This iconic Curtis portrait not only shows us this noble individual, but also the characteristic qualities of his tribe: pride, vitality, and self-reliance. This enduring image was a Curtis favorite, which he printed in a variety of photographic processes. This image has been widely reproduced and exhibited and another platinum print of “A Chief of the Desert” was one of only two Curtis photographs in a major exhibition originated by the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was seen by over one third of a million museum- goers. Platinum prints comprise less than 0.5% of Curtis’ extant work and this rare platinum print has its original mount. Fewer than one in four hundred Curtis prints exist in this original form of presentation. It is believed that this print is one of three or fewer to exist in this presentation. This particular print has an important exhibition history and has been reproduced in numerous publications.

Exhibition:
This print was included in a major groundbreaking, one person Curtis exhibition that toured Paris, Cologne, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands between 2000 and 2004.

Publications:
The North American Indian (Portfolio I Plate 26)
Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, P.119
The Great Warriors, Cover & P.13
Chiefs & Warriors, P.16

Edward Curtis is the most widely collected fine art photography in the history of the medium, and his work is found in major public and private collections internationally. He has also become the most widely exhibited. His work has moved viewers on every continent but Antarctica. He created an unprecedented body of work, which has won awards and accolades internationally. While the project nearly drove him into bankruptcy and cost him his health and family, today the aggregate value of the photographs he created exceeds one half of a billion dollars. Please see biography link for further details.