Shadow Catcher: How Edward S. Curtis Documented American Indian Dignity and Beauty

Shadow Catcher: How Edward S. Curtis Documented American Indian Dignity and Beauty — page 1
Chapter One THE SHADOW CATCHER The old man sat staring off into space He wore a headband and a blanket surrounded his shoulders His face was deeply creased from age and decades spent outside in the hot dry climate of the American Southwest In front of the old man photographer Edward S Curtis prepared his camera By now early in 1905 Curtis was famous across the United States for his photos of the outdoors His shots ranged from mountain peaks to the huge expanses of the Southwest People eagerly sat for his portraits which seemed to capture the essence of the subjects in a single image Just months before Curtis had taken pictures of President Theodore Roosevelt and his family Now Curtis camera was about to capture the image of Geronimo The Apache warrior had long been resisting the U S government’s efforts to keep Indians on reservations He was the last American Indian to formally surrender to the government As a young man Geronimo had ridden his horse across the vast lands that would become the states of New Mexico and Arizona He battled Mexicans and then the Americans who tried to end his people’s way of life For 30 years he fought to protect his Apache homeland His fame grew as he eluded large forces searching for him in craggy mountains and across wide deserts Finally in 1886 Geronimo and his Apache followers surrendered