Edward S. Curtis: The Women

Many people may be familiar with Curtis's iconic photographs of Native American warriors and chiefs, but this beautiful collection from Cardozo, the world's leading authority on Curtis, presents rarely seen images of Native American women, all dating back to the early 20th century. Some of the images capture women in natural situations, like gathering berries or cradling a baby, but most are posed portraits, with the women staring directly into the camera, their eyes seeming to penetrate the page. Curtis's photos illuminate the depths of these women's personalities despite their stoic expressions. As Anne Makepeace writes in her introduction, ""some of the women seem to be asking him, what will become of us? ... Still others stare boldly at the camera, their proud expressions declaring, 'This is who I am.'"" This electrifying sense of personal connection is what makes these photographs so powerful-and so haunting. From a wrinkled Chinook woman staring sadly into the lens to a young Clayoquot girl playfully peeking from behind a blanket, these images capture the essence of what it meant to be a Native American female in the early 1900s. 100 four-color photos.