Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis Author: Timothy Egan | Language: English | ISBN:
B006R8PH4I | Format: PDF
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis Description
“A vivid exploration of one man's lifelong obsession with an idea . . . Egan’s spirited biography might just bring [Curtis] the recognition that eluded him in life.” — Washington Post
Edward Curtis was charismatic, handsome, a passionate mountaineer, and a famous portrait photographer, the Annie Leibovitz of his time. He moved in rarefied circles, a friend to presidents, vaudeville stars, leading thinkers. But when he was thirty-two years old, in 1900, he gave it all up to pursue his Great Idea: to capture on film the continent’s original inhabitants before the old ways disappeared.
Curtis spent the next three decades documenting the stories and rituals of more than eighty North American tribes. It took tremendous perseverance — ten years alone to persuade the Hopi to allow him to observe their Snake Dance ceremony. And the undertaking changed him profoundly, from detached observer to outraged advocate. Curtis would amass more than 40,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recordings, and he is credited with making the first narrative documentary film. In the process, the charming rogue with the grade school education created the most definitive archive of the American Indian.
“A darn good yarn. Egan is a muscular storyteller and his book is a rollicking page-turner with a colorfully drawn hero.” — San Francisco Chronicle
"A riveting biography of an American original." – Boston Globe
- File Size: 4886 KB
- Print Length: 384 pages
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Reprint edition (October 9, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B006R8PH4I
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,880 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #8
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Artists, Architects & Photographers - #13
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Americas > Native American - #20
in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Artists, Architects & Photographers
- #8
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Artists, Architects & Photographers - #13
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Americas > Native American - #20
in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Artists, Architects & Photographers
I had heard of Edward Curtis but knew only that he was a photographer, and that he took many pictures of American Indians in the early 1900's. That should make me ashamed, since I lived in Seattle, Curtis's home town, for many years.
Timothy Egan's book gives a detailed, balanced look at Curtis's life and his life's work: Publication of a 20-volume look at American Indian communities in the early 20th century. Just thinking about such a venture makes me tired, but Curtis was tireless (hence the "short nights" in the title -- he rarely slept). The series would include not just photographs but a lexicon preserving languages, and in the making of this Curtis would make film and audio records of songs and ceremonies that would have been lost forever.
His ambition seems quite unrealistic, almost delusional, to someone from present day. Traveling thousands of miles with bulky photographic equipment, in unmapped territory without the benefit of conveniences we take for granted -- GPS, airplanes, cell phones, overnight delivery, fax machines. He and his team made a photographic and textual record that has never been equalled, and probably never will be. And during this time he made a movie and developed a stage presentation that wowed even the most sophisticated audiences.
Even if you're not particularly interested in photography or American Indians, Egan's book is fascinating as a look at the early 1900's, movers and shakers, people like J. P. Morgan and Theodore Roosevelt. Egan's writing is brisk, his descriptions evocative. It never bogged down, even when things weren't going well for Curtis.
Edward Curtis was a man consumed by an almost inhuman drive, aided it seemed by an energy supplied from the universe itself, to record and create. Like many substantial historical figures, it seemed that circumstances and coincidences were resolved by and around his presence, to whatever outcomes most favored his mission. In other words, to place a word on it, "destiny" seemed to have a corner carved out just for Curtis. His vision was to be fulfilled, even at the cost of all else in his life. Something bigger had fallen upon him, and claimed him for its own.
This was my overwhelming impression after reading my very first biography. Throughout the book I knew I would struggle to remain concise as I tried to put words to my praise for this work. I am a reader of fiction, the authors of which have the advantage of being able to create emotions from imagined events. The author here creates the same powerful effects with facts. Adventure, surprise, wonder, inspiration, heartbreak and incredible sadness are all found here. This is real history, and not a history lesson. Readers will learn many things without being aware of it.
Here is my attempt at conciseness. Why does this book work so well?
1. The subject matter is interesting by itself. The time period is filled with adventure, achievement, and people larger than life.
2. Edward Curtis is a likeable figure, as evidenced by all those he influenced. His dream was contagious, and many others leaped at the chance to witness it.
3. The American Dream, if it ever existed in definable terms, can be found here. Curtis was not highly educated, grew up poor, and achieved his goals using only his natural talents, his charisma, and extraordinary hard work.
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