At the turn of the 20th century, the American photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952) started on his 30-year project to produce a monumental study of North American Indians. Using an approach that was both artistically and scientifically ambitious, he recorded, in words and pictures, the traces of the traditional Indian way of life that was already beginning to die out.

With tireless personal commitment Curtis visited 80 American Indian tribes from the Mexican border to the Bering Strait, gaining their confidence through his patience and sensitivity. His work was printed in 20 volumes between 1907 and 1930 as The North American Indian, but with only 272 copies, originals became extremely rare.

This book gathers Curtis's entire American Indian portfolio into one publication, offering renewed access to and appreciation of his extraordinary achievement, which is as much a precious historical document as a triumph of the photographic form.

Volume #4 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Apsaroke, or Crows, The Hidatsa. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #20 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on The Alaskan Eskimo, The Nunivak Eskimo of Hooper Bay, Eskimo of King island, Eskimo of Little Diomede island, Eskimo of Cape Prince of Wales, The Kotzebue Eskimo, The Noatak, The Kobuk, The Selawik. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #17 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Tewa, The Zuni. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #13 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Hupa, The Yurok, The Karok, The Wiyot, Tolowa and Tututni, The Shasta, The Achomawi, The Klamath. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #2 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Pima, The Papago, The Qahatika, The Mohave, The Yuma, The Maricopa, The Walapai, Havasupai, The Apache Mohave, or Yavapai. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #7 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Yakima, The Klickitat, Salishan tribes of the interior, The Kutenai. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #11 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Nootka, The Haida. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #8 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Nez Perces, Wallawalla, Umatilla, Cayuse, The Chinookan tribes. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #1 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Apache, The Jicarillas, The Navajo. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #18 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Chipewyan, The Western Woods Cree, The Sarsi. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #16 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Tiwa, The Keres. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #5 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Mandan, The Arikara, The Atsina. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #10 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Kwakiutl. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #9 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the Salishan tribes of the coast, The Chimakum and the Quilliute, The Willapa. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #14 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Kato, The Wailaki, The Yuki, The Pomo, The Wintun, The Maidu, The Miwok, The Yokuts. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #3 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Teton Sioux, The Yanktonai, The Assiniboin. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #19 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Indians of Oklahoma, The Wichita, The southern Cheyenne, The Oto, The Comanche, The Peyote cult. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #15 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the Southern California - Shoshoneans, The Dieguenos, Plateau Shoshoneans, The Washo. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.

Volume #6 of 20 in The North American Indian series contains detailed information on the The Piegan, The Cheyenne, The Arapaho. The subject areas covered on each tribe are histories, customs, ceremonies, mythologies and comparative vocabularies.