EDWARD S. CURTIS (1868-1952)

President Theodore Roosevelt invited Edward S. Curtis to the White House to make portraits of his family after noticing one of Curtis's pictures in the Ladies' Home Journal. The two men shared a passion for the American West and the desire to preserve its rugged character. The President encouraged Curtis to approach banker J. P. Morgan in his search to fund his ambitious project to portray all the native peoples of North America. Roosevelt said. 'No man could be doing anything more important. I will support you in any way I can.' With Morgan's financial backing, Curtis's 20 volume The North American Indian was realized. It remains one of the most significant publications in the history of photography.