"Spearing Salmon: Spokan", Sepia Photograph of Indigenous Spearfishing by Edward Sheriff Curtis

Details

Description

Silver and sepia tone photographic print of an indigenous spearfisher by Edward Sheriff Curtis, image circa 1901 (American, 1868-1952), as … Read more Silver and sepia tone photographic print of an indigenous spearfisher by Edward Sheriff Curtis, image circa 1901 (American, 1868-1952), as a 1974 copy of (and printed from negatives derived from) the original Edward Curtis copper gravure plate, by Jean-Antony du Lac (1929-2002). Curtis used a process he mastered of creating orotones, which are photographs on glass, which Jean-Anthony du Lac spent years mastering. Jean-Antony du Lac's work is considered that of a preservationist. Titled lower left, signed lower right. Presented in an aluminum frame with anti-glare glass. Paper size: 20"H x 15"W

Born in France and raised in New York City, Jean-Anthony du Lac moved west to San Francisco in 1957. Jean was an accomplished photographer whose published credits include Life Magazine and the San Francisco Examiner. He spent many years reproducing Edward S. Curtis' images of North American Indians; and he mastered the process of creating orotones, which are photographic reproductions on glass. Jean's orotones appeared on the walls of the Smithsonian as well as the White House during the Carter and Reagan administrations. A preservationist, his reproduction of Edward Muybridge's panorama of San Francisco still hangs in one prominent San Francisco hotel; and he was instrumental in organizing Proposition P in the early 1970s, which sought to preserve the old San Francisco skyline by limiting the height of all downtown skyscrapers. The majority of his life a mystery, Jean left behind no material possessions, save for a single key to a solitary padlock. See less