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Edward S. Curtis

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Photographer

The Resume

    (February 19, 1868-October 19, 1952)
    Born in Whitewater, Wisconsin
    Photographer of American Indian subjects
    Author of 'The North American Indian' (1907–30)
    Best known for 'The Vanishing Race' (1904)
    Directed 'In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914)'

Why he might be annoying:

    The 'S' stands for 'Sheriff.'
    He initially was motivated by economic interests in photographing Native American tribes.
    His photos were used by railroad companies to lure tourists west for trips to get a last look at the 'last of a dying people' (the exact opposite of his project's intent).
    His lone directorial effort was heavily criticized for promoting exaggerated stereotypes about Indigenous peoples.
    When his wife was granted a divorce from him in 1919, he and his daughter went to his studio and destroyed all of his original glass negatives, rather than have them become the property of his ex-wife (the judge inexplicably granted them to her).
    He was arrested for failure to pay alimony over the preceding seven years (1927). The charges were later dropped.
    He lost the rights to The North American Indian after the Morgan Estate sold out to the Charles E. Lauriat Company in Boston for $1,000 (1935).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He took the most famous photo portrait of Chief Joseph.
    Theodore Roosevelt was one of his most fervent supporters.
    'The North American Indian' was a 20-­volume project that chronicled over 80 indigenous tribes.
    He convinced an initially reluctant J. P. Morgan to advance him $75,000 for the 'American Indian' project.
    He humanized Native Americans to the public with his photos, drawing attention to their treatment by the government in the process.
    He went from a passive observer of Native customs to a staunch advocate for tribal rights.
    'In the Land of the Head Hunters' was the first feature-length film with a cast entirely composed of Native Americans (it was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1999).
    To earn money he worked as an assistant cameraman for Cecil B. DeMille (including on the original 'Ten Commandments' in 1923).
    He died forgotten, in debt, and completely unappreciated during his own lifetime.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying