"TRULY, THE ORIGINAL AMERICAN SHOULD BE PUT UPON A FOOTING WHICH WILL PERMIT AND ENCOURAGE AMBITION": 1923 TYPED LETTER SIGNED BY EDWARD S. CURTIS ON THE ECONOMIC PLIGHT OF NATIVE AMERICANS

CURTIS, Edward. Typed letter signed. Los Angeles,1923. One sheet of letterhead measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches, typing on recto; together with another sheet of the same letter, also with typing on the recto.

Long typed letter signed by renowned photographer Edward Curtis on the economic plight of Native Americans, the activities of the Indian Welfare League, and the struggle to gain full American citizenship for Native Americans.

The letter, dated March 1, 1923 and on the letterhead of Curtis' studio in Los Angeles, reads in full: "Mr. S.D. Green, Board of Education, Administration Building, Trenton, N.J. My dear Mr. Green, You ask that I send a word of greeting to your students. Any message to those at the point of taking up life's problems should be one of optimism and hope. Unfortunately, the Indian subject does not furnish the best of material for such a message. Every year seemingly finds the economic problem of the Indian as a whole more trying. To make use of Dr. Coue's worn out stencil, 'Year by year they grow poorer.' White man's greed and political expediency are not constructive factors in the Indian problem. I am happy to say that the past year has seen an awakened interest in the economic problems of the Indian. Much of the credit for this awakening is primarily due to the activities of a newly organized group of friends of the Indians—the Indian Welfare League. Through the activities of this little group considerable publicity has been given this all important subject; perhaps your students have noted the different articles in the Sunset Magazine. In an indirect way the Zane Grey story—The Vanishing American—in the Ladies Home Journal is well worth a serious reading. It should be looked upon as a composite picture including countless situations. One of the definite aims of the Indian Welfare League is to secure citizenship for the Indians. Truly, the original American should be put upon a footing which will permit and encourage ambition. Sincerely yours, [signed] Edward S. Curtis." " Curtis "was not the first person to photograph American Indians, or the last… However, there can be no doubt that he was the most prolific, the most dedicated, and the most influential. He spent the best part of his life — nearly thirty years — documenting what he considered to be the traditional way of life for Indians living in the trans-Mississippi West. He took more than 40,000 photographs, collected more than 350 traditional Indian tales, and made more than 10,000 sound recordings of Indian speeches and music" (Pritzker, Edward S. Curtis, 6), much of which was included in his monumental 20-volume The North American Indian. Accompanying this letter is another, signed by his daughter Beth Curtis, also on letterhead and addressed to the same recipient. It reads: "September 21, 1922. My dear Mr. Green, We are just in receipt of a letter from you to Mr. Curtis. This we have forwarded to him. Mr. Curtis is at present in the field on his Indian Work and will be absent from the City for a few months. Your previous letter must have gone astray for this is the first communication of any sort that we recall receiving from you. In case you wish to write Mr. Curtis further you can address him here and we will see that the letter is sent on promptly."

Expected fold lines. A fine signed Curtis letter.