Edward S. Curtis: Photographer of His Time

The James Museum: St. Petersburg, Florida

Edward S. Curtis, an American photographer and ethnologist, is best known for his extensive photographic record of Native American cultures documented in his early 20th-century publication, The North American Indian. This landmark exhibition, the first of its kind, reframes Curtis as more than a documentarian. He was also an artist influenced by the major cultural and artistic movements of his era.

Curtis’ early photographs reflect the emotive qualities of Romanticism and Pictorialism, while his later works echo the bold experimentation of Modernism and the grounded realism of Regionalism. Colors and architectural motifs deployed throughout the sections tracing these influences help visitors reframe their understanding of Curtis as an artist of his time.