128

Edward S. Curtis

(1868 - 1952)

Canyon de Chelly - Navajo, 1904

orotone on glass (goldtone)
signed in negative at lower right: CURTIS LA ©
partial Canyon de Chelly studio label on frame verso
inscribed on label verso: These two pictures are bequeathed to / Orphie Bruggeman upon my death. / Catherine Peters
in original 'batwing' style period frame
negative date: 1904
print date: ca. 1932
Navajo, Southwest
10 1/4 x 13 3/8 in. (26 x 34 cm.), frame: 15 5/8 x 18 5/8 in. (39.7 x 47.3 cm.)

  • Provenance: Edward Curtis studio, Los Angeles, California
    J.W. Wheeler, Seattle, Washington (personal friend of Edward Curtis)
    Catherine Peters (nanny to Mr. Wheeler)
    Orphadel Bruggeman (niece of Catherine Peters)
    Bruggeman Family Land Trust (estate beneficiaries)
  • Literature:
    The North American Indian (1907-1930), Portfolio 1, pl. 28
    Florence Curtis Graybill and Victor Boesen, Visions of A Vanishing Race (Boston, 1976), pl. 2
    Barbara A. Davis, Edward S. Curtis: The Life and Times of a Shadow Catcher (San Francisco, 1985), p. 244
    Native Nations, Bulfinch Press, 1993, p. 30
    Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, Simon & Schuster, 2000, frontispiece, 189
    Timothy Egan, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis (Boston, 2012), p. 158
    Edward S. Curtis One Hundred Masterworks, Delmonico Books/Prestel Publishing, 2015, p. 53, back cover

    Canyon de Chelly is one of Edward Curtis' most recognizable and powerful photographs. Taken in 1904, at a sacred location in the heart of Navajo country, the massive scale of the ancient rock formations in comparison to the miniscule riders illustrates the insignificance of man relative to nature.

    A hallmark of his studio, Curtis pioneered and popularized the rarely used goldtone process shortly after 1900, producing fewer than one print for every 500 negatives due to the costly and challenging nature of the process. Despite its rarity, it seems to have been his favorite medium, writing in his studio's Goldtone Promotional Brochure:

    "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 the green of the foliage, yet when we take the same iridescent pebbles from the water and dry them they are dull and lifeless, so it is with the orthodox photographic print, but in the [goldtone] all the transparency is retained and they are as full of life and sparkle as an opal."

    Being bright and luminous, a unique quality of goldtones, this is an excellent example of Canyon de Chelly in that process. Coupled with the original frame and the extraordinary provenance, this will make an extremely special addition to a connoisseur's collection.
  • Condition: This goldtone is in very good condition overall.
    There is a minor emulsion anomaly at the lower left corner margin edge.
    To better protect the goldtone we have incorporated archival tissue interleave and 2-ply rag board into the original backing materials. Original backing board is still present.
    The frame is in good to very good condition overall.
    There is loss to the upper left frame corner.
    There are typical, scattered nicks and bumps to the frame edges.


    The condition reports for the lots offered by Santa Fe Art Auction (SFAA) are provided as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers. The reports are not intended to nor do they substitute for physical examination by a buyer or the buyer's advisors. The condition reports are prepared by SFAA staff members who are not art conservators or restorers, nor do they possess the qualifications needed for comprehensive evaluation. Each condition report is an opinion of the staff member and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report does not imply anything as to the condition of a particular lot. Buyers are reminded that the limited warranties are set forth in the Terms and Conditions of Sale and do not extend to condition. Each lot is sold as-is.

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November 8, 2024 1:00 PM MST
Santa Fe, NM, US

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