Curtis and The Kwakiutls

"From the wind-swept Straits of Fuca…"

A flawed but monumental accomplishment of ethnological studies, The North American Indian (1907-1930), includes approximately 5000 pages of text and over 2000 illustrations in twenty volumes. It was the obsessive life work of Seattle photographer Edward S. Curtis. His commercial portrait studio, located at 614 Second Avenue, opened for business in 1897. Curtis moved to 709 Second Avenue two years later and remained there for nearly two decades. He developed an interest in Native American portraiture and within a few years was committed to the subject. For nearly a quarter century The Curtis Studio supported his family and financed the publication of The North American Indian.

… far to the North, a somber, gloomy forest meets a forbidding sea."

Photographs from this collection, which may be the greatest thematic accomplishment since the invention of the camera, remain among the most beautiful portraits ever produced. Curtis’ work is deeply imbedded in and identified with Twentieth-Century American culture. Over the years, he faced bankruptcy, divorce and the constant struggle to finance his work. He exposed thousands of negatives, created thousands of recordings, and in 1914 produced a unique feature film, In the Land of the Head Hunters.

In Defense of Curtis …

A common criticism of Edward S. Curtis is the belief that he callously falsified the truth. By staging scenes and removing intrusive modern elements from his photographs, Curtis altered or misrepresented an accurate historical context. These intentional effects however, allowed his modern subjects to resurrect their ancestors with an idealized legitimacy, creating the documentation of cultures that Curtis believed were about to vanish. While his interpretation of the first Americans was commercialized and cannot be considered an accurate or unbiased ethnological record, his images are iconic and dignified, unlike the typically racist representation of American Indians at that time, and possess the sublime aesthetics of Edward Curtis.

In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914)
Tuesday June 10, 7:00pm The Moore, Seattle

Native Americans played a prominent role in early motion pictures. Scenarios often included warfare, a love story and public celebrations, but the Indians most often played antagonists. Avoiding these established cliches, photographer Edward Curtis produced In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914), with a cast of Pacific Northwest Indians. The film included warfare, celebrations and a love story.

The son of a tribal chieftain competes with a sorcerer for the love of a girl. Their conflict leads to kidnapping, warfare and murder.

British Columbia’s Kwakiutl Indians used the opportunity to participate in ceremonial traditions made illegal by the Potlatch Prohibition (1884-1951), while creating a portrait of their pre-historic ancestors. In the Land of the Head Hunters was also intended to raise funds for Curtis’ ongoing ethnological studies.

Most extraordinary in this film are the details of costumed celebrations, beautiful wood carvings and a romantic sense of tribal marine society.

Home Opener …

In the Land of the Head Hunters premiered simultaneously at Seattle’s Moore and New York’s Casino theaters on Monday, December 7, 1914. An original score was written for the film by John Braham, an English composer and conductor based on the East Coast with close ties to Gilbert and Sullivan.

In Seattle, The Daily Times, Post Intelligencer and The Star ran enthusiastic announcements for the one week run: "See, The Great War Canoes, Whale Hunt, Mystic Dances," in "Edward S. Curtis’ Wonderful Indian Photo Drama Taken in the Northern Seas. Eight reels of excitement, color and romance." Ticket prices were twenty-five and fifty cents for evening shows, with twenty-five cent matinees, "All over the house."

The Burke Museum, Seattle Theater Group and Seattle International Film Festival present, Edward S. Curtis’ docudrama, In The Land of The Head Hunters (1914), accompanied by John Braham’s original musical score. The evening will include descendants of the original cast in a live performance following the film. Tickets are available at The Moore Theater web site, at the Moore and Paramount Theater box offices and at Ticketmaster outlets.