Edward S. Curtis Edward S. Curtis was born near Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1868. His early fascination with the camera and appreciation of the North American Indian led to the life long obsession of documenting their culture. In about 1900, he realized that the passing of every old man and woman meant the risk of losing forever the knowledge of sacred rites and traditions. His most famous image, "The Vanishing Race", best symbolizes his compassion for the Indian people and the urgency he attached to creating a record of their unique culture. He developed a plan to publish, in twenty volumes, a complete photographic and written history of every major tribe in North America. His friendship with such influential people as Teddy Roosevelt and E.H. Harriman lead to an introduction to J.P. Morgan to acquire financial backing for the publication. For the next quarter century Curtis dedicated his life to the project. With the publication of the first two volumes in 1907-8 The New York Herald hailed it as "the most gigantic undertaking in the making of books since the King James edition of the Bible." We are indebted to Curtis' wisdom and dedication for bringing these magnificent images, and the culture they represent, to light.