WEBVTT

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- An exhibit like
this with the variety

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of print processes,
print mediums,

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the depth of the work,
all the ephemera,

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the post cards, milk
cards correspondence,

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exhibition like
this had probably

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only been seen 10
times in the last

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100 years in the United States.

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Even Edward Curtis,
when he did exhibitions,

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didn't show anywhere
near the variety

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of what you're seeing here.

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He typically only showed
his platinum prints

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and/or his photo gravures.

00:34.266 --> 00:38.233 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
So, it's a really
exceptional exhibit,

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and I'm thrilled with my staff

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back in St. Paul, Minneapolis,
who helped put it together

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and then of course the gang here
at the Trout for putting it up.

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So, when I think, again,

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thinking from 30,000 feet
as the new saying goes,

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what do I think
about with Curtis?

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The single thing that to me most

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coalesces who he was
and what he was doing

01:08.133 --> 01:10.933 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
is this quote from 1900.

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He's just beginning the project,

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he's just gotten the idea

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of creating a comprehensive
permanent record

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of Native American cultures,
Native American people.

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And he writes to a
colleague and friend of his,

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"It's such a big dream.

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"I can't see it all."

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And just to begin with
what an incredible

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gift that would be to have
a sense of life mission,

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to have a dream that's so big

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you can't even understand it.

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And it was very
perceptive of him

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because he really had no idea
what he was getting into,

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the magnitude, the sacrifices,
the length of time.

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So also as I try and understand

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this massive body
of work that is

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two and a half million
words in the final text,

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transcriptions of
language and music,

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sound recordings, and of
course a lot of photographs.

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I try to understand
that the thing

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that comes up to me really
is beauty, heart and spirit.

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If I try to tell you
what are the three

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underlying components,
key components

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of Curtis' work, it's
beauty, heart and spirit,

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which to me form a legacy,

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and in this case
a sacred legacy.

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And here he is.

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On the left is a self-portrait
when Curtis was about 30.

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And on the right is
a photograph of him

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in British Columbia in
front a baleen whale

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when he was approximately 40,
in full field gear.

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So he obviously was
a very handsome man.

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Most people don't realize that
it was very unusual at the time,

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he was six feet one,
piercing blue eyes,

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amazing charisma,
and amazing willpower.

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One of the stories I'll tell you
today was when Curtis went to,

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Curtis became great friends
with Teddy Roosevelt.

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So here you have
this man who grew up

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in abject poverty to
age five in Wisconsin,

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move to Minnesota,
abject poverty.

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When he was 17 or 18,
he moved to the Seattle area.

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And by the time he was 23 or 4,

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he had bought half interest

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in a small struggling
photo studio.

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Seattle, it's important
to understand,

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was an incredible boom town.

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Other than San Francisco,
there was nothing west

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of the Rockies that was
comparable to Seattle.

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It was the gateway to the Yukon
and we had a gold rush, right?

03:51.200 --> 03:55.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
So it was an incredibly
wealthy, powerful community.

03:55.600 --> 04:01.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
But Curtis established
that position there.

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And he won a photo contest
photographing children.

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Teddy Roosevelt saw this
photograph in 1902 or 1903,

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invited Curtis to come
and photograph his family.

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So within a few years
of pulling himself,

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in the south and his extended
family, out of abject poverty,

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all of a sudden he's hanging out

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with the president
of the United States.

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Here's a young man with
a sixth-grade education

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in a one-room schoolhouse,
primarily self-educated,

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then all of a sudden he's

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not only meeting
with Teddy Roosevelt

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but Roosevelt was very
enamored of Curtis,

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so they became great
personal friends.

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So Curtis would literally go
out and spend the weekends

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at the Roosevelt family compound

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on Oyster Bay at Long Island
and hang out with the family

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and make more photographs
of the family.

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I mean if he did nothing else,

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that alone to have grown
up in abject poverty

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in rural Wisconsin, Minnesota,

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and by the time he's
in his very early 30s

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being great friends with the
president of the United States

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is pretty amazing,
but there is much more.

05:14.033 --> 05:18.066 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
So when he had the big dream
that he couldn't see it all,

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this was the primary
component of it.

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This is a set of rare books

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that comprised 20 volumes,
20 portfolios,

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two and a half million words

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of finished, edited,
significantly edited

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by a major anthropologist,
text, 2,200 photographs,

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transcriptions of
language and music,

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comparative language studies.

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So he would compare
Navajo and Apache

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or Cherokee and Absaroak.

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It is a tour de force.

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I don't know of anything
like it in history

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that was ever created.

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And the fact it was
created primarily

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by one human being with
no government existence
is really extraordinary.

06:09.066 --> 06:11.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
There certainly are
some sets of rare books

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that have been created

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other places that
had significant

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government support,
that were big.

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But again nothing
compares to this

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in terms of the
quality of the work,

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the beauty of the work.

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As you can see
everything was hand-done.

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These are all beautiful
handmade papers

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from India, Japan or Holland.

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Everything was hand printed,
all the 2,200 photographs

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many of which you see
on the gallery here

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today are called photo gravures.

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The basketry over here
is one good example.

06:46.966 --> 06:49.933 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
Those are basically
photographic engravings.

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So there were 2,200
photographic engravings

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in each of the close to 250
sets that were completed.

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I mean the numbers again
are just staggering.

07:00.966 --> 07:05.500 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
So Curtis tried to get
this going for five years

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and he realized what an
immense project it really was.

07:09.933 --> 07:12.133 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
It's one thing that you
have a vision you can't see,

07:12.233 --> 07:15.333 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
but when you start
actualizing it,

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you understand
how big, how huge,

07:17.700 --> 07:21.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
how complicated, how expensive
it is. That's the Morgan quote.

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So 1905 in December,
Curtis, excuse me,

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Teddy Roosevelt gives Curtis
a letter of introduction

07:29.666 --> 07:32.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
to meet J.P. Morgan, and
Morgan at the time, of course,

07:32.833 --> 07:37.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80%
was one of if not the wealthiest
human beings in the world.

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He was also a major,
major art collector

07:40.233 --> 07:42.566 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
and a really major bibliophile.

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The collection at the
Morgan Library, New York

07:44.833 --> 07:47.333 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
today is astounding.

07:48.366 --> 07:50.500 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
So he goes in to
meet with Morgan

07:50.600 --> 07:53.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and tells him about
his great dream.

07:53.566 --> 07:55.966 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
And Morgan listens very intently

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and Morgan's secretary of 25
years is there in the meeting.

07:59.933 --> 08:04.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And Morgan says no,
not interested, not
going to back you.

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And for most mere mortals,

08:07.333 --> 08:10.100 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
if J.P. Morgan, in
his 18-foot ceiling,

08:10.200 --> 08:15.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
wood paneled, oriental
carpeted office said, "No,"

08:15.533 --> 08:17.633 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
that was it,
you turned on your heels,

08:17.733 --> 08:19.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
and walked out the door.

08:19.733 --> 08:23.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Curtis asked Mr. Morgan
if he would at least

08:23.266 --> 08:26.233 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
do him the courtesy of
looking at the photographs.

08:26.333 --> 08:27.900 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
Morgan had not seen
the photographs,

08:28.000 --> 08:30.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
yet he just turned the vision.

08:30.166 --> 08:34.300 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
Morgan looked at 10 or 15
of Curtis' 20 photographs.

08:35.233 --> 08:37.833 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
According to Morgan's secretary

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changed his mind for only
the second time in 25 years

08:41.533 --> 08:44.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
of what was essentially
a business decision.

08:44.200 --> 08:45.966 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
So, it was a big deal.

08:47.500 --> 08:49.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
I'm going to show you examples

08:49.533 --> 08:52.133 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
of the different mediums
in which Curtis worked.

08:53.300 --> 08:55.800 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
And examples,
not the same images,

08:55.900 --> 08:58.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
but all these mediums are here

08:58.166 --> 09:00.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
in the exhibit between
the two floors.

09:02.800 --> 09:05.266 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
This is something
called a cyanotype,

09:05.366 --> 09:09.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and virtually no people
have seen Curtis cyanotypes.

09:09.533 --> 09:12.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
This is something that
he did in the field

09:12.500 --> 09:14.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
and were typically thrown away.

09:14.433 --> 09:18.033 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
So in my 40 plus
years of collecting,

09:18.133 --> 09:21.333 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I've only been able to
acquire about 20 of these.

09:21.433 --> 09:24.633 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
They're particularly
near and dear to my heart,

09:24.733 --> 09:29.033 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
because I would bet
you dollars to donuts

09:29.133 --> 09:30.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
that Curtis handled
these prints,

09:30.833 --> 09:33.033 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
the cyanotypes,
because this was done

09:33.133 --> 09:35.800 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
in the field
perhaps the same day

09:35.900 --> 09:37.300 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
but certainly
within a day or two

09:37.400 --> 09:39.833 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
of having made the negative.

09:39.933 --> 09:42.833 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And this is basically
his Polaroid.

09:42.933 --> 09:46.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
This was a way he could see
what he had in the negative

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and make a decision
whether he needed

09:48.600 --> 09:51.100 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
to reshoot the negative,

09:51.200 --> 09:52.900 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
get the white a
little different,

09:53.000 --> 09:54.733 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
the composition a
little different.

09:54.833 --> 09:56.400 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
So cyanotype, this would've been

09:56.500 --> 09:59.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
the first thing Curtis
created after the negative.

10:00.500 --> 10:03.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
These are silver prints,
so when Curtis was in the field

10:03.833 --> 10:06.266 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
which would typically
be for months at a time,

10:06.366 --> 10:09.100 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
he would come back to
his studio in Seattle

10:09.200 --> 10:10.800 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
and look at all the cyanotypes

10:10.900 --> 10:12.900 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
and look at the
negatives and decide

10:13.000 --> 10:14.633 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
this one we're going
to go further with,

10:14.733 --> 10:17.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
we're going to make more
prints and see what we have.

10:17.133 --> 10:19.666 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
That one's no good and we're
going to throw it aside.

10:19.766 --> 10:24.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
So Curtis did somewhere
between 40 and 50,000 negatives

10:24.733 --> 10:27.533 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
and edited that down to 2,200.

10:27.633 --> 10:29.366 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
So anything that you see

10:29.466 --> 10:32.233 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
that were in the
books and portfolios

10:32.333 --> 10:35.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
or anything that you see,
really anything here,

10:35.766 --> 10:37.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
is highly, highly edited.

10:37.500 --> 10:40.666 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
There were over
10, 15 photographs

10:40.766 --> 10:42.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
that were discarded to get down

10:42.766 --> 10:45.600 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
to the ones that you
see here or in the book.

10:45.700 --> 10:49.833 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
So this is just a simple
untoned silver print.

10:49.933 --> 10:52.133 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
So he looked at the cyanotype,

10:52.233 --> 10:54.466 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
but the cyanotypes don't have

10:54.566 --> 10:57.766 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
great subtlety
oftentimes or detail,

10:57.866 --> 10:59.800 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
whereas the silver prints do.

10:59.900 --> 11:02.833 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And this would've
been done as soon

11:02.933 --> 11:05.100 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
as he got back into the studio.

11:05.200 --> 11:08.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Then in terms of prints
that he would've offered

11:08.200 --> 11:11.100 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
for sale or for exhibition,

11:11.200 --> 11:13.133 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
this is a really
important process.

11:13.233 --> 11:16.866 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
It's called gold toned
printing out paper.

11:16.966 --> 11:19.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
So it's photographic paper

11:19.466 --> 11:23.400 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
but it was literally
toned with a gold solution

11:23.500 --> 11:25.966 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and other chemicals to
give it that beautiful

11:26.066 --> 11:28.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
warm sepia which is the hallmark

11:28.400 --> 11:31.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
of essentially all
finished Curtis prints.

11:32.766 --> 11:35.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
And this is historically,

11:35.166 --> 11:37.500 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
probably Curtis' most
important photograph.

11:37.600 --> 11:40.733 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
It was done in the summer of
1900 as I mentioned earlier.

11:40.833 --> 11:44.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80%
He had this watershed experience
and he had this big dream

11:44.800 --> 11:47.300 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
that was started,
this two weeks in the field.

11:47.400 --> 11:50.300 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
Then this is his key
image from that time.

11:51.300 --> 11:55.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
This is Curtis' most
valuable photograph

11:55.233 --> 11:57.800 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
and certainly one of
his most important.

11:57.900 --> 12:01.333 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
Most of you will
recognize this is Geronimo.

12:01.433 --> 12:04.900 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
And Geronimo is photographed
by Curtis in 1905,

12:05.000 --> 12:07.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
the same year Roosevelt
wrote the letter

12:07.266 --> 12:08.833 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
of introduction to J.P. Morgan,

12:08.933 --> 12:11.400 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and this happens to
be a platinum print.

12:12.400 --> 12:14.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
This is called the border print.

12:14.300 --> 12:16.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
So the border that
you see around that

12:16.733 --> 12:19.933 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
which today people
would do with overmats

12:20.033 --> 12:22.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Curtis actually did
in the dark room.

12:22.233 --> 12:25.600 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
He exposed the two borders there

12:25.700 --> 12:30.000 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
to more light after he
had exposed the negative

12:30.100 --> 12:32.233 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
and that created those borders

12:32.333 --> 12:35.233 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
an aesthetic decision
that he made.

12:37.733 --> 12:39.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
Here is the Kanatika Girl.

12:39.933 --> 12:42.633 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And this is one,
this is a photo gravure,

12:42.733 --> 12:46.366 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
the most common process
Curtis worked in.

12:46.466 --> 12:48.566 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
But I like to use
it to illustrate

12:48.666 --> 12:50.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
what I think is a very,
very, very important

12:50.766 --> 12:53.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
critical point for Curtis' work.

12:53.633 --> 12:57.866 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
This work was a
co-created body of work.

12:57.966 --> 12:59.500 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
This was not Edward Curtis

12:59.600 --> 13:02.633 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
going out and
taking photographs.

13:02.733 --> 13:04.533 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
This was Edward Curtis working

13:04.633 --> 13:08.966 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
with Native people to make
beautiful, compelling images.

13:09.066 --> 13:10.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
So with this young woman,

13:10.833 --> 13:15.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
to me you see a sense of
intimacy, authenticity,

13:15.833 --> 13:18.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
openness, vulnerability.

13:18.966 --> 13:23.866 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
In today's parlance,
she was very, very present.

13:23.966 --> 13:27.100 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
And Curtis was good
enough technician,

13:27.200 --> 13:30.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
had good enough vision to
be able to capture that

13:30.733 --> 13:34.166 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and then translate
it into a photograph.

13:34.266 --> 13:35.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
And that's another
really important thing

13:35.966 --> 13:37.366 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
to think about
when you're looking

13:37.466 --> 13:39.900 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
at Curtis' or any
photographer's work.

13:40.000 --> 13:42.900 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
Are you looking at the image

13:43.000 --> 13:45.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
which could be digital,
it could be a platinum print,

13:45.366 --> 13:46.666 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
it could be a photo gravure?

13:46.766 --> 13:49.666 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
Or are you looking
at the actual object,

13:49.766 --> 13:52.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
the platinum print,
the photo gravure?

13:52.366 --> 13:55.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And another thing that's
quite extraordinary

13:55.733 --> 13:58.300 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
about Curtis is he had a gift

13:58.400 --> 14:01.333 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
for making beautiful objects.

14:01.433 --> 14:02.866 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
Some of them are so strong.

14:02.966 --> 14:06.466 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
Well, again, the fact that
all of us are here today

14:06.566 --> 14:10.866 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
112 years after this
negative was made

14:10.966 --> 14:12.233 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5%
still looking at it

14:12.333 --> 14:14.700 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and generally admiring
it and oftentimes

14:14.800 --> 14:16.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
we get very moved by it

14:16.500 --> 14:19.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
really speaks to the fact
that Curtis not only knew

14:19.700 --> 14:22.000 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
how to make great
compelling images,

14:22.100 --> 14:24.033 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
but also could make
beautiful objects,

14:24.133 --> 14:25.966 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
and it's what I call objects

14:26.066 --> 14:28.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
imbued with spirit
because some of them

14:28.566 --> 14:30.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
touch people so deeply.

14:30.933 --> 14:35.833 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
We've sent exhibitions to
40 countries and we have--

14:35.933 --> 14:39.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Every opening I've gone
to from Peru to Paris

14:39.633 --> 14:45.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
to Sweden to South Africa,

14:45.800 --> 14:48.666 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
I've seen people moved to tears.

14:48.766 --> 14:50.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
Italy probably more
than any place else,

14:50.600 --> 14:52.966 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
but we would expect that
of the Italians, right,

14:53.066 --> 14:55.366 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
that they're going to be
very emotional about it.

14:59.366 --> 15:04.666 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
Again, regardless of
age, race, gender,

15:04.766 --> 15:09.533 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
economic status,
any criteria I can think of

15:09.633 --> 15:12.666 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
that you'd want to
define human beings by,

15:12.766 --> 15:15.866 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
it doesn't matter, young or old.

15:15.966 --> 15:18.100 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
I've seen six and
eight-year-old children

15:18.200 --> 15:20.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
incredibly moved by this work,

15:20.166 --> 15:23.233 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
and I've seen, well,
my oldest client

15:23.333 --> 15:25.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
is 90 and still collecting.

15:25.666 --> 15:29.800 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
So it is just the
universality of his work

15:29.900 --> 15:32.266 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
is one of the things
I'm addressing here.

15:32.366 --> 15:36.866 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
It's because he captured
the essence of things.

15:38.233 --> 15:43.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
He made many, many very
compelling artistic photographs,

15:43.500 --> 15:45.300 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and that's another
really important thing

15:45.400 --> 15:47.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
to understand with Curtis.

15:47.533 --> 15:49.966 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
Was he a photographer
or an ethnographer?

15:51.966 --> 15:54.466 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
He was both very, very clearly.

15:54.566 --> 15:56.900 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
And with his photographic work,

15:57.000 --> 16:00.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
it was mostly about
creating works of art.

16:00.933 --> 16:02.566 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
He was very clear about this,

16:02.666 --> 16:06.466 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
in the very beginning,
the introduction to volume one

16:06.566 --> 16:08.466 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
of that 20 volume, 20 portfolio

16:08.566 --> 16:12.466 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
set of works that we saw in
the second or third slide.

16:12.566 --> 16:18.100 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
He says, "I am not
creating documents.

16:18.200 --> 16:22.566 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
"I am endeavoring to
create works of art."

16:22.666 --> 16:26.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And he is obviously
sometimes criticized

16:26.833 --> 16:30.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
because people think he either
exploited the Native people

16:30.766 --> 16:34.066 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
or he wasn't
ethnographically accurate.

16:34.166 --> 16:37.400 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And if you're looking for
ethnographic accuracy,

16:37.500 --> 16:41.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
you go and look at the two
and a half million words

16:41.166 --> 16:45.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
of language, transcriptions
of language and music,

16:45.533 --> 16:47.433 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
the incredible ethnographic text

16:47.533 --> 16:50.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
about the individuals,
about their tribal groups,

16:50.766 --> 16:52.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
about their life ways,

16:52.300 --> 16:55.466 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and this immense
treasure of information,

16:55.566 --> 16:58.766 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
it is ethnographically right on.

16:58.866 --> 17:00.666 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
He in fact he had to go in front

17:00.766 --> 17:03.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
of a blue-ribbon committee
at the Smithsonian

17:03.866 --> 17:06.166 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
before Morgan would
cut the first check.

17:06.266 --> 17:09.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
So Curtis was seriously vetted

17:09.166 --> 17:12.700 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and that committee was
not very positively

17:12.800 --> 17:15.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
disposed towards Curtis
because here is this guy

17:15.166 --> 17:16.933 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
with this sixth-grade education

17:17.033 --> 17:19.200 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and he's getting
what seem to people

17:19.300 --> 17:21.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
a king's ransom to
do this project,

17:21.733 --> 17:24.433 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and they weren't,
all these Easterners

17:24.533 --> 17:29.233 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
with the PhDs and they've been
heads of different committees

17:29.333 --> 17:31.666 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
and different
institutions for years.

17:31.766 --> 17:33.300 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
They're not getting anything

17:33.400 --> 17:35.733 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and this up start
from the Midwest

17:35.833 --> 17:37.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
is getting all this money.

17:37.666 --> 17:42.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
So it was not an easy audience,

17:42.166 --> 17:44.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and again Curtis passed
with flying colors,

17:44.300 --> 17:46.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
but that was the written work.

17:46.433 --> 17:50.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
The visual work, again, is
intended to be artistic work.

17:55.366 --> 17:57.600 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
Let me come back to this slide.

17:57.700 --> 18:01.333 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
So the important
anecdote that this

18:01.433 --> 18:05.666 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
brings to my mind
is Isabella Yande,

18:05.766 --> 18:09.400 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
who is a surrealist,
a magic realist writer,

18:09.500 --> 18:12.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
internationally known,
award-winning.

18:12.266 --> 18:15.600 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
She's been interviewed by
the CBC a few years ago,

18:15.700 --> 18:19.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and I have been trying
to communicate to people

18:19.633 --> 18:21.966 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
what the difference
was with Curtis

18:22.066 --> 18:26.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
trying to do things
artistically versus

18:26.833 --> 18:30.766 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
factually versus
ethnographically
with the images.

18:30.866 --> 18:32.933 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
They summed it up
so beautifully.

18:33.033 --> 18:36.300 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
The interviewer said to Isabel,

18:38.833 --> 18:41.266 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
excuse me, you're
now an award-inning,

18:41.366 --> 18:42.966 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
magical realist writer.

18:43.066 --> 18:45.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
Magical realism has
nothing to do with reality

18:45.666 --> 18:48.333 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
as most of us experience
or know it, right?

18:49.333 --> 18:52.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
And she said but you were
a journalist for 20 years,

18:53.000 --> 18:56.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
so that must have been a
very hard transition for you

18:56.166 --> 18:59.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
to go from journalism,
which is all about

18:59.666 --> 19:02.866 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
independently verifiable facts,

19:02.966 --> 19:06.266 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
to magical realism which has
nothing to do with the facts.

19:06.366 --> 19:08.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
And Yande said, "Yes, uh-huh."

19:08.766 --> 19:10.800 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And Keroloff thought
about, the interviewer

19:10.900 --> 19:14.700 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
thought about for
a moment and said,

19:14.800 --> 19:17.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
that's almost like you're
trying to tell people

19:17.566 --> 19:21.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
a deeper truth than the
facts would allow you.

19:21.366 --> 19:24.333 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
So it's like poetry,
it's like any great art.

19:24.433 --> 19:27.700 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70%
So I'm showing you this,
the original, one of the
Kanatika girl.

19:27.800 --> 19:29.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
This is a finished print.

19:29.500 --> 19:33.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
This is how Curtis
decided to interpret

19:33.666 --> 19:35.766 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
and present his negative.

19:37.066 --> 19:39.233 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
This was the same negative

19:39.333 --> 19:41.933 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
before Curtis did any
of his magic to it.

19:42.033 --> 19:45.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
It's cropped differently,
it's black and white.

19:46.033 --> 19:50.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
It's a lovely image, but in
my opinion it does not sing.

19:50.466 --> 19:54.500 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
It's not something that would
be etched in your memory.

19:56.200 --> 19:58.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
And then we go to this.

19:58.666 --> 20:01.933 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
So you see in the
lower left-hand side,

20:02.033 --> 20:05.400 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
the unedited or unchanged.

20:05.500 --> 20:07.933 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
You see on the lower right
Curtis' finished print,

20:08.033 --> 20:10.300 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and then you see
to other negatives

20:10.400 --> 20:12.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
that he would've created
in that same session

20:12.866 --> 20:14.633 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60%
on that same day.

20:14.733 --> 20:17.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
And this is very typical of him.

20:17.100 --> 20:20.066 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
He would find something that
he knew was interesting.

20:20.166 --> 20:23.900 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
He was working with a
60-pound camera and tripod.

20:24.000 --> 20:25.566 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
It had a black cloth,

20:25.666 --> 20:28.266 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and he could only
see the ground glass

20:28.366 --> 20:31.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
which took the image upside down

20:31.233 --> 20:33.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
and reversed it left to right.

20:33.166 --> 20:36.600 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
And he had to be
able to visualize

20:36.700 --> 20:38.866 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
what the finished
image would look like

20:38.966 --> 20:40.933 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
while he's under a black cloth,

20:41.033 --> 20:44.066 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
what this image could
look like, I should say

20:44.166 --> 20:48.200 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
when you reversed it,
turned it upside down,

20:48.300 --> 20:50.266 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
and then did all the
other things he did.

20:50.366 --> 20:52.133 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
So it's really
quite extraordinary.

20:53.700 --> 20:56.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Curtis also did a very
small body of work

20:56.633 --> 20:58.533 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
which I just call
experimental work.

20:58.633 --> 21:00.766 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
He took a photograph.

21:00.866 --> 21:05.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
You can see on the
left-hand side of the image,

21:05.933 --> 21:07.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
there's some pencil marks.

21:07.666 --> 21:10.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
You can also see them a couple
of other places in the image.

21:10.433 --> 21:13.700 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
So Curtis would
outline the image.

21:13.800 --> 21:17.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
He would project it
on to canvas or paper,

21:17.833 --> 21:19.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
trace some of the outline,

21:19.866 --> 21:22.666 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and then take it
down and then paint

21:22.766 --> 21:25.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
different chemistry
and different colors

21:25.366 --> 21:27.333 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
that would then get exposed.

21:28.366 --> 21:30.300 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And very, very
small body of work.

21:30.400 --> 21:31.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
I've only been able to find

21:31.800 --> 21:34.266 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
10 or 12 of these
in four decades.

21:34.366 --> 21:36.666 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
Here's another piece
of experimental work.

21:39.600 --> 21:42.466 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And then in the
volumes and portfolios,

21:45.166 --> 21:48.166 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
not only was he
creating these books

21:48.266 --> 21:52.100 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
that today cost
$35 million to create.

21:52.200 --> 21:54.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Again, I mean, it's
just staggering

21:54.933 --> 21:59.366 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
the complexity
and the commitment

21:59.466 --> 22:01.366 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
that it took to create this.

22:01.466 --> 22:03.333 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
Most people would've
been very happy

22:03.433 --> 22:04.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
if they could do all that

22:04.833 --> 22:07.333 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and create sepia
colored photo gravures.

22:07.433 --> 22:10.833 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
Curtis decided he wanted
to do hand-colored photo
gravures as well.

22:10.933 --> 22:13.333 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
So in the engraving
company in Boston

22:13.433 --> 22:15.466 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
that did all the
printing for him,

22:15.566 --> 22:18.133 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
someone was there hand coloring.

22:18.233 --> 22:21.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I haven't actually done
the math for a long time.

22:21.733 --> 22:24.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
Some of them may be
better at this than I am,

22:24.233 --> 22:27.866 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
but 30 some images times 300.

22:29.166 --> 22:30.866 align:left position:40%,start line:5% size:50%
100,000?

22:30.966 --> 22:32.566 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
Who's good at math here?

22:32.666 --> 22:35.233 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
30 times 300?
A hundred by a hundred?

22:35.333 --> 22:39.800 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
So people hand
colored 100,000 prints

22:39.900 --> 22:43.666 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
for this one small
part of this project.

22:44.666 --> 22:47.000 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
And this is a gold tone.

22:47.100 --> 22:50.333 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
This is a process
where Curtis realized

22:50.433 --> 22:52.633 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
that by taking,
what was intended

22:52.733 --> 22:55.433 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
to be a glass plate negative

22:55.533 --> 22:57.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
instead of putting
it in the camera,

22:57.366 --> 22:58.966 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
putting it in the enlarger

22:59.066 --> 23:01.100 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and exposing it to
the original negative,

23:01.200 --> 23:04.933 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
he got a glass plate
positive, okay?

23:05.033 --> 23:07.400 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
So the imagery had on
glass, we all know what,

23:07.500 --> 23:11.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:77% size:67.5%
well, they're generally
small but we look at
negative looks like.

23:11.166 --> 23:15.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
He took that and created
a glass plate positive

23:15.166 --> 23:16.533 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
which would be transparent.

23:16.633 --> 23:18.166 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
He would've been able
to see through it.

23:18.266 --> 23:21.033 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
He then took that
glass plate positive

23:21.133 --> 23:23.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and backed it with
a gold liquid wash.

23:23.533 --> 23:27.100 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And as far as I know,
it is the most luminescent

23:27.200 --> 23:30.966 align:left position:22.5%,start line:77% size:67.5%
three-dimensional form
of photography that
was ever created.

23:31.066 --> 23:33.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Curtis loved them,
he was known for them.

23:33.633 --> 23:36.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
In fact they were called
Curt-tones at the time.

23:38.233 --> 23:40.800 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
So Scott Momaday
is a Pulitzer Prize winning

23:40.900 --> 23:42.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Native American author

23:42.600 --> 23:46.166 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
who is quite enamored
of Curtis' work.

23:46.266 --> 23:49.000 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
This is from one
of my early books.

23:49.100 --> 23:52.100 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
It's this essentially
quality of this work,

23:52.200 --> 23:54.733 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
the universality
of Curtis' work.

23:54.833 --> 23:57.900 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
It is certainly
about Native people.

23:58.900 --> 24:01.600 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And it's about indigenous
people worldwide

24:01.700 --> 24:03.800 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
in many respects.

24:03.900 --> 24:06.033 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
But it's really about everybody.

24:06.133 --> 24:09.133 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
There are aspects of his work
there are about everybody,

24:09.233 --> 24:13.433 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
and I think we go back to
presence intimacy, connection,

24:13.533 --> 24:15.466 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
being a human being.

24:15.566 --> 24:17.533 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
So now we're, again,
a little more rapidly

24:17.633 --> 24:19.166 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
going to go through
and look at some

24:19.266 --> 24:21.000 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
different culture
geographic areas.

24:21.100 --> 24:24.200 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
So some of you know
Curtis only photographed

24:24.300 --> 24:28.566 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
from the Dakota's
West to the Pacific,

24:28.666 --> 24:31.200 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and from Northern
Mexico to Alaska.

24:32.300 --> 24:34.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
All the tribes east of that

24:34.933 --> 24:38.900 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
had to either have been
forced to move, exterminated,

24:39.000 --> 24:43.100 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
or their culture is so decimated
that there is very little left.

24:43.200 --> 24:45.400 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And I don't want to dwell
too much on extermination,

24:45.500 --> 24:50.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
but it's a staggering statistic
that in 1600s it's estimated

24:50.433 --> 24:54.233 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
that there were 20 to
25 million Native people

24:54.333 --> 24:56.200 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
living on this continent,

24:56.300 --> 24:57.733 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
hundreds and
hundreds and hundreds

24:57.833 --> 25:01.233 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
of different tribal groups,
so 20 to 25 million.

25:01.333 --> 25:06.033 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
1900 was a serious
scientifically valid census

25:06.133 --> 25:08.933 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
kind of the whole
country, 250,000.

25:10.366 --> 25:15.166 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
Right, so you're talking
about 99% attrition rate.

25:16.166 --> 25:19.400 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
And that's just physically,
we also obviously

25:20.400 --> 25:22.333 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
completely decimated
the culture.

25:22.433 --> 25:24.400 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
So what native have been through

25:24.500 --> 25:26.833 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and the fact that
they are still with us,

25:26.933 --> 25:30.466 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
in many cases thriving,
is really extraordinary.

25:31.466 --> 25:33.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
So now we're int he
Pacific northwest,

25:33.933 --> 25:35.666 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and again Curtis
worked out of Seattle,

25:35.766 --> 25:38.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
so this was sort of
home territory for him.

25:38.833 --> 25:41.133 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
So most people
know Curtis either

25:41.233 --> 25:44.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
for his portraits
or his landscapes,

25:44.266 --> 25:49.166 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
but he was also a very gifted
still life photographer.

25:50.900 --> 25:53.533 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
This is titled
Puget Sound Baskets.

25:54.566 --> 25:56.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
This is called Lummi Type.

25:56.666 --> 26:00.133 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
And this was the first
Curtis image I had ever seen.

26:00.233 --> 26:02.166 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
I just spent six months living

26:02.266 --> 26:04.933 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
in a very isolated
village in Mexico.

26:06.266 --> 26:08.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
I saw three Caucasians.

26:08.300 --> 26:11.633 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
I was people who had never
seen a Caucasian before,

26:11.733 --> 26:14.000 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and I was too young
and stupid to know

26:14.100 --> 26:17.500 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
what a crazy and sometimes
dangerous situation this was.

26:17.600 --> 26:20.533 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
I just kept on doing
what I was doing.

26:20.633 --> 26:23.600 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
When I first saw this
photograph, it was a
day and a half

26:23.700 --> 26:26.266 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
after getting back to the
United States from that trip

26:26.366 --> 26:28.233 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and I was staying
with a friend of mine

26:28.333 --> 26:31.133 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
who I had gone through
photography school
with in Colorado

26:31.233 --> 26:34.666 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
and she was living about 20
miles outside of Albuquerque.

26:34.766 --> 26:36.800 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
And that was my
decompression point

26:36.900 --> 26:38.866 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
coming back to the States.

26:38.966 --> 26:42.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I showed her some of my
sepia-colored photographs
I had done on that village,

26:42.766 --> 26:44.700 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and she said, "You got
to see this guy named

26:44.800 --> 26:46.933 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
"Edward Curtis and
see his photographs."

26:47.033 --> 26:49.700 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
So we hopped on the
Volkswagen Beetle the next day

26:49.800 --> 26:52.233 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
and drove 20 miles into town.

26:52.333 --> 26:54.666 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And I can tell you exactly--

26:54.766 --> 26:56.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
This was the cover
image on the book--

26:56.366 --> 26:59.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I can tell you exactly
what shelf it was in,

26:59.200 --> 27:02.233 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
what orientation in
the bookshop it was in,

27:02.333 --> 27:04.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
where the sunlight
was coming from.

27:04.533 --> 27:08.500 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
I mean this is so
indelibly etched in my mind

27:08.600 --> 27:10.766 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
and it was such a
deeply transformational

27:10.866 --> 27:12.766 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
experience for me.

27:13.966 --> 27:16.266 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
Okay, more northwest
coast imagery.

27:20.600 --> 27:21.933 align:left position:37.5%,start line:89% size:52.5%
California.

27:25.633 --> 27:28.200 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
And many of us are completely
unaware that there were

27:28.300 --> 27:29.866 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
tribal groups living
in California.

27:29.966 --> 27:34.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
It was actually culturally
extremely diverse and rich.

27:34.466 --> 27:36.666 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
There are many, many,
many tribes there.

27:40.066 --> 27:44.666 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
Plains and plateau which is
west of the Great Plains.

27:44.766 --> 27:46.266 align:left position:37.5%,start line:89% size:52.5%
And north.

27:46.366 --> 27:47.933 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
Chief Joseph, again,

27:48.033 --> 27:50.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
one of the great leaders
of the 19th century.

27:50.433 --> 27:53.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Curtis was actually
invited to participate

27:53.666 --> 27:55.766 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
in Joseph's reburial.

27:55.866 --> 27:58.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
I believe Curtis was
the only non-Native

27:58.233 --> 28:00.266 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
who was invited to do that.

28:01.200 --> 28:03.500 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
Joseph was an
incredible human being.

28:03.600 --> 28:05.533 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And it was his
friendship with Joseph

28:05.633 --> 28:08.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
and Red Cloud to a lesser
degree, with Geronimo,

28:08.800 --> 28:10.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
that gave him such
incredible access

28:10.966 --> 28:13.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
to native populations who were

28:13.466 --> 28:16.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
understandably very standoffish

28:16.433 --> 28:19.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and very suspicious of
white culture at that point.

28:19.666 --> 28:23.033 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
Classic Curtis image,
the Kutenai Duck Hunter.

28:23.133 --> 28:26.033 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
There was a benefit
auction for a really

28:26.133 --> 28:29.100 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
wonderful wildlife
rehabilitation center

28:29.200 --> 28:32.300 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
in St. Paul that
I participated in

28:32.400 --> 28:34.233 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
and donated a print to.

28:34.333 --> 28:36.300 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And I initially
said, oh, let's do

28:36.400 --> 28:38.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
the Kutenai Duck Hunter because

28:38.100 --> 28:40.366 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
it looks like from
this present country,

28:40.466 --> 28:42.033 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
it's actually Southern Alberta.

28:42.133 --> 28:46.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
And I talked about the
title, Kutanai Duck Hunter.

28:46.533 --> 28:49.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
Wildlife rehabilitation? No, no.

28:49.400 --> 28:52.000 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
So we switched to a variant.

28:54.133 --> 28:56.333 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
I love the sense of mystery.

28:56.433 --> 28:58.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
Again, this sense of connection,

28:58.833 --> 29:00.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
this sense of presence.

29:00.500 --> 29:03.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
This man is clearly
very much there.

29:03.733 --> 29:07.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
And even today with all
the photographs being made,

29:07.200 --> 29:09.666 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
in my opinion is very, very--

29:09.766 --> 29:11.700 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
And all the incredible
equipment people have

29:11.800 --> 29:13.933 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
and the amazing studios.

29:14.033 --> 29:15.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
It is really, really rare

29:15.966 --> 29:18.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
in the entire history
of photography

29:18.233 --> 29:20.533 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
that you find people
who are connected

29:20.633 --> 29:23.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
with the photographer as
Curtis' recipients were.

29:24.000 --> 29:26.700 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And to me it speaks the fact

29:26.800 --> 29:29.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
that these people,
the Native people

29:29.566 --> 29:33.333 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
wanted this record preserved
as much as Curtis did.

29:33.433 --> 29:35.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
And, again, going back to being

29:35.100 --> 29:38.366 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
a collaborative
co-creative process.

29:41.966 --> 29:43.466 align:left position:32.5%,start line:89% size:57.5%
Nez Perce Babe.

29:46.800 --> 29:50.200 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Assiniboine, which
is Southern Alberta.

29:53.033 --> 29:56.333 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
Also I've always
loved Curtis ephemera.

29:57.333 --> 29:59.366 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
That's another thing
that's very, very unusual

29:59.466 --> 30:00.733 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
about this exhibition.

30:00.833 --> 30:03.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
There's a lot of
interesting ephemera here.

30:04.266 --> 30:07.333 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
Plate covers,
letters, post cards,

30:07.433 --> 30:11.633 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
all aspects of this incredible
enterprise that Curtis did.

30:11.733 --> 30:16.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:77% size:67.5%
So these are both from
the Alaska Harriman
Expedition, 1899.

30:16.733 --> 30:20.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
Harriman was a contemporary
and pretty much

30:20.666 --> 30:24.233 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
an equal of J.P. Morgan in
terms of power and wealth.

30:24.333 --> 30:27.100 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And he invited
Curtis and rescued

30:27.200 --> 30:30.033 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
a lost group of
mountaineers in 1898

30:30.133 --> 30:33.400 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
through this chance
coincidence, chance happening.

30:33.500 --> 30:35.400 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
Curtis was then invited by some

30:35.500 --> 30:39.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
of the members of this
expedition to join them,

30:39.500 --> 30:43.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
to join them to become
the principal photographer

30:43.766 --> 30:45.633 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
for the Harriman
Expedition which was one

30:45.733 --> 30:49.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
of the great scientific
expeditions of the 19th century.

30:52.600 --> 30:54.233 align:left position:37.5%,start line:89% size:52.5%
Post cards.

30:54.333 --> 30:57.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
Curtis and his company
that he created

30:57.600 --> 31:04.033 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
to do this project were
incessantly insolvent

31:04.133 --> 31:05.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
from the very beginning.

31:05.933 --> 31:08.800 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
Again, Morgan said yes
to Mr. Curtis.

31:08.900 --> 31:10.366 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
I'll give you
enough money to back

31:10.466 --> 31:12.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
the field research
for five years.

31:12.600 --> 31:15.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
They thought this would
take five years, not 30.

31:15.166 --> 31:17.933 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I'll give you the money
to do the field research,

31:18.033 --> 31:19.800 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
but you got to figure
out the publishing,

31:19.900 --> 31:22.000 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and that was the really
expensive part again.

31:22.100 --> 31:25.600 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
Today's dollars,
$35 million project.

31:25.700 --> 31:28.366 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
So that weight
among all the others

31:28.466 --> 31:30.133 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
was left on Curtis' shoulders.

31:30.233 --> 31:31.866 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
So he was constantly struggling

31:31.966 --> 31:34.200 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
any way he could to
raise additional funds,

31:34.300 --> 31:37.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
whether it was creating a
Hollywood movie which he did,

31:37.700 --> 31:40.200 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
giving lectures,
doing exhibitions,

31:40.300 --> 31:42.066 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
whatever he could do
to raise money he did,

31:42.166 --> 31:43.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
and this is one example.

31:43.666 --> 31:45.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
And in the middle that's
Chief Joseph again.

31:48.533 --> 31:51.400 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
This is one that I'm
particularly fond of.

31:51.500 --> 31:53.466 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
It's a 16 by 20, excuse me,

31:53.566 --> 31:56.066 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
a 12 by 16-inch
print that Curtis

31:56.166 --> 31:58.500 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
did not tone for
whatever reason.

31:58.600 --> 32:01.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
We'll never know, or sign.

32:01.800 --> 32:03.333 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
Lower left-hand
corner you can see

32:03.433 --> 32:05.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
the negative number
which indicates

32:05.666 --> 32:09.966 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
that this was done in 1904,

32:10.066 --> 32:12.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
so an early photograph
of a Hopi woman.

32:12.933 --> 32:17.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
There's something ineffable
to me about this print.

32:17.933 --> 32:23.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
I find it so compelling,
so emotional.

32:23.266 --> 32:27.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I can sense the sorrow,
but also the pride.

32:27.933 --> 32:30.466 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
It is just one of my
favorite photographs

32:30.566 --> 32:33.733 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
and very unusual for Curtis.

32:34.733 --> 32:37.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
As I mentioned Curtis
did a Hollywood picture

32:37.100 --> 32:40.433 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
trying to raise
money for the project

32:40.533 --> 32:41.766 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
which was a failure.

32:41.866 --> 32:44.500 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
It was critically a success

32:44.600 --> 32:46.133 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
but people didn't
turn out for it.

32:46.233 --> 32:48.233 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
It was also towards
the beginning

32:48.333 --> 32:50.766 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
of the First World War.

32:50.866 --> 32:53.366 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
And again if I haven't
mentioned earlier.

32:53.466 --> 32:57.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
Curtis was a very gifted
multimedia artist.

32:57.400 --> 33:00.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
So at this time people
are making photographs

33:00.300 --> 33:02.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
and they made photographs
and they sold prints.

33:02.666 --> 33:06.766 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
Curtis created this exhibition,
this multimedia performance,

33:06.866 --> 33:09.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
that premiered at Carnegie Hall,

33:09.200 --> 33:12.700 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
sold out Carnegie Hall either
two times or three times.

33:12.800 --> 33:14.966 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
He commissioned a full orchestra

33:15.066 --> 33:17.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
or 24-piece orchestra,
I shouldn't say full.

33:17.766 --> 33:21.433 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And the music was done by
Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan.

33:21.533 --> 33:23.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
So he had a live orchestra.

33:23.466 --> 33:25.333 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
He had two slide projectors.

33:25.433 --> 33:29.033 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
He had a film camera and
he was up on stage talking.

33:29.133 --> 33:33.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
So it was a real, true
multimedia experience.

33:33.666 --> 33:35.533 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
This is something
I got very early on

33:35.633 --> 33:38.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
that to me a very important
part of my collection,

33:38.666 --> 33:42.100 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
and this goes back to
that idea of ineffability.

33:43.500 --> 33:46.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
I've looked at this
for 35 years now.

33:46.533 --> 33:48.566 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
I've not gotten tired of it.

33:48.666 --> 33:51.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I have no idea how many
times I've looked at it.

33:51.633 --> 33:53.400 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
To me this is magic.

33:53.500 --> 33:57.566 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
This was created
by a consciousness

33:57.666 --> 33:59.966 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
that I will never
begin to understand.

34:00.066 --> 34:03.066 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
I mean I can tell you, I know
what some of the symbols mean.

34:03.166 --> 34:05.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
I know this was Northwest coast.

34:05.233 --> 34:06.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
I know this is a shaman.

34:07.066 --> 34:09.666 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55%
But what the
experience was like,

34:09.766 --> 34:12.200 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
what it really meant,
I have no idea

34:12.300 --> 34:15.033 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
and I'm a sucker for
things I can't understand.

34:15.133 --> 34:20.200 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
So, Southwest, this
Curtis' signature piece,

34:20.300 --> 34:21.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5%
the Vanishing Race.

34:21.666 --> 34:23.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
This was done in 1904.

34:23.933 --> 34:28.033 align:left position:37.5%,start line:83% size:52.5%
And this is
basically code speak.

34:28.133 --> 34:29.933 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
I do not think
that Curtis believed

34:30.033 --> 34:33.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
that literally this race
was going to vanish,

34:33.500 --> 34:35.966 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
although it wasn't impossible,
again we go back to that

34:36.066 --> 34:39.900 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
statistic of 25
million to 250,000.

34:40.000 --> 34:43.733 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
It was not unthinkable that
they would disappear as a race.

34:43.833 --> 34:45.700 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
But, I don't think
Curtis believed that.

34:45.800 --> 34:48.800 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
But, the culture was
being decimated,

34:48.900 --> 34:52.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
and that's what Curtis is
really interested in doing,

34:52.366 --> 34:54.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
was preserving the
culture, the beliefs,

34:54.600 --> 34:56.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
the records of the individuals.

34:57.366 --> 35:00.100 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
Another one of my
favorite photographs.

35:00.200 --> 35:04.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
I've seen this reproduced
in a magazine from 1905,

35:04.666 --> 35:06.566 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
and then this print that I own.

35:06.666 --> 35:08.800 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And again there's
a magic about it,

35:08.900 --> 35:12.800 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
the framing is so
atypical for Curtis.

35:12.900 --> 35:14.366 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
Instead of seeing
the background,

35:14.466 --> 35:17.033 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
seeing where the people
or dark background

35:17.133 --> 35:18.833 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
to really focus on the people.

35:18.933 --> 35:23.766 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
You got these two Hopi women
with the squash blossom hair

35:23.866 --> 35:27.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
sitting on a window sill
peering out at Curtis.

35:27.633 --> 35:28.866 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60%
Pretty fabulous.

35:28.966 --> 35:31.300 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Another well-known
image of Curtis'

35:31.400 --> 35:33.166 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
called Son of the Desert.

35:34.166 --> 35:36.733 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
This is an image
called Hopi Man.

35:36.833 --> 35:38.700 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
This is a platinum print.

35:41.133 --> 35:43.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
I think we have a
photograph here of it

35:43.266 --> 35:45.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
in the exhibit somewhere.

35:47.000 --> 35:51.500 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
I mentioned before the idea of
an object imbued with spirit,

35:51.600 --> 35:55.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and this is one of the
best examples I have.

35:55.366 --> 35:57.166 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
I had looked at
this for 20 years

35:57.266 --> 35:59.566 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
and 25 years ago I went down

35:59.666 --> 36:03.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:77% size:62.5%
in the vault where
I keep all this material
and brought this out.

36:03.566 --> 36:06.333 align:left position:30%,start line:77% size:60%
And as soon as I
brought this one out and
started looking at it,

36:06.433 --> 36:09.366 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
I had this intense
physical sensation

36:09.466 --> 36:13.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
in the area of my heart,
my heart chakra, in other words.

36:13.466 --> 36:15.933 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
And I didn't really understand
what it was all about.

36:16.033 --> 36:18.466 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
I just knew this is a
favorite image of mine.

36:18.566 --> 36:21.300 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
This sort of cool, I have
this weird sensation going on

36:21.400 --> 36:23.666 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
but I had no idea what it meant.

36:23.766 --> 36:27.200 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
And then a few weeks later
I went down the basement,
looked at it again.

36:27.300 --> 36:29.333 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
When I go down to my
vault I might look at

36:29.433 --> 36:32.300 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
30 or 40 or 50 images at a time.

36:32.400 --> 36:35.333 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
I went down the same thing
happened with this image.

36:35.433 --> 36:37.933 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
It didn't happen with
any other images.

36:38.033 --> 36:39.833 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
And I've worked with
a Native American

36:39.933 --> 36:42.400 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
medicine woman for a
quarter of a century,

36:42.500 --> 36:45.133 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
and I told her about
this and she said,

36:45.233 --> 36:47.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
well, of course, Chris.

36:47.533 --> 36:50.033 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
That is touching your heart.

36:50.133 --> 36:51.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
It is moving your heart chakra,

36:51.766 --> 36:55.066 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and that is why you
physically can feel

36:55.166 --> 36:57.666 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
what normally we
might only understand.

36:57.766 --> 37:01.100 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And, again, so this to me is
an object imbued with spirit.

37:01.200 --> 37:03.033 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
Curtis got the image so right.

37:03.133 --> 37:06.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
He got the print so right,
it's so beautifully done

37:06.533 --> 37:10.133 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
that it's like--
As a very, very famous

37:10.233 --> 37:12.600 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
photo critic said to me
when looking at this--

37:12.700 --> 37:16.466 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
It's like you're there at
the moment of its creation.

37:18.300 --> 37:22.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
That's how beautifully
he translated his
experience of that.

37:22.200 --> 37:24.566 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
The image on the left
is called Vash Gon.

37:24.666 --> 37:26.433 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
That is a platinum print.

37:26.533 --> 37:28.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
This is obviously one of
Curtis' favorite photographs

37:29.066 --> 37:30.800 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
because he did it
as a platinum print,

37:30.900 --> 37:35.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
a photo gravure, a silver
print, a hand colored print.

37:35.366 --> 37:37.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
And then as you can
see on the right,

37:37.633 --> 37:39.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
it's also done as a sculpture.

37:39.533 --> 37:43.233 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
This is actually
the plaster master

37:43.333 --> 37:46.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
to create a bronze bas-relief.

37:46.466 --> 37:48.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
And I had only seen
the bronze bas-relief

37:48.933 --> 37:51.466 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
once in Curtis' grandson's home

37:51.566 --> 37:53.500 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
in the Puget Sound area.

37:54.500 --> 37:57.533 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
And so, a year
and a half ago

37:57.633 --> 38:02.000 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
my sister who watches
the Internet for me

38:02.100 --> 38:06.600 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
to find interesting,
especially unusual things,
called me one day and said,

38:06.700 --> 38:09.200 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
"There's this thing
going up on eBay

38:09.300 --> 38:11.900 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
"and I have no idea what
it was and the seller

38:12.000 --> 38:13.833 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
"doesn't have any
idea what it is."

38:15.200 --> 38:17.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And it's some sort
of plaster thing.

38:17.933 --> 38:19.366 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
And I said, okay, send me photo.

38:19.466 --> 38:21.700 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
I said, okay, that's Vash Gon.

38:21.800 --> 38:24.900 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And that looks like
it could be the model,

38:25.000 --> 38:27.900 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
the original model for
the bronze template

38:28.000 --> 38:31.466 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
that has survived in
Curtis' grandson's home.

38:31.566 --> 38:33.533 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And so I had Julie, my sister

38:33.633 --> 38:35.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
email him back and
forth several times

38:35.600 --> 38:37.766 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
to try and get more information.

38:37.866 --> 38:43.733 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And I think it was being
listed at $54 and 50 cents.

38:43.833 --> 38:45.900 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
(audience chuckling)

38:46.000 --> 38:52.000 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And I expected that if it
was what I thought it was,

38:52.100 --> 38:54.733 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I expected that there'd
be many, many, many people

38:54.833 --> 38:58.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
bidding on it and I've had
times at different auctions
where I've gone,

38:58.533 --> 39:02.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
"Oh, this will sell for
$500", that sells for $5,000.

39:02.300 --> 39:04.033 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
So if it's something
you really want,

39:04.133 --> 39:05.933 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
you have to really
be clear and prepared

39:06.033 --> 39:07.433 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
about what you're
willing to pay for

39:07.533 --> 39:09.733 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
'cause you just don't know
what's going to happen.

39:09.833 --> 39:11.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
So we went back and
forth and finally said,

39:11.633 --> 39:15.200 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
could you get the owner to
get on the phone with me

39:15.300 --> 39:17.866 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
because I can't
understand what this is,

39:17.966 --> 39:20.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and he's not giving
us enough information.

39:20.233 --> 39:22.400 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And she called him
and said, "Yeah,

39:22.500 --> 39:24.666 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
"he'll talk to you
tomorrow at 2 p.m."

39:24.766 --> 39:28.300 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
I said great, so I called him
up and he's a really nice man,

39:28.400 --> 39:30.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
but he really couldn't
tell me much about it.

39:30.500 --> 39:34.533 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
And I said, well, how big is it?
It's about 14 by 20 inches.

39:34.633 --> 39:36.233 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
It's really heavy.

39:36.333 --> 39:39.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
And I said, well, where
and when did you get it?

39:39.500 --> 39:43.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
And he said, I have no
idea where we got it.

39:43.266 --> 39:45.333 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
My wife and I are pickers,

39:45.433 --> 39:48.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
so we go out to garage
sales, estate sales,

39:48.166 --> 39:51.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and find stuff and then
resell it to someone else.

39:51.733 --> 39:54.800 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
He said, so, we got
it about 25 years ago

39:54.900 --> 39:56.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
and we put it in our basement.

39:56.533 --> 39:59.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
And because it's so heavy,
we didn't know what it was,

39:59.800 --> 40:01.700 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
we didn't want to
move it so things

40:01.800 --> 40:04.733 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
got piled in front of it
and piled in front it
and piled in front it.

40:04.833 --> 40:07.200 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
And he said we're
moving in two months.

40:07.300 --> 40:09.766 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
So we're having to get
rid of a lot of a stuff

40:09.866 --> 40:13.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and that's how we even
discovered we had this thing.

40:13.300 --> 40:14.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
And I said, okay, well,

40:14.733 --> 40:16.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
so that was a good
sign, I thought.

40:16.966 --> 40:18.266 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And then-- It's hard to see,

40:18.366 --> 40:20.400 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
but in the lower
left-hand corner--

40:20.500 --> 40:27.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
It says modeled by Alfred Lens

40:27.100 --> 40:29.966 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
after Curtis photograph 1909

40:30.066 --> 40:33.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
which is the year of Vash
Gon photograph was made.

40:33.666 --> 40:37.900 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
It's exactly what's in the
bronze in his grandson's home.

40:38.000 --> 40:41.166 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
So I'm thinking, you know,
this is probably the real deal.

40:41.266 --> 40:43.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
So then my conundrum was, okay,

40:43.533 --> 40:45.500 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
I think it's the real deal.

40:45.600 --> 40:48.666 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
And if it's the real deal,
I don't have anything like this

40:48.766 --> 40:53.866 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
in my entire 4 or 5,000
object collection.

40:53.966 --> 40:55.766 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
What am I willing to pay for it?

40:55.866 --> 40:57.733 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
So I struggled and I
lost sleep that night

40:57.833 --> 40:59.666 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and I finally came
up with a number.

40:59.766 --> 41:01.933 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
I don't even
remember what it was.

41:02.033 --> 41:04.333 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And Julie was bidding for me.

41:04.433 --> 41:08.133 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And so the next day at 12:07
or whatever it went off.

41:08.233 --> 41:11.233 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
And so Julie called me at
12:08 and said, "We got it."

41:11.333 --> 41:13.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I said, great, what do
we have to pay for it?

41:13.533 --> 41:15.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
"$54 and 50 cents."

41:15.633 --> 41:18.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5%
(audience laughing)

41:21.200 --> 41:23.700 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And it graces a
very prominent place

41:23.800 --> 41:25.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
in my living room at this point.

41:25.300 --> 41:28.700 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
So here's a border
print of Vash Gon.

41:28.800 --> 41:31.466 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60%
This is Hopi Man.

41:31.566 --> 41:35.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
And again this is another--
If someone tries to tell me

41:35.866 --> 41:38.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
that Curtis manipulated
the Native people

41:38.200 --> 41:40.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
in to doing what he wanted done,

41:42.100 --> 41:45.033 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
this guy is not going
to take directions

41:45.133 --> 41:49.333 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
from anybody as many of the
other people he photographed.

41:54.166 --> 41:56.200 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
Navajo Medicine Man.

41:56.300 --> 41:59.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Again that sense of
ineffability of a consciousness

41:59.533 --> 42:02.233 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
that created this and
is performing this

42:02.333 --> 42:05.100 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
that I will never understand.

42:05.200 --> 42:12.600 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
Beautiful still life.

42:12.700 --> 42:14.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5%
Hopi Snake Priest.

42:18.966 --> 42:22.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
A Hopi boy awaiting the
return of the snake dancers.

42:24.066 --> 42:27.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
This print is very
unusual for Curtis,

42:27.633 --> 42:29.166 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
as you probably noticed.

42:29.266 --> 42:32.733 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
Almost all of Curtis' portraits
have a dark background,

42:32.833 --> 42:35.233 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and it's like the
image the human being

42:35.333 --> 42:38.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
is coming out of an
unknown background.

42:38.566 --> 42:41.433 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
In this case very different.
This is a Taos man.

42:42.900 --> 42:48.133 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
This is perhaps Curtis'
most well-known image.

42:48.233 --> 42:49.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
This is Canyon De Chelly.

42:49.933 --> 42:52.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
And Curtis spent three days here

42:52.233 --> 42:56.100 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
trying to get the photograph
that would convey what he felt.

42:56.200 --> 42:58.366 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And he tried it with
three horseback riders,

42:58.466 --> 43:00.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
five horseback riders.

43:00.266 --> 43:02.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I don't know if he went
to eight, nine and 10,

43:02.666 --> 43:05.600 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
but he ended up with
these seven and the dog.

43:05.700 --> 43:09.733 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
And those are thousand-foot
cliffs behind these riders.

43:09.833 --> 43:12.500 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And to me it so
beautifully exemplifies

43:12.600 --> 43:16.100 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
man's insignificance
relative to nature.

43:16.200 --> 43:17.733 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
I think that's
one of the reasons

43:17.833 --> 43:20.266 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
most people find
it so compelling.

43:20.366 --> 43:23.333 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Hopi women with the
squash blossom hair.

43:23.433 --> 43:24.800 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
They're up on the house top

43:24.900 --> 43:27.100 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
overlooking the
central plaza where

43:27.200 --> 43:29.100 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
a ceremony is being performed.

43:30.900 --> 43:32.433 align:left position:35%,start line:89% size:55%
Great Plains.

43:35.933 --> 43:37.766 align:left position:35%,start line:89% size:55%
Bear's Belly.

43:37.866 --> 43:40.033 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
And again there's a
beautiful biography,

43:40.133 --> 43:42.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
biographical information
on Bear's Belly

43:42.300 --> 43:45.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
that talks about when he
was born, where he was born.

43:45.733 --> 43:48.466 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
To become a man his--

43:48.566 --> 43:51.200 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
I had to drink a
six pack of beer,

43:51.300 --> 43:55.866 align:left position:25%,start line:77% size:65%
I don't remember what
else was my rite of
passage to become a man--

43:55.966 --> 43:59.433 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
He had to go kill a bear with
his bare hands and a knife.

43:59.533 --> 44:02.533 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
And when he went to do it,
the bear had two friends.

44:02.633 --> 44:06.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
He killed all three bears
single handedly with a knife.

44:09.566 --> 44:11.466 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60%
Red Cloud, again,

44:11.566 --> 44:14.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
one of the really great,
great tribal leaders,

44:14.466 --> 44:16.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5%
and great leaders.

44:22.133 --> 44:24.966 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
So this is, again,
as a collector,

44:25.066 --> 44:27.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
this is the kind of thing
that I absolutely love.

44:27.966 --> 44:30.200 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
I've only seen two
reproductions of this.

44:30.300 --> 44:34.300 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I've never seen another
original print of this image.

44:34.400 --> 44:37.000 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
I got it 20 or 25 years ago.

44:37.100 --> 44:41.600 align:left position:17.5%,start line:77% size:72.5%
And I'd had it for a while
and then I went to an auction,
similar kind of thing.

44:41.700 --> 44:43.800 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
There's a guy with
a white collar

44:43.900 --> 44:46.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and a bow tie who's
an investment banker.

44:46.366 --> 44:48.800 align:left position:25%,start line:77% size:65%
And I've been bidding
against them on something
the day before.

44:48.900 --> 44:51.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
I mean I wasn't even close.

44:51.533 --> 44:54.100 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And he came in to the
other auction house

44:54.200 --> 44:58.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
the next day, and I really,
really wanted this.

44:58.166 --> 45:01.566 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
And he was there
and I thought, okay,

45:01.666 --> 45:03.500 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
I'm going to be blown
out of the water.

45:03.600 --> 45:06.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
He left before this
came up for bidding.

45:06.600 --> 45:09.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
So I had the other one
from 20, 25 years ago

45:09.200 --> 45:11.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and this came up at
auction about 10 years ago,

45:11.733 --> 45:14.100 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and I really wanted
this one also.

45:14.200 --> 45:15.933 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
And I ended up getting it.

45:16.033 --> 45:17.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Again it was one of
these things where

45:17.666 --> 45:19.933 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
I don't remember what
the opening bid was

45:20.033 --> 45:21.700 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
but it wasn't insignificant.

45:21.800 --> 45:25.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
But I put my paddle up.
Nothing else happened.

45:25.166 --> 45:27.033 align:left position:35%,start line:89% size:55%
Hammer down.

45:27.133 --> 45:30.033 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
Paddle number 162, it's yours.

45:30.133 --> 45:33.133 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
And I was absolutely elated.

45:33.233 --> 45:35.433 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And my assistant
who had been with me

45:35.533 --> 45:37.333 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
for seven or eight
years at that point

45:37.433 --> 45:42.100 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
had the catalog at home and I
said I got lot 57. I'm so happy.

45:42.200 --> 45:43.966 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
I've never seen
anything quite like it.

45:44.066 --> 45:45.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
She said, well, Chris,

45:45.733 --> 45:47.600 align:left position:37.5%,start line:5% size:52.5%
(laughing)

45:47.700 --> 45:52.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
you have the same man in
another photograph that
was taken the same day.

45:52.733 --> 45:56.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
So again, as a collector
to have a photograph

45:56.166 --> 45:57.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
that is super, super rare,

45:57.666 --> 46:00.066 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
that's never been reproduced
in the books or anything,

46:00.166 --> 46:02.733 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and then to have
full frontal portrait

46:02.833 --> 46:05.933 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and the profile,
it's just, okay.

46:06.033 --> 46:07.600 align:left position:32.5%,start line:89% size:57.5%
I was blessed.

46:10.133 --> 46:13.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Piegan Dandy, great
photograph of Curtis'.

46:16.333 --> 46:18.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
Curtis did not photograph--

46:18.933 --> 46:23.033 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
About 30% or 35% of Curtis'
photographs are women.

46:23.133 --> 46:27.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
And that's because it's typical
with indigenous societies,

46:27.100 --> 46:31.300 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
they're certainly as active
as men, probably more so,

46:31.400 --> 46:33.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
but they don't interact
with the outside world

46:33.933 --> 46:35.333 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65%
as much as men would.

46:35.433 --> 46:37.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
So Curtis' photographs of
women are somewhat rare,

46:38.066 --> 46:40.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and his photographs in
winter are very scarce

46:40.933 --> 46:44.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
because he was out with a
60-pound camera and tripod,

46:44.266 --> 46:45.800 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
fairly primitive materials.

46:45.900 --> 46:49.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
And just the coldness and
dealing with the elements

46:49.300 --> 46:52.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
made it very difficult to
photograph in the winter.

46:52.600 --> 46:56.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
This is a little triptych
from the Black Hills.

47:00.933 --> 47:05.633 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
This is a Peigan image
called the Travois.

47:05.733 --> 47:08.566 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
The Travois, those are teepee--

47:10.233 --> 47:13.033 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
Tent poles that you
see the horses moving

47:13.133 --> 47:15.033 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
all their earthly
possessions on.

47:16.766 --> 47:19.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
Which is sort of extraordinary
that every season

47:19.166 --> 47:20.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
they would have to move all

47:20.866 --> 47:23.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
their earthly possessions
and go to a better climate.

47:23.966 --> 47:29.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
And Scott Momaday, who we
saw quote from earlier on

47:29.900 --> 47:31.800 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
about the ineffability,

47:31.900 --> 47:34.866 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
about the essential qualities
of Curtis' photographs,

47:34.966 --> 47:37.600 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
talked about when he
first saw this image

47:37.700 --> 47:39.633 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
he'd never seen it before.

47:39.733 --> 47:42.900 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
He saw it as a reproduction
in a store, gallery,

47:44.333 --> 47:47.466 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
and he was moved to tears
and he didn't understand

47:47.566 --> 47:50.700 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
why this image
moved him so deeply.

47:50.800 --> 47:53.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
And he, doing a little
bit of research,

47:53.500 --> 47:55.766 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
discovered these
were his people.

47:55.866 --> 47:57.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
This was his tribal group.

47:59.833 --> 48:01.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
This is Horse Capture.

48:01.933 --> 48:04.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
Horse Capture's grandson
George Horse Capture

48:04.800 --> 48:07.833 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
who became a really
noted, esteemed

48:07.933 --> 48:09.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
Native American scholar and was

48:09.533 --> 48:11.566 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
the first curator of
the National Museum

48:11.666 --> 48:13.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
of the American Indian.

48:13.166 --> 48:15.600 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
When he was in his 40s,
he was very dejected,

48:15.700 --> 48:20.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
very unhappy, a pretty
profound alcoholic.

48:20.600 --> 48:23.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
And someone told him that
there was a photograph

48:23.400 --> 48:26.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
of his great grandfather
in these Curtis' books.

48:26.200 --> 48:28.333 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And he discovered
that there was a set.

48:28.433 --> 48:31.433 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And he lived, George
in lived in Montana

48:31.533 --> 48:33.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and he discovered that
there was a complete set

48:33.533 --> 48:35.300 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
at Gonzaga University.

48:35.400 --> 48:37.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
So he reached out to one
of the brothers there

48:37.566 --> 48:39.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
who said, certainly
come in and take a look

48:39.633 --> 48:41.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
and I'll show you the
original photograph.

48:41.233 --> 48:42.966 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
He came in and looked at it.

48:43.066 --> 48:45.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And I can't tell
you this was the

48:45.266 --> 48:47.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
only thing or the single
most important thing

48:47.733 --> 48:49.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
that his life changed.

48:49.366 --> 48:52.866 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
He then saw this photograph
of his great grandfather,

48:52.966 --> 48:54.800 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
read his history, read about one

48:54.900 --> 48:57.333 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
incredible human
being he was,

48:57.433 --> 49:00.200 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
all his exploits, his
personal integrity.

49:00.300 --> 49:03.766 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
And then he went to University
of Indiana Bloomington

49:03.866 --> 49:05.500 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
where they have some
of the sound recordings

49:05.600 --> 49:07.000 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
that Curtis made,

49:07.100 --> 49:12.066 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
and he heard two or three
sacred private family songs.

49:12.933 --> 49:15.000 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
And that changed his life.

49:15.100 --> 49:18.033 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
So he went from being
a dejected alcoholic,

49:18.133 --> 49:20.200 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
to becoming a great,
noted esteemed

49:20.300 --> 49:22.266 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
Native American scholar.

49:23.300 --> 49:26.900 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
So that's pretty much
it for the Curtis.

49:27.000 --> 49:29.100 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
So really quickly
what I'm doing,

49:29.200 --> 49:31.900 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
why I continue to do
this after 45 years

49:32.000 --> 49:34.433 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
when most people probably
would've gotten bored,

49:34.533 --> 49:38.533 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
is this is all about
bringing this work

49:38.633 --> 49:40.466 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
to the world at this point.

49:40.566 --> 49:42.833 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
My little company
and I are doing

49:42.933 --> 49:44.800 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
all kinds of things including

49:44.900 --> 49:49.900 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
a 10,000-print
repatriation of images.

49:50.766 --> 49:53.233 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
So, with Horse Capture's family,

49:53.333 --> 49:54.833 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
we've sent six or eight images

49:54.933 --> 49:56.766 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
back to them,
Red Cloud's family,

49:57.766 --> 50:00.233 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
individuals who may
be more prominent

50:00.333 --> 50:02.200 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
but we're able to identify

50:02.300 --> 50:07.300 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
and we're doing this
repatriation project.

50:08.300 --> 50:13.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
We're doing all kinds of things
to bring the imagery which is

50:13.100 --> 50:16.900 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
paramount for me and all
this cultural information

50:17.000 --> 50:19.400 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
in the forms of
reproduction to these books

50:19.500 --> 50:21.133 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
back to Native people.

50:21.233 --> 50:24.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And this is one of
my favorite examples.

50:24.733 --> 50:29.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
This is Art Seater
whose great grandfather--

50:29.600 --> 50:31.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
You can see photographed
there in a Curtis photograph

50:32.066 --> 50:34.133 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
with the wonderful top knot.

50:34.233 --> 50:35.900 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
And if I had enough hair left

50:36.000 --> 50:39.433 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I'd probably be tempted
to do the same thing.

50:40.433 --> 50:43.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
And I was giving a talk
in Seattle two years ago.

50:43.600 --> 50:45.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
And a friend of mine said, well,

50:45.366 --> 50:48.400 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
I've got a Native American
medicine man friend

50:48.500 --> 50:50.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
who would like to come and
do a blessing for your talk.

50:50.933 --> 50:52.566 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60%
I said wonderful.

50:52.666 --> 50:56.200 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
Ask him if he had any ancestors
who worked with Curtis.

50:56.300 --> 50:58.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
She came back the next day
and she said, yeah, he did.

50:58.933 --> 51:01.366 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
His name was Bull Bear.

51:01.466 --> 51:04.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
And I said that sounds
kind of familiar

51:04.200 --> 51:06.866 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
but I'm not connecting with it.
Ask him again, would you?

51:06.966 --> 51:10.766 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
She went back to him and
said--actually his name is Bear
Bull.

51:10.866 --> 51:13.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
That was the first
photograph I purchased.

51:13.733 --> 51:16.000 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
The woman was the
first photograph I saw.

51:16.100 --> 51:18.266 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
A day later I was in
Boulder and found people

51:18.366 --> 51:21.200 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
at the archive,
and I purchased that.

51:21.300 --> 51:24.200 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
Okay, it gives me
chills thinking that

51:24.300 --> 51:26.866 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
after 42 or 3
years of doing this

51:26.966 --> 51:30.066 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
and floating through
time and space,

51:30.166 --> 51:33.233 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
not having idea that Art
existed, nor he that I existed,

51:33.333 --> 51:37.900 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
and then being brought
together by this work,

51:38.000 --> 51:40.400 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
it was really fabulous.

51:40.500 --> 51:42.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And he's obviously
pretty happy about it.

51:42.366 --> 51:45.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
We had a great time
with each other,

51:45.533 --> 51:47.600 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
and, yeah, it was great.

51:48.600 --> 51:51.200 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
We've also been doing many
more contemporary exhibits.

51:51.300 --> 51:54.800 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
So the exhibit you're seeing
here is purely vintage work.

51:54.900 --> 51:57.333 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
And the vintage work
has gotten so expensive

51:57.433 --> 52:00.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and so valuable and so
difficult to replace

52:00.266 --> 52:01.966 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
that I'm not actually
going to be doing

52:02.066 --> 52:05.066 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
vintage exhibitions
past this winter.

52:05.166 --> 52:09.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
This show goes to Ohio,
to Capital University,

52:09.200 --> 52:11.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
and then that's it for me.

52:11.166 --> 52:14.700 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
I'm 70, I'm going to rest
on my laurels for a while

52:14.800 --> 52:17.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and stop doing the
vintage exhibitions.

52:17.233 --> 52:19.533 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
They're just too
expensive, too difficult,

52:19.633 --> 52:22.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
too time consuming,
too much management.

52:22.566 --> 52:25.500 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
But we are doing, trying to
do more contemporary exhibits.

52:25.600 --> 52:30.933 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
So this exhibit which was at
the library in Minneapolis.

52:31.033 --> 52:33.900 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
This exhibit we
had a guest book,

52:34.000 --> 52:36.300 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
and I was really--
They had more visitors

52:36.400 --> 52:39.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
come to this exhibit than
any previous exhibit.

52:39.100 --> 52:43.766 align:left position:22.5%,start line:77% size:67.5%
More visitors of color,
more Native people,
come to this exhibit.

52:43.866 --> 52:45.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5%
It was a huge success.

52:45.666 --> 52:48.633 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
I'm going through
the guest book.

52:48.733 --> 52:52.633 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
I'm seeing all these really
eloquent erudite comments.

52:52.733 --> 52:55.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
People from Australia,
from Russia, Scandinavia.

52:55.633 --> 52:59.833 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
They're talking about
personal identity,
about cultural identity.

52:59.933 --> 53:02.900 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
They're talking about history
and repeating the stakes

53:03.000 --> 53:04.666 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
and how we need
to learn from it.

53:04.766 --> 53:07.633 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
I mean, really
great, great themes.

53:07.733 --> 53:09.500 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And I was very moved by them.

53:09.600 --> 53:11.866 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
I think it was almost
next to the last thing

53:11.966 --> 53:14.066 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
was someone from Russia.

53:14.166 --> 53:17.466 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Again, very interesting
eloquent comment.

53:17.566 --> 53:19.533 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
And I'm feeling very
moved by it all.

53:19.633 --> 53:21.600 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
And then I opened this page.

53:26.866 --> 53:28.100 align:left position:45%,start line:89% size:45%
Yeah.

53:28.200 --> 53:30.133 align:left position:32.5%,start line:89% size:57.5%
I'm like, okay.

53:30.233 --> 53:32.333 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
However many nights
I didn't get sleep

53:32.433 --> 53:34.700 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
and whatever else over
the last 45 years,

53:34.800 --> 53:37.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
this is the kind of thing
that makes it all worthwhile.

53:37.700 --> 53:39.766 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
So as I mentioned
earlier we've sent

53:39.866 --> 53:41.533 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
exhibitions to 40 countries.

53:41.633 --> 53:43.533 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5%
This is Seoul, South Korea.

53:45.400 --> 53:47.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80%
Gold tone like you see up there.

53:49.266 --> 53:52.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
I briefly mentioned
that we have recreated

53:52.833 --> 53:56.566 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
Curtis' entire
2,200 photographs,

53:56.666 --> 53:59.600 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
two-and-a-half million word,
hand colored prints,

53:59.700 --> 54:01.933 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
transcriptions of
language and music.

54:02.033 --> 54:03.733 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
We've spent the last four years

54:03.833 --> 54:07.100 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
and 40,000 hours
recreating these.

54:07.200 --> 54:09.033 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
And I just work
with a foundation,

54:09.133 --> 54:11.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
a couple of friends of
mine, and then myself,

54:11.366 --> 54:15.766 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and we just donated
15 complete sets,

54:15.866 --> 54:18.733 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
photographs and a DVD
to tribal colleges.

54:18.833 --> 54:20.700 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
And I'm hoping to
do more of those

54:20.800 --> 54:22.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
as funds become available.

54:25.133 --> 54:29.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
I don't think I ever didn't
appreciate what Curtis did.

54:29.466 --> 54:32.000 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
But if I ever was so
stupid to not appreciate

54:32.100 --> 54:35.166 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
the complexity and efforts
that he had to go through,

54:35.266 --> 54:36.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
boy, I'm a believer now.

54:36.733 --> 54:39.133 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
He even fold out
maps in these books.

54:39.233 --> 54:41.100 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
I mean, it's just amazing.

54:42.500 --> 54:44.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
Occasionally during the
question and answer period,

54:44.600 --> 54:46.733 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
people want to know how
I ended up in Mexico

54:46.833 --> 54:50.000 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
and how again what my
connection to this work was.

54:50.100 --> 54:54.000 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5%
And this is it,
a professor of mine in 1971

54:54.100 --> 54:56.100 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
asked me to go to
Mexico to make the film.

54:56.200 --> 54:57.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
The film never happened.

54:57.733 --> 55:00.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I just driven 75 hours
after saving money

55:00.933 --> 55:02.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
for five months to
have enough money

55:02.833 --> 55:04.900 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
to go down and help
work on the film.

55:05.000 --> 55:06.733 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
The film I got,
I found this door

55:06.833 --> 55:09.433 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
in this little tiny town
in the mountains of Oaxaca.

55:09.533 --> 55:12.466 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
Allen comes through it and
says, "Oh Chris, I should've
called or written you.

55:12.566 --> 55:14.666 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
"I decided not
to make the film."

55:16.333 --> 55:19.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
And I was a little
disappointed but I said, okay,

55:19.366 --> 55:21.066 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
I've been promised a
log cabin to live in.

55:21.166 --> 55:22.933 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
He said, "Oh, well some
other friend showed up."

55:23.033 --> 55:25.133 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
And I said, okay, how
long are they here?

55:25.233 --> 55:26.900 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
"They're here for
another two weeks."

55:27.000 --> 55:29.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
Okay, is there a hotel in town?

55:29.100 --> 55:31.633 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
There is one nine-room hotel

55:31.733 --> 55:34.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
run by the most wonderful,

55:35.433 --> 55:39.333 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
three spinster sisters
who are just fabulous.

55:39.433 --> 55:43.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
And they took me in and I spent
the next week and a half there.

55:43.100 --> 55:46.800 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80%
And then I came back and I said,
well, what else can I do?

55:46.900 --> 55:50.333 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
So, Allen, I'm here,
I'm planning on
being here for months

55:50.433 --> 55:52.233 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
and I've got my 10-year-old
Volkswagen Beetle

55:52.333 --> 55:54.533 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
and all my camera equipment,
what am I going to do?

55:54.633 --> 55:56.166 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60%
He said, "I know
there's this village

55:56.266 --> 55:58.866 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
"about 60 miles from here,
why don't you check it out?"

55:58.966 --> 56:00.400 align:left position:35%,start line:5% size:55%
So I went up.

56:00.500 --> 56:03.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
I spent six months there
over the next year.

56:03.566 --> 56:07.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
And this is a woman, Otilla
and her niece and nephew.

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This is an Easter procession.

56:11.433 --> 56:14.400 align:left position:37.5%,start line:83% size:52.5%
So it was a
breathtaking experience,

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and I had never seen
Curtis' work at this point.

56:17.600 --> 56:21.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
So unbeknownst to
me I was doing,

56:21.266 --> 56:23.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5%
I was really following
his footpaths.

56:23.366 --> 56:26.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5%
So I not only did thousands
and thousands of negatives,

56:26.800 --> 56:28.600 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
I sepia toned them
which was something

56:28.700 --> 56:32.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
I did experimenting with
in school before this.

56:32.366 --> 56:34.266 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
I collected material culture,

56:34.366 --> 56:37.133 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
did sound recordings
and did film footage.

56:37.233 --> 56:38.566 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
All the things that Curtis--

56:38.666 --> 56:40.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
I didn't do any of
it anywhere as deeply

56:40.666 --> 56:43.366 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
or as well as Curtis,
but it was the same path.

56:43.466 --> 56:45.300 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5%
And so that will explain to you

56:45.400 --> 56:49.766 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
when I got to that little
bookstore in Albuquerque,

56:49.866 --> 56:53.033 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
months and months later,
why I still remember

56:53.133 --> 56:54.833 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75%
what shelf that book was on.

56:54.933 --> 56:58.033 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
I mean it was like this
is what I've been doing

56:58.133 --> 56:59.866 align:left position:32.5%,start line:5% size:57.5%
and here it is.

56:59.966 --> 57:01.966 align:left position:37.5%,start line:5% size:52.5%
Last slide.

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This is Curtis just
before his death.

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And to me it's so poignant.

57:08.700 --> 57:11.366 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5%
A woman had written
to him in 1951,

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one year before his death.

57:12.800 --> 57:15.000 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
He was 83, and asked
for his autograph.

57:15.100 --> 57:17.100 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5%
She was an autograph collector.

57:17.200 --> 57:20.633 align:left position:17.5%,start line:77% size:72.5%
It's a little hard to read
his writing, which was
quite shaky at this point.

57:20.733 --> 57:24.266 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
But he made this
photograph of himself

57:24.366 --> 57:26.733 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65%
and then sent it back
with his autograph.

57:26.833 --> 57:28.666 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60%
And when you look
at his early works,

57:28.766 --> 57:31.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70%
some of which you'll see
here his early letters,

57:31.233 --> 57:32.966 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75%
they were all done in really

57:33.066 --> 57:37.833 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75%
beautiful hand-made paper for
a simple one-sided letter.

57:37.933 --> 57:41.833 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5%
He would take a piece of paper
and fold it over, deckled edges,

57:41.933 --> 57:43.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70%
and beautiful envelopes.

57:43.766 --> 57:46.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5%
Everything was done so
elegantly and so beautifully,

57:46.933 --> 57:49.700 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5%
and here's a simple
photograph of him

57:49.800 --> 57:52.133 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5%
towards the end of his life
and the shaky hand writing.

57:52.233 --> 57:54.366 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70%
But he is reaching out to
this woman very kindly.

57:55.233 --> 57:57.066 align:left position:37.5%,start line:5% size:52.5%
That's it.

57:57.166 --> 58:00.233 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65%
(audience applauding)