Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952) Arikara Medicine Ceremony - The Bears, 1908 Photogravure, Plate # 161, Printed on Holland Van Gelder Paper, Unframed, Image: 12"H x 16"W
Edward S. Curtis (1868ñ1952) was one of the most ambitious documentary photographers of the early twentieth century, dedicating over three decades to his monumental project The North American Indian. Arikara Medicine Ceremony ñ The Bears (1908), Plate No. 161, represents Curtisís engagement with the ceremonial life of the Arikara people during his extensive travels across the Great Plains. Issued as a photogravure on fine Holland Van Gelder paper, this image reflects both Curtisís artistic mastery and his ethnographic intent to highlight and preserve the spiritual and cultural traditions of Native American nations.