The North American Indian by Edward S. Curtis is one of the most significant and controversial representations of traditional American Indian culture ever produced. Issued in a limited edition from 1907-1930, the publication continues to exert a major influence on the image of Indians in popular culture. Curtis said he wanted to document "the old time Indian, his dress, his ceremonies, his life and manners." In over 2000 photogravure plates and narrative, Curtis portrayed the traditional customs and lifeways of eighty Indian tribes. The twenty volumes, each with an accompanying portfolio, are organized by tribes and culture areas encompassing the Great Plains, Great Basin, Plateau Region, Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Featured here are all of the published photogravure images including over 1500 illustrations bound in the text volumes, along with over 700 portfolio plates.

Curtis's "The North American Indian", reprinted in the late 1970's by The Classic Gravure Company, of Santa Fe, New Mexico---Classic Gravure Company divided the Country into 3 sections, there was a "Northwest", "Southwest", and a "Plains" series. Known in the trade as "classics", these restrikes were printed with Curtis's original copper plates, which Classic had bought from the original printer in Boston years earlier, using the original images Curtis produced over the span of 30 years, printed on heavy, hand-made rag paper, with deckle(ragged) edges--there is a watermark on each page, a "CG", embossed in the lower margin, that identifies all "classics"(the larger portfolio-size plates also have curtis's signature embossed as a watermark also---the Classic Gravure Company went Bankrupt, at the end of series#228,(there were supposed to be a complete 250 sets), and the original copper plates were bought by "The Curtis Collection", the present owners---these archival restrikes are an affordable alternative to the originals, and, will only increase in value as time goes by, as only 228 editions were produced--these restrikes rarely seem to be for sale, as most owners of the sets have kept them intact, so this is a great opportunity to own a real "classic" photogravure.

Title: HOMEWARD

Sheet Size: 23 1/4" X 11 1/2" - Image Size: 15 1/4" X 11 1/2"

Portfolio Size - Hand Made-Deckled Edge Paper