Edward Curtis was one of the great early American photographers, but unfortunately this website is one of the most confusing and disorientating ever flung together. There are quite a few gems hidden away, however.

I was thinking when I posted this link to Edward Curtis that his photographs reminded me in a roundabout way of Richard Avedon's 'In the American West', a book I've long admired. Now, coincidentally, I discover that Joerg Colberg at Conscientious (one of the very best photography sites) mentions it today. Laura Wilson, who worked with Avedon on the book, has just published her account of the experience. You can read and see more here. Avedon later said, '... I feel that these people are so powerful. When you look, really look, they say such varied things with their faces and their bodies. It's almost as if there was no photographer. I'm out of it. I feel the work now belongs to the people themselves. It's between them and you.' I think Edward Curtis achieved something similar. I also wonder if Joel-Peter Witkin has been influenced by images like the one above.