PROFILE OF EDWARD CURTIS - PART 2

In 1905, Curtis, desperate for money, corresponded with President Theodore Roosevelt, seeking advice on finding a patron to finance his proposed project documenting native American culture. In 1906, Curtis is able to arrange a meeting with financier J. P. Morgan who agrees to bankroll the project to the tune of $75000.00. Curtis' project not only consisted of photographs but was actually a complete documentation of American Indian culture and lore. In 1919, Curtis' wife Clara divorced him and was awarded his studio as well as his original glass negatives which Curtis and his daughter destroyed before she could lay claim to them. This was the beginning of a long downward spiral. In 1927, Curtis was arrested for nonpayment of alimony. Although the charges were soon dropped, Curtis' financial problems continued unabated. In 1928, still desperate for cash, Curtis was forced to seek further financing from the son of his original patron, J.P. Morgan. With the advent of the Great Depression, Curtis' problems further intensified. Only 300 volumes of his works were sold. By the time Curtis passed away in 1952, his name was but a minor footnote in history. It has been only in more recent decades that Curtis has gained renown for his outstanding contribution to the documentation and preservation of native American culture. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY