Giving Back
One of the great collectors and publishers of Edward S. Curtis is bringing the work to the descendants of the photographer’s subjects.
Fifty years ago, Christopher Cardozo made a life-changing discovery when he acquired a 1905 Edward S. Curtis photograph of noted Blackfoot leader Bear Bull. It was his first Curtis print, and there would be many more to come. Today Cardozo is one of the leading collectors, dealers and publishers of Curtis’ work, including an impressive republication of Curtis magnum opus, The North American Indian.
So it delighted and surprised him when he was introduced to a medicine man who was Bear Bull’s great grandson, Art Cedar. In
Seattle in 2015, Cardozo presented Cedar with several copies of the Bear Bull print.
This was not the first time, nor the last, that Cardozo would interact with descendants of subjects from Curtis photographs. Today he’s undertaking new efforts to repatriate
Curtis prints not only to Native American communities, but, where possible, to the descendants of those photographed. To date, he and his supporters have donated more than $500,000 of books and prints to tribal colleges and individuals.
“These images connect people back to their ancestors, and ancestors are at the core of Native American life,” Cardozo says. “In many cases, these families don’t have any images of them at all. So, to suddenly have a proud image of an ancestor, it can be an overwhelmingly positive experience.”
Cardozo says that Curtis’ work on The North American Indian—which is not just a photographic record of Native American people, but also writing about language, traditions, ceremonies and music—was the result of a great deal of research, including names and other information on specific people. “It’s not always the case that we have names on every photograph, but we can identify many of the individuals shown in the photographs.”
In many cases, descendants of Curtis’ subjects reach out to Cardozo, who is one of the key authorities when it comes to Curtis’ career
and work. He welcomes family members and descendants reach out to him so he can get them prints and other information related to their ancestors. He was recently introduced to several descendants of Oglala Lakota leader Red Cloud, and nearly 15 individuals were given prints of their famous ancestor.
“Red Cloud, along with Chief Joseph and Geronimo, was one of the three great leaders of the 19th century,” Cardozo says. “Red Cloud was so well known that Curtis sought him out, and eventually photographed him in a field, making a very compelling portrait.”
For information about Curtis and his work, as well as Cardozo’s efforts to bring his work out into the world, visit www.edwardcurtis.com.