The Mouth Of The Quinault River
1912
Curtis' monumental twenty-volume project, The North American Indian, attempted to document and record the lifeways of Native American cultures through text and image, believing as many did that the cultures were soon to be extinct. The empty canoes, and the use of soft focus to create a romanticized mood in this photograph, contribute to this sentiment. However, the survival of Quinault canoe culture continues-with the aid of elders like Emmett Oliver, alive and active today-through the maintenance of tribal canoe societies and the revival of the annual Canoe Journeys.
Photogravure on vellum (paper)
11 9/16 x 15 3/8 in. (29.3 x 39.1 cm)
Gift of John H. Hauberg
86.153
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
