Curators: Christopher Cardozo and Todd Brandow

Concept  |  Dates & Length of Tour  |  Contents  |  Costs  |  Catalogue  |  Exhibition History  |  Educational Events

Concept This is the most diverse and wide-ranging Edward S. Curtis exhibition ever assembled. It is the first Curtis exhibition to show the extraordinary depth and breadth of Curtis' technical genius, as well as his aesthetic virtuosity. This is the first exhibition to highlight every medium and process in which Curtis worked. In addition, the exhibit includes an extensive collection of rare ephemera to complement and illuminate the photography. The exhibition not only includes a majority of Curtis' most beautiful and iconographic images but also many rare and, in some cases, unique images. Many of these images had never been exhibited before the previous European museum tour. The exhibition is drawn from a private collection that was created over a thirty-year period by one of the world's foremost Curtis collectors, Christopher Cardozo. Mr. Cardozo is also the author of six books on Curtis and is the Founder/Chair of the Edward S. Curtis Foundation. Mr. Cardozo's collection has only been exhibited at the museums listed below.. Top of the Page

Exhibition Calendar September 9, 2006-November 12, 2006 Hasselblad Center, Göteborg Museum of Art Göteborg, Sweden November 25, 2006 - February 25, 2007 Museet for Fotokunst Odense, Denmark March 15, 2007-May 31, 2007 The tour began in Soria, Spain, in April, 2004, at the Sala Cultural of Caja Duero. Subsequent sites included the Museo de America in Madrid; salas culturales of Caja Duero in Salamanca, Caceres, and Valladolid; the Museu Prehistoria i de les Cultures de Valencia; exhibition venue of the Diputacion de Sevilla; the Biblioteca Regional de Murcia and exhibition sites in Zaragoza and Leon. Top of the Page

Contents The essence of the show is 80 framed, vintage prints in six different media and two modern orotone prints. Other elements include a ten-minute portion of Curtis' film, "In the Land of the War Canoes"(a 1915 film on a NW Coast tribe that inspired Robert Flaherty to create what became the first documentary film), and historical documents and ephemera related to Curtis's work. There will be approximately 80 linear meters of wall space needed for this exhibition, plus some additional space for display cases to exhibit the historic material. Top of the Page

Costs A participation fee will be requested from each institution to help cover the expenses of organizing the exhibition. Each museum will be expected to share in the expenses of transportation and transportation insurance on a pro-rated basis. Estimated costs are available upon request. Top of the Page

Catalogue A comprehensive catalogue has been created, "Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian," examining his accomplishments and their importance. This book is the most beautifully printed book on Curtis ever and was published under the guidance of Mr. Cardozo. In addition to texts written by Christopher Cardozo, contributing authors include Pulitzer Prize winning Native American author, N. Scott Momaday, award winning director of a documentary on Curtis, Anne Makepeace, and Joseph Horse Capture. A foreign language edition has been published in French by Editions Marval and in Spanish by Christopher Cardozo Inc in cooperation with FEP. Special price considerations will be given depending upon the quantity of books purchased. Top of the Page

Previous Exhibition History The collection has been previously exhibited only during the European museum tours of 2000-2001, 2003-2004. It was first shown at the Hôtel de Sully in Paris, Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur in Cologne, and the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne; then later at the Fotomuseum in the Hague and the Palazzo Magnani in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The exhibition received strong response at each location; record numbers of visitors saw the show in both Paris and Lausanne. Top of the Page

Educational Events A symposium was organized by co-curator, Todd Brandow, for the Paris and Lausanne venues of the previous tour, featuring authorities on Curtis from the US and Europe, speaking on the issues relating to his significance for us today. These symposiums were sponsored by the US Embassy cultural affairs section and may be available again on a similar basis at minimal cost to the museum. The award-winning documentary film by Anne Makepeace, "Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian", will be available for a modest fee. Top of the Page

Biographical Information on Curators Christopher Cardozo is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on Curtis’ photographs. Cardozo began collecting Curtis prints in 1973 and now owns the world’s most broad-ranging Curtis collection. Mr. Cardozo’s personal Curtis collection has been exhibited extensively in Europe for several years and will travel to select North American cities later this year Cardozo is the principal consultant/curator to the four major extant private Curtis collections and has been a consultant to many public institutions, including the J. Pierpont Morgan Library. and is the Founder and Chairman of the Edward S. Curtis Foundation. Mr. Cardozo is the author of the internationally acclaimed Curtis books Native Nations and Sacred Legacy, and six other titles.   Todd Brandow worked as an art consultant in NY for many years. Since 1998, he has been living in Paris, working as a photography curator. He has co-produced and co-curated the highly successful Edward S. Curtis vintage exhibitions that have toured European museums since 2000, as well as the modern print Curtis shows that are presently touring Latin America sponsored by the US State Department. He also worked collaboratively with the Cologne-based SK Kultur Stiftung/August Sander Archive on a multi-media exhibition of work by William Christenberry. He is presently co-curating a survey of the French Humanist photographers with Pierre Bonhomme, a major Edward Steichen traveling retrospective with William Ewing of the Musée de l’Elysée and a survey of jazz photography with Bob Shamis of the Museum of the City of NY and A. D. Coleman. He is the executive director of the American non-profit organization, the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography (FEP). Top of the Page

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