23 Items in this Learning Collection
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Copyright
All Rights Reserved ()

Spídĭs—Wishham

Accession Number
1987/1.210

Title
Spídĭs—Wishham

Artist(s)
Edward S. Curtis

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1910

Medium & Support
photogravure on paper

Dimensions
12 3/16 in x 9 3/16 in (30.96 cm x 23.34 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Kenyon

Subject matter
This image of a man from the Wishham tribe—now known as Wishram—is from The North American Indian (1907-1930), a twenty-volume series created by Edward Curtis in order to document the lives of Native Americans in diverse regions of the Western United States. This limited edition volume was financially supported by J.P. Morgan, and promoted by Theodore Roosevelt. The resulting works have been criticized and celebrated for their portrayal of Native American life. Curtis often included anachronous props and clothing and presented rituals that had not been performed in years in order to support an idealized and romantic reading of a “vanishing race.”

Physical Description
A portrait of an aging man. He wears a tusk septum piercing and two long braids, with a garment draped over his soulders. A circular embroidered design is visible near the bottom of the frame.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
Native American
Portraits
Wishram
braids (hairstyle)
bust-length
males
man
modern and contemporary art
nose ornaments
single-sitter portraits

& Author Notes

All Rights Reserved