Artist: Edward S. Curtis (American, 1868-1952)
Title: Launching the Whale Boat – Cape Prince of Wales, plate #707
Date: n.d.
Accession #: 2009.11.707
Medium: Photogravure on Dutch Van Gelder paper
Dimensions: sheet: 17 3/4 x 21 7/8 in., image: 11 3/8 x 15 1/2 in.
Acquired by: Dubuque Cultural Preservation Committee, an Iowa general partnership, consisting of Dr. Darryl K. Mozena, Jeffrey P. Mozena, Mark Falb, Timothy J. Conlon, and Dr. Randy Lengeling
Image courtesy of: Northwestern University Library. Edward S. Curtis’ “The North American Indian,” 2003. . Web.
Interesting fact about the Photographer: Curtis and his crew stayed on Nunivak Island for sixteen days before leaving on July 26, 1926. For the first time, Curtis was genuinely sad to leave behind a Native American tribe, and one of his best translators Paul Ivanhoff:
“Paul has been one of the best helpers I ever had. It was hard to say ‘good-bye’ to him. In fact, we all left Nunivak and our friends there with a real heart ache. I suspect that much of our liking for the island is our deep regard for Paul and through his help our work on the island has been a great success.”
(from: Makepeace, Anne. Edward S. Curtis Coming to Light. Washington D.C.: National Geographic, 2002. p.157. Print.)