Edward Sheriff Curtis (American, 1862-1952) Vanishing Race orotone signed Curtis (lower right) 11 x 14 inches Provenance: Donated by The Rainbow Man, Santa Fe, New Mexico By 1895, Seattle photographer Edward Curtis was the flavor of the month whenever anyone needed a portrait or a bride or debutante. But once he saw and photographed Princess Angeline, the last surviving daughter of Chief Seattle- for whom the growing, bustling city was named- his ambition took a turn. Curtis would spend thirty years living among and photographing Native Americans from Alaska to Mexico. It would cost him dearly, but his project, the monumental The North American Indian, remains unmatched in its sweep and beauty. The Vanishing Race is the most famous Curtis image. Mounted Natives move away from us, getting ever smaller, epitomizing the "Vanishing Race" myth that posited that Native Americans were, tragically but inevitably, doomed to vanish from the earth. Time has, of course, proven it a myth, yet it inspired and drove Curtis. This Vanishing Race is a goldtone, or orotone, a rare example of a process invented by Curtis, in which the lighter areas of the glass plate give off a softly reflective, golden hue. -James D. Balestrieri Property being sold to benefit the Mission and Vision of the Couse-Sharp Historic Site, Taos, New Mexico