Edward Sheriff Curtis
| Edward S. Curtis | |
|---|---|
Self-portrait circa 1889
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| Born |
Edward Sheriff Curtis February 16, 1868 Whitewater, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | October 19, 1952 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Photographer, ethnologist |
| Spouse(s) | Clara J. Phillips (1874–1932) |
| Children | Harold Curtis (1893–1988) Elizabeth M. Curtis (1896–1973) Florence Curtis Graybill (1899–1987) Katherine Curtis (1909–unknown) |
| Parent(s) | Ellen Sheriff (1844–1912) Johnson Asahel Curtis (1840–87) |
Edward Sheriff Curtis (February 16, 1868 – October 19, 1952) was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West and on Native American peoples.
Curtis was born on February 16, 1868, on a farm near Whitewater, Wisconsin. His father, the Reverend Asahel "Johnson" Curtis (1840–1887), was a minister, farmer, and American Civil War veteran born in Ohio. His mother, Ellen Sheriff (1844–1912), was born in Pennsylvania. Curtis's siblings were Raphael (1862–c.1885), also called Ray; Edward, called Eddy; Eva (1870–?); and Asahel Curtis (1874–1941). Weakened by his experiences in the Civil War, Johnson Curtis had difficulty in managing his farm, resulting in hardship and poverty for his family.
Around 1874, the family moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota to join Johnson Curtis's father, Asahel Curtis, who ran a grocery store and was a postmaster in Le Sueur County. Curtis left school in the sixth grade and soon built his own camera.
In 1885, at the age of 17, Curtis became an apprentice photographer in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1887 the family moved to Seattle, Washington, where he purchased a new camera and became a partner with Rasmus Rothi in an existing photographic studio. Curtis paid $150 for his 50% share in the studio. After about six months, he left Rothi and formed a new partnership with Thomas Guptill. They established a new studio, Curtis and Guptill, Photographers and Photoengravers.
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