Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceBrief
- ReligionSupportingOther or made-up faith
- Race & cultureCentral
Not found
- Scary content
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender roles
- Gender & orientation
Couldn't confirm
- Profanity
- Profanity: The reviews and descriptions do not say anything about the language used in the book.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
A Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Timothy Egan reveals the life story of the man determined to preserve a people and culture in Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis.
"A vivid exploration of one man's lifelong obsession with an idea . . . Egan's spirited biography might just bring [Curtis] the recognition that eluded him in life." -- The Washington Post
Edward Curtis was charismatic, handsome, a passionate mountaineer, and a famous portrait photographer, the Annie Leibovitz of his time. He moved in rarefied circles, a friend to presidents, vaudeville stars, leading thinkers. But when he was thirty-two years old, in 1900, he gave it all up to pursue his Great Idea: to capture on film the continent's original inhabitants before the old ways disappeared.
Curtis spent the next three decades documenting the stories and rituals of more than eighty North American tribes. It took tremendous perseverance -- ten years alone to persuade the Hopi to allow him to observe their Snake Dance ceremony. And the undertaking changed him profoundly, from detached observer to outraged advocate. Curtis would amass more than 40,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recordings, and he is credited with making the first narrative documentary film. In the process, the charming rogue with the grade school education created the most definitive archive of the American Indian.
Frequently asked questions
Is Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The book mentions historical violence against Native Americans, such as warfare and killings, and a medicine man who died under suspicious circumstances, but these are not the focus of the story. The book describes Native American religious ceremonies Curtis recorded, such as the Hopi Snake Dance, and missionaries who tried to wipe out Native spiritual practices.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have violence?
Found (Brief): The book mentions historical violence against Native Americans, such as warfare and killings, and a medicine man who died under suspicious circumstances, but these are not the focus of the story.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have scary content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have religion?
Found (Supporting, Other or made-up faith): The book describes Native American religious ceremonies Curtis recorded, such as the Hopi Snake Dance, and missionaries who tried to wipe out Native spiritual practices.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have race & culture?
Found (Central): The book is about Curtis documenting Native American peoples and cultures, and it deals with their mistreatment, forced assimilation, and the racism Curtis and his Native interpreter encountered.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have profanity?
Couldn't confirm: The reviews and descriptions do not say anything about the language used in the book.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have gender roles?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis have gender & orientation?
Not found in the sources we checked.
