Christopher Cardozo Fine Art

Christopher Cardozo Featured on Forbes.com – J. P. Morgan, Edward Curtis and Christopher Cardozo: An Inspired Collaboration

adminCCFA — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:05:19 +0000

Christopher Cardozo was interviewed earlier this week by American author, ecologist, mountaineer, and filmmaker, Michael Tobias. Michael’s than 45 books and 170 films have been distributed, translated, and broadcast internationally. Click the image below to read the full article.

Sacred Legacy Exhibition Opens at Mille Lacs Indian Museum

adminCCFA — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:06:49 +0000

Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian

Fantastic News! Having traveled to over 50 countries, 100 venues & to every continent but Antarctica, our world-wide traveling exhibition of Edward Curtis’ imagery is making it’s North American debut at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in Onamia, Minnesota. The purpose of this exhibition is to honor and celebrate our Native peoples and their stories, their history, and their culture as well as the beauty and power of Edward Curtis’ photography.

Medicine Crow - Apsoroke, 1908

Bear's Belly - Arikara, 1908

Shot in the Hand - Apsaroke, 1909

This 50 print exhibition not only contains many of Curtis’ signature images, but also highlights the now rare photographic processes that Curtis worked in, including platinum/palladium, goldtone, cyanotype, photogravure, goldtone, gelatin silver and gum bichromate. In addition, the imagery highlights many of the geographic regions that Curtis photographed.

Edward S. Curtis, 1899

Today Curtis’ work stands as a landmark in the history of photographs, book publishing, ethnography, and the American West.

Viewed in its entirety, Curtis’ work presents an historical record of enormous importance. Edward S. Curtis and his Native co-creators preserved for future generations an important era in American history and provided an opportunity to understand the American Indian experience. Perhaps the most important legacy of Curtis’s monumental accomplishment is the expression of an extraordinary and deeply felt empathy with the personal, emotional, and spiritual lives of the American Indian. In this respect, Edward S. Curtis’ work stands alone.

Exhibition Dates
June 30, 2012 – September 16, 2012 • Minnesota Historical Society, Mille Lacs Indian Museum, Onamia, Minnesota
November 1, 2012 – December 30, 2012 • Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis Central, Minnesota
January 14, 2013 – February 8, 2013 • Minnesota State University Campus, Moorhead, Minnesota

This exhibition has been organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis, in collaboration with Christopher Cardozo Fine Arts, the Minnesota Council of Regional Public Library Administrators (CRPLSA) and the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post.

The Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography has been working for nearly a decade in partnership with Christopher Cardozo Fine Art to present this historic exhibition. The Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 2003 to produce and promote significant, uniquely conceived exhibitions of photographic art.

Record Price for Edward Curtis at Christies Auction House

adminCCFA — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:56:12 +0000

On April 10, during a rare evening auction at Christies, New York, an exceptional complete subscriber’s set of Edward Curtis’ monumental work The North American Indian was sold for a record $2.88 million, including buyer’s premium. The set, from the private library of Kenneth Nebenzahl and on the very desirable Japan vellum paper stock, was hammered down by Francis Wahlgren, international head of books & manuscripts. Estimated at $1 – $1.5 million, the hammer price was more than double the previous record from seven years ago of $1.4 million.

The North American Indian - Volumes & Portfolios

Comprising 20 volumes of text & images and 20 supplemental portfolios of large plates The North American Indian is thought to be the most ambitious publishing project since the King James bible.

“An absolutely unmatched masterpiece of visual anthropology, and one of the most thorough, extensive and profound photographic works of all time.” (Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, ed. Christopher Cardozo, NY, 2000, p.25)

For more information on this historic book set please see our THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN page.

CCFA Contributes To Successful Birchbark Books Benefit

adminCCFA — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:35:42 +0000

The Friends Of Birchbark Books held a benefit fundraising event in March for the Native American owned and operated bookstore located in the Kenwood neighborhood.

Birchbark Books

During the auction, supporters of Birchbark Books bid spiritedly and snatched up three contemporary prints by Edward Curtis, all donated by Cardozo Fine Art. The three prints brought in more than $4,000, more than half of the auction total! Christopher Cardozo was on hand to introduce each piece.

The three items donated for auction were:

“Taos Water Girls”-1905. Contemporary original 17” x 14” Goldtone™ in classic style frame.

“Qahatika Water Girl”-1908. 40” x 32” archival pigment print

“The Rush Gatherer – Kutenai”-1910. Custom-framed 12”x16” archival pigment print

Birchbark Books is a cozy, neighborhood Native author-owned bookstore, which specializes in Native written and oriented books and various unique items. The owner, Louise Erdrich is an internationally-known, award-winning author who is known for books as Love Medicine and The Beet Queen.

She also contributed the afterward to Cardozo’s book entitled: Edward S. Curtis: The Women.

CCFA Community Outreach Presentation

adminCCFA — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:56:59 +0000

Christopher Cardozo Fine Art participated in a community outreach event at Ameriprise Financial, a leading diversified financial services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Christopher Cardozo gave a presentation as part of Ameriprise Financial’s diversity & inclusion network.

The Native American Tribal Indigenous Organizational Network(NATION), was formed in 1992 to encourage and support awareness of the Native American culture in a corporate workplace environment through networking and education.

The beauty, heart & spirit that Curtis’ work evokes and Chris’s passion in speaking on the importance of Curtis’ work made for a very engaging & educational experience.

An Oasis in the Badlands - Sioux, 1905 - Platinum print

Titled “Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian”, the presentation included a wide range of Curtis’ images from five key geographic regions, the Northwest, California, Plateau & Woodlands, the Southwest and the Great Plains.

In addition, a wide range of photographic processes that Curtis worked in were represented. Jack Driscoll, a noted American Indian art expert and scholar, contributed his expertise in identifying the dress, jewelry and markings in a few key images.

Untitled (Indian Brave w/Breast Plate), 1905 - Platinum print

The American Indian in this image is wearing a large deer-tail roach on his head, held on by a cloth ‘hat band’. The ‘hat band’ has horse shoe designs painted on it with the long ends trailing down the sides of the chest plate. Attached to the ‘hat band’, on the viewers right, is a feather cockade with dangles. His hair, just above the ‘hat band’ is painted with gypsum. Hanging down on either side of his eyes are two ‘love locks’ with hair threaded through tube beads possibly made of bird bone. The chest protector is made from rows of 3″+ hair pipes with spotted, brass beads running down the center. He is also wearing coin earrings and a simple cotton scarf.

The details Jack was able to provide add another level of eduction to Curtis images.

Audience participation was fully encouraged with many engaging questions for both Chris & Jack.

The presentation concluded with a quote from Kent Nerburn, an author, sculptor, and educator who has been deeply involved in Native American issues and education.

The spirit of the Native people, the first people, has never died. It lives in the rocks and the forests, the rivers and the mountains. It murmurs in the brooks and whispers in the trees. The hearts of these people were formed of the earth that we now walk, and their voice can never be silenced.

Please feel free to contact us regarding future speaking engagements.

Edward Curtis Goldtones on Antiques Roadshow

adminCCFA — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:03:25 +0000

A pleasant surprise for fans & collectors of Edward Curtis’ photographs was showcased on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, January 30th broadcast.

A woman from Eugene, Oregon had three lovely Curtis Orotones (also known as Goldtones) appraised by Daile Kaplan, Swann Galleries Vice President and Director of Photographs.
The segment can be seen here on the PBS website.

©Antiques Roadshow 2011

The vintage 8″ x 10″ goldtones were in the original Curtis Studio “batwing” frames and in good condition. The Old Well At Acoma, The Rush Gatherer, and The Vanishing Race represent three of Curtis’ most famous images. Each vintage, 8″ x 10″ goldtone was valued from $4,000 to $9,000 for a total value as a group of $15,000 – $22,500.

We have all three of these images available in the Goldtone™ gallery on our website. Made from Curtis’ original glass-plate negatives, our contemporary original Goldtones™ have a luminosity and three-dimensionality that is unequaled by any other photographic medium.

While it was Curtis’ favorite process, the complexity and expense of producing goldtones in his day meant that only about 1 in 1,000 of his negatives were originally printed as goldtones.

You can learn more about our Goldtones™ here.

Image Showcase: Bear’s Belly – Arikara, 1904

CCFA Staff — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:27:49 +0000
Cardozo Fine Art intends to periodically showcase some of our favorite images from Curtis’ magnum opus The North American Indian. The first image we have chosen is “Bear’s Belly – Arikara”-1904, whose name is translated from Ḳúnúḣ-kanánu.

Bear's Belly - Arikara, 1904
The imposing figure in this striking portrait is depicted wearing the bearskin that plays an important role in his standing within his clan. The dramatic story of how he obtained his cloak is recounted in Curtis’ entry from Volume V, reprinted below. In addition, the image reveals scars Bear’s Belly received during rituals undergone as rites of passage into adulthood.

The dramatic lighting and composition as well as the stark separation from the plain dark background of this photograph, taken in the field, displays Curtis’ mastery of his technique and vision. Also apparent is the full engagement and cooperation of his subject, revealing much more than just his likeness.

“Bear’s Belly – Arikara”-1904. This image was printed as a photogravure, plate 150 from Portfolio V, with the text below from the accompanying Volume V of Curtis’ The North American Indian.
Born in 1847 at Fort Clark in the present North Dakota. He had no experience in war when at the age of nineteen he joined Custer’s scouts at Fort Abraham Lincoln, having been told by old men of the tribe that such a course was the surest way to gain honors. Shortly after his arrival, Custer led a force into the Black Hills country; in the course of which, the young Arikara counted two first coups and one second. Bear’s Belly fasted once. Going to an old man for advice, he was taken to the outskirts of the village to an old buffalo skull, commanded to strip, smear his body with white clay, and sit in front of the skull. When he had taken the assigned position, the old man held up a large knife and an awl while he addressed the buffalo skull: “this young man sits in front of you, and is going to endure great suffering. Look upon him with great favor, you and Neshanu, and give him a long, prosperous life.” With that he cut pieces of skin from the faster’s breast and held them out to the buffalo skull. Bear’s Belly married at the age of nineteen. He became a member of the Bears in the medicine fraternity and relates the following story of an occurrence connected with that event:

“Needing a bearskin in my medicine-making, I went, at the season when the leaves were turning brown, into the White-Clay hills. All the thought of my heart that day was to see a bear and kill him. I passed an eagle trap, but did not stop: it was a bear I wanted, not an eagle. Coming suddenly to the brink of a cliff I saw me three bears. My heart wished to go two ways: I wanted a bear. But to fight three was hard. I decided to try it, and, descending, crept up to within forty yards of them, where I stopped to look around for a way of escape if they charged me. The only way out was by the cliff, and as I could not climb well in moccasins I removed them. One bear was standing with his side toward me, another was walking slowly toward him on the other side. I waited until the second one was close to the first and pulled the trigger. The farther one fell; the bullet had passed through the body of one and into the brain of the other. The wounded one charged, and I ran, loading my rifle, then turned and shot again, breaking his backbone. He lay there on the ground only ten paces from me and I see his face twitching. A noise caused me to remember the third bear, which I saw rushing upon me only six or seven paces away, I was yelling to keep up my courage and the bear was growling in his anger. He rose on his hind legs, and I shot, with my gun nearly touching his chest. He gave a howl and ran off. The bear with the broken back was dragging himself about with his forelegs, and I went to him and said, ‘I came looking for you to be my friend, to be with me always.’ Then I reloaded my gun and shot him through the head. His skin I kept, but the other two I sold.”

View this Mammoth print here.

Learn more about our Mammoth prints here.

Please leave a comment if there’s a topic or image that you’d like to see in a future posting.

CCFA Contibutes Mammoth Curtis Print

CCFA Staff — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:24:01 +0000

2011 Outward Bound Benefit Dinner & Auction

Cardozo Fine Art Contributes Mammoth Curtis Print To Outward Bound Benefit Auction
CFA is happy to have contributed a beautiful Mammoth pigment print of an Edward Curtis portrait of a revered Great Plains warrior titled “Bear’s Belly – Arikara” to Outward Bound’s 49^th Annual National Benefit Auction. The image, one of Curtis’ most powerful and iconic, is a commanding size of 60” x 40” and printed on T.H. Saunders Waterford paper.

Outward Bound, the premier provider of experience-based outdoor leadership programs for teens, adults and professionals, raised $133,000 in just one night! The entire Benefit raised more than $1.4M to provide more scholarships for students and veterans. This was a record breaking evening for the worthy organization.

This was the third year that Cardozo Fine Art has contributed an item for auction to Outward Bound’s Annual Benefit Auction.

Learn more about our Mammoth prints.

Christopher Cardozo welcomes you to our new website!

CCFA Staff — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:03:11 +0000

New Edward Curtis website at edwardcurtis.com

CCFA Staff — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:52:12 +0000

Hey Edward Curtis-loving folks out there! We at edwardcurtis.com and Cardozo Fine Art have launched (finally) our new website! It’s the go-to place for most things Curtis, from our own line of beautiful contemporary original Curtis prints and mammoth reproductions to a comprehensive (and still growing) Edward Curtis biographical and historical information section covering the major events of his life. We even populated it with many iconic and some rarely seen images from our extensive vintage collection. The new website was created to improve your on-line experience by making it easy to find, view and purchase beautiful Edward Curtis images in a variety of sizes and processes. Explore the Curtis Biography section and see the tribes and regions that were the focus of this great photographer’s life and work.

Curtis Biography
From childhood in the Midwest to the beginnings of a career in photography in the northwest to the genesis of his great passion The North American Indian and beyond, this section will give some context and background to enjoy Curtis’ iconic photography with greater depth, and understanding. We share some interesting stories and little-known facts about the amazing adventure that was Edward Curtis’ life.

You’ll be able to watch videos of our founder Christopher Cardozo talking about the close collaboration Curtis had with his Native American subjects, as well as the struggle to raise funds from wealthy and powerful figures, such as J P Morgan, to return year after year to the field in his quest to capture fading Indian culture. Explore a map of the tribal regions Curtis traveled to and read about tribal life of the period.

Well known contemporary Native Americans tell their story of Edward Curtis and the impact he had on their lives including two generations of Horse Capture’s descendants and the importance they place on Curtis’ work.

We will be adding more content to this section in the near future, such as a graphical timeline and videos, so please visit again.

Contemporary Curtis Prints

Looking for an oversized lithograph of Chief Red Hawk in the famous image “An Oasis In The Badlands”? How about a larger-than-life print of the stoic face of Bear’s Belly? Need a luminous Goldtone of the sweeping vista of “Canon de Chelly”? You’ll find these and many more in our unique collection of the finest contemporary original prints of Edward Curtis’ iconic photography.

We at Cardozo Fine Art hope our new website is something you find enjoyable and useful in your exploration of this great American photographer and his fascinating subject, Native American history and culture.