Edward S. Curtis, Cochiti and Sia Pueblo Pottery New Mexico, Photogravure 1925

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Description

ABOUT

A geometric narrative of form and heritage, this original 1925 photogravure by Edward S. Curtis presents a masterful still … Read more ABOUT

A geometric narrative of form and heritage, this original 1925 photogravure by Edward S. Curtis presents a masterful still life of traditional Pueblo vessels. Titled "Cochiti and Sia Pottery," it was originally curated as a large-format portfolio plate for Volume XVI of his monumental series, The North American Indian.

This significant work is rendered on heavy Van Gelder Dutch paper, featuring a distinctive recessed plate mark where the image was physically pressed into the fibers during the copper-plate printing process. The large-scale portfolio format offers a level of intricate detail and monumental presence not found in the standard text-bound editions.

Cochiti and Sia Pottery, 1925. Inscribed in plate, upper left: Plate 554. Titled in plate, lower left: COCHITI AND SIA POTTERY. Inscribed in plate, lower center: From Copyright Photograph 1925 by E.S. Curtis. Inscribed in plate, lower right: Photogravure Suffolk Eng. Co. Cambridge Mass.

CREATOR Edward S. Curtis (1868 - 1952). Framed in 2010.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1925.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Medium: Original large-format photogravure on Van Gelder paper.
CONDITION Good. This print and vintage Van Gelder overmat are in very good condition overall. There is very minor rippling at the print margins, particularly at the lower left corner, primarily visible in raking light.
DIMENSIONS Image: 13.5 in. x 17 in., Sheet: 17.5 in. x 22 in.

HISTORY

Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952) left an enduring mark on the history of photography in his 20-volume life's work, The North American Indian. Between 1900 and 1930, Curtis traveled across the continent photographing more than seventy Native American tribes. The photographs presented daily activities, customs, and religions of a people he called “a vanishing race.

PHOTOGRAVURES | The vast majority of his prints, approximately 98%, were printed as photogravures, and virtually all them were produced for The North American Indian. Curtis used two standard sizes, 5 x 7″ (or reverse), and approximately 12 x 16″ (or reverse). He favored three hand-made papers: Japanese Vellum, Dutch “Van Gelder,” and Japanese “Tissue,” also known as India Proof Paper. See less