Beschreibung:

Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)The Vanishing Race, 1904 Orotone, signed in the image; caption label affixed to the original Curtis Studio frame backing. 11 x 14in (28 x 35.5cm); original Curtis Studio frame FootnotesProvenance This Edward Curtis orotone, from the Curtis Seattle Studio, came directly from Clara Curtis. Clara Philips Curtis, Edward's wife, worked in the Studio, along with her sister Sue Philips-- who later married Edward Herrick Gates, a relative of the owner's Gates family; both Edward H. Gates, & the owner's Gates family are from the same line of Gates as the William H. Gates family. This work has never been out of the owner's family, and was described by the owner's grandmother, a Gates living in Seattle, as "a very special piece" with a particularly "special history." Literature Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indian, the Complete Portfolios, Taschen, 1997, Vol. I, p. 36 Note: The owner's great grandmother Gates was an appreciator of the arts based in the Seattle/Puget sound area and she had a particular interest in Edward Curtis' work, especially as a relative was involved in the renowned studio. The owner's Gates family lived on Capitol Hill, not far from the downtown area where the final Curtis Studio was located. Of further interest: Not only were the families of the owner's and Clara's brother-in-law Edward H. Gates related through lineage, all were varying degrees of cousins of William H. Gates as well (whose later descendant is Bill Gates, Microsoft): All 3 Seattle Gates lines were descendants of Stephen Gates, who sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America in 1638 from England. Also, interestingly, all 3 of these Gates lines had ancestors who later migrated to Pennsylvania (then considered the West); and descendants who later pushed further West and ultimately took up residence in Seattle, at around the same time. The 1922 City directory lists Edward H. Gates as Assistant Manager, Curtis Studio, and his wife (Clara's sister) as Secretary/Treasurer of the Curtis Studio. In the meantime, the owners' grandmother married a man who had grown up in the Puget Sound area, and was friendly with members of the various area tribes. It may be that he met Curtis, that they had a shared interest in Indigenous culture, and that the owner's grandfather may possibly have shared some of his knowledge of these tribes with Curtis. What is definite is that the owner's grandfather -- an athletic man who helped coach his brother to the 7th Olympic Games, held in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920 --on common also became so friendly with some of the local tribes that he was invited to several of their celebratory feasts, or potlaches. Guests were always graced with gifts, and the owner's grandfather would return home with handwoven blankets, baskets, and other such items. This adds another layer to the family's almost sacred safekeeping of their Edward Curtis "The Vanishing Race" throughout their century- long stewardship of this iconic work.