Edward S. Curtis Digital Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Photographer Edward S. Curtis devoted two decades to making “The North American Indian,” an early 20th century photography and text project studying Western tribes.
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Township Plats of King County, Washington Territory - Page 43, Township 22N, Range 8E
This atlas shows early land ownership for King County, Washington, providing names and property boundaries of original purchasers, grantees, claimants, etc.
Identifier: spl_map_218451_P43_T22N_R8E
Date: 1889
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Township Plats of King County, Washington Territory - Page 06, Township 22N, Range 3E
This atlas shows early land ownership for King County, Washington, providing names and property boundaries of original purchasers, grantees, claimants, etc.
Identifier: spl_map_218451_P06_T22N_R3E
Date: 1889
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Township Plats of King County, Washington Territory - Page 31, Township 20N, Range 7E
This atlas shows early land ownership for King County, Washington, providing names and property boundaries of original purchasers, grantees, claimants, etc.
Identifier: spl_map_218451_P31_T20N_R7E
Date: 1889
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Dr. and Dorothea Bickford, Joe and Ollie, Alice Fowler, Emma Reynolds, Lillian Fowler, Florence Wiltsie and husband, Marilyn Wiltsie, ca. 1930
Dr. Ernest L. Bickford was the brother of Arthur Bickford, husband of Clara Latimer Bickford. Clara Latimer Bickford was the daughter of Alexander and Sarah Latimer and sister of Alice Latimer Fowler and Emma Latimer Reynolds. Lillian Fowler was the daughter of Alice Latimer Fowler and her husband Charles Fowler. Ernest and his wife Dorothea Bickford lived in Seattle for 40 years before his death in 1936. Their home, likely where the photograph was taken, was located on Mercer Island for much of that time. Transcribed from back of photograph: ""Dr. Bickford + Wife Dorothea, Joe + Ollie, Aunt Alice Fowler, Aunt Emma Reynolds, Lillian Fowler, Florence Wiltsie + husband [Lee Wiltsie]. Little girl is Marilyn Wiltsie. Bickford Home.""
Identifier: spl_lj_054
Date: 1935?
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Unknown woman in Abington, Illinois, ca. 1880
Photograph taken by C.H. Smith in Abingdon, Illinois.
Identifier: spl_lj_023
Date: 1880?
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, December 29, 1950
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch repeating some of the news shared in his letter of December 17, 1950. He discusses his poor health leading to the necessary step of stopping his work on "The Lure of Gold" before moving on to recounting the Christmas holiday. He adds that he has decided to have a new picture taken of himself on his 83rd birthday to replace the one taken many decades ago that was used to promote "The North American Indian." Curtis writes "I hope you will be pleased with the Birth Day picture. Knowing my age you may be surprised."
Identifier: spl_esc_020
Date: 1950-12-29
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, August 16, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing his further work on "The Lure of Gold." He writes about the overwhelming nature of covering 200 years of history, describing the notebooks he has filled with his research. Curtis states "Why any one of my age should attempt such a task is beyond my understanding."
Identifier: spl_esc_013
Date: 1949-08-16
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, January 2, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing his progress in compiling materials to send and noting that his health is further improved. He promises he has not forgotten her request for a picture of him but the photo he thought to send looked to similar to Bill Cody and may cause confusion. Curtis describes spending time in New York with Cody and says they were sometimes called the "Cody Twins." He notes that this confusion was a common occurrence.
Identifier: spl_esc_007
Date: 1949-01-02
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, July 11, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch, apologizing for his slow response and explaining he is deep in his work on "The Lure of Gold." He writes that the size of the project is overwhelming and he is ""praying that I will live long enough to finish the job." Curtis discusses his climbs of Mount Rainier and his friendship with Ella McBride. He notes that she was one of the few women to summit the mountain unassisted and describes her as "my star helper" both in climbs of Mount Rainier and later, as an assistant in his photography studio. He writes that she lived with the Curtis family and was like a second mother to his daughters.
Identifier: spl_esc_012
Date: 1949-07-11
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, circa March 1949
Note from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch responding to her questions about how long he lived in Seattle and how he began taking pictures of Native Americans. In response to the question "How did you get the confidence of the Indians?" Curtis writes "I said we, not you. In other words, I worked with them not at them."
Identifier: spl_esc_010
Date: 1949-03
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