Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis Photo Exhibit on Campus
Released: September 12, 2005
There is an old saying – “All of the darkness in the world cannot put out a single candle.” Indeed, had it not been for the resolute determination of one 19th century Whitewater native, photographer Edward S. Curtis, the history of more than 80 native tribes of North American Indians may have vanished.
Fortunately, Curtis was undeterred from his personal mission of making a comprehensive record of the American Indian. Starting in 1901 at the age of 33, he embarked on a journey, which ultimately took over 30 years, to visually document every Native American tribe west of the Mississippi River. Championed and funded by both President Theodore Roosevelt and financier J.P. Morgan, Curtis’ project culminated in his monumental publication, a 20-volume series entitled “The North American Indian,” which presented to the public over 50,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recording on wax cylinders. Sacrificing his health, his marriage and his fortunes to this vast audio and pictorial history, Curtis left behind the most comprehensive study of the traditional lives and customs of the American Indian.
While most Americans may not be familiar with Curtis, they are undoubtedly acquainted with his work. His haunting portraits of renowned Chiefs Sitting Bull and Geronimo hang in school classrooms and grace many history book pages.
From September 12-October 22, the Crossman Gallery on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus will host “Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indian,” which will showcase 70 images drawn from an ongoing European tour and from the archive of the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo, Minnesota-based owner of the largest private collection of Curtis’ work in the world. Cardozo personally selected all of the exhibit’s images, and some have never been shown in public.
There will be an opening night reception on September 12 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Crossman Gallery, located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts. The exhibit is free to the public, and gallery hours are Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays 12 noon – 4 p.m.
Special events are being planned to coincide with the exhibit including an opening night reception on September 12 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the gallery; a fundraising dinner featuring Christopher Cardozo to help defray the expense of the exhibit on September 25, and a public lecture by Cardozo on Curtis and his life’s work on September 26 at 7 p.m. in the Light Recital hall.
For more information on “Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indian,” and ticket information for the dinner featuring Christopher Cardozo, visit www.whitewaterarts.org
- N & P Staff,npa@uww.edu
