What was one of the most memorable moments of Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher? If you could sum up Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher in three words, what would they be? An excellent work about a little know historian.īest Story of the Vanishing American Indian I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audiobook. His work really did help to save the ways of people many thought were lost or unrecoverable. Even more so, Native Americans discovered the ways of their past through his detailed accounts of life, music, ceremonies and other cultural events. His books became collector's items, loved by collectors and photographers.
Ironically, many years after his death, his work helped advance a renaissance of native culture. The years after finishing the 20 volume work saw many ignoring him and he died penniless and alone. His wife tried to turn their children against him, though she did not succeed with most. While the press noted his achievements with acclaim, he was never truly appreciated during his lifetime. He knew then what was being lost and how the White man's ways were harming native people.
He sacrificed family life to capture the soul of a nation of people. His treatment under the House of Morgan, especially the heirs was abominable. Always in debt, with few patrons supporting his work. Against all odds he managed to get bare bones funding, creating a massive 20 volume work without pay for himself. During his early years of photography (a relatively new medium at the time) he took photographs of native people and became obsessed with creating a record of the culture of a people that was being lost. A freak accident led to a new vocation and he became a popular photographer and mountaineer. Curtiss himself overcame a great many odds early in life, becoming the man of the house when his preacher father could not support the family. This was an excellent book about the life of Edward Curtis. As an aside much of this story takes place in and around Seattle which is close to where I live so that made the story even more interesting for me and perhaps other Seattlites. David Drummond's style reminded me of a television news reporter more than the voice of someone telling the story of an important piece of American history. I'll admit I am spoiled by readers such as George Guidall and James Marsters who can impart such distinct character into each player in a story. Curtis and his devotion to telling the story of our indigenous peoples makes the photos come alive. As Americans we are familiar with many of these images however knowing the story of Mr. As I listened to the book I went online to look up the photographs that are referred to and that made the story even more intriguing. I am quite familiar with his astounding portraits of the life of American Indians at the turn of last century. This is a great biography of an incredible photographer.
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