Crossman Gallery

Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indian

September 12 through October 22, 2005

In 1901 at the age of 33, Edward Sheriff Curtis embarked on a journey to document what he perceived as a vanishing race. Thirty years later, Curtis’ vision, as depicted in upwards of 50,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recordings on wax cylinders, came to define American’s vision of Native American cultures.
From September 12 through October 22, the Crossman Gallery on the UW-Whitewater Campus hosted photographs from the Whitewater, WI born Curtis. “Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indian,” showcased 70 images drawn from an ongoing European tour and from the archive of the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo. The exhibit featured several images never before seen in the United States.
Cardozo is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on Edward Curtis and his photography. His personal collection is the largest and most broad-ranging Curtis collection in the world. Cardozo, personally served as curator of the exhibition, has authored six books on Edward Curtis including “Sacred Legacy” and the award winning “Native Nations.” In celebration of the exhibition, Cardozo was the honored speaker at a fundraising dinner benefiting the Whitewater Arts Alliance on Sunday, Sept. 25. He also presented a public presentation on Curtis and his work on Monday, Sept. 26. in The Greenhill Center for the Arts in Whitewater.