Mysteries" page (www.curtiscensus.com/mysteries<http://www.curtiscensus.com/mysteries>), where it asks for the public's help in locating missing book sets. Anyone with information about current owners of any of the books may contact the census at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. The census was conceived and is directed by Tim Greyhavens, a Seattle-based writer, researcher, and photographer. In 2017 he started both the Curtis Census and the North American Photographic History website, a place where students, academics, scholars, and independent researchers of the history of photography in North America can connect with each other. In 2016 he developed the Photo Funds Database, a free, searchable list of more than 2,600 grants, awards, and crowdfunding campaigns for photography. Judith Hayner, recently retired Director of the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA), Muskegon, Michigan, is the Associate Editor of the Census. The MMA owns edition #70 of The North American Indian, originally acquired by a subscription signed in 1907. In 2017, Hayner headed up the very successful exhibition of the entire set of 723 photogravures and all 20 volumes that comprise The North American Indian, an historic effort thought to be the first ever to present the entire collection. ### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/membership/join-arlisna Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~