Defining Images

Since the invention of the camera, skilled photographers have made great contributions to the visual record of historic events. The books in Defining Images explore the titular event or era through the lens of these images and their creator or creators. The books examine how the images helped inform our understanding of the subject matter, as well as the impact the images had at the time and today.

REVIEW:
★STARRED★ The contemporary perspective, however, is truly illuminating, addressing what Curtis got wrong; the hypocritical attitudes of Curtis’ contemporaries, who idealized Native culture while simultaneously enacting policies that laid waste to Native lands and traditions; and how Curtis’ stunning but highly romanticized images have continued to produce misrepresentations of Native American groups. Other modern scholars, though, admire Curtis’ tenacity and sheer artistry, and the latter is nicely on display in the large-format reproductions of his original photos. A well-balanced, highly informative take on a lesser-known American icon.

—Edward S. Curtis Chronicles Native Nations (Defining Images) - Booklist (Oct 2017)