The material culture of Theodore Roosevelt (#9): Preservation through a camera lens
Subject(s): Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952, Grinnell, George Bird, 1849-1938, Harriman Alaska Expedition, Harriman, Edward Henry, 1848-1909, Indians of North America--Photographs, Joseph (Nez Percé Chief), 1840-1904, Longworth, Alice Roosevelt, 1884-1980, Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942, Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, Photographers--Portraits, Pinchot, Gifford, 1865-1946, Presidents--Portraits, Roosevelt family, Roosevelt, Archibald B. (Archibald Bulloch), 1894-1979, Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow, 1861-1948, Roosevelt, Quentin, 1897-1918, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Russell, Walter, 1871-1963, Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907
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Gregory A. Wynn explores the life of American photographer Edward S. Curtis who photographed Theodore Roosevelt’s family in 1904 and 1905. Wynn argues that Curtis’s 1904 portrait “is the single best studio photograph” of Roosevelt. Wynn details Curtis’s decades long struggle to photograph, write, and produce his multi-volume The North American Indian, and he highlights the roles played by Roosevelt and J. Pierpont Morgan in promoting and financing the project. In an addendum to his essay, Wynn notes that the Roosevelt collection of his friend Peter Scanlan came to auction, and he highlights the sale of pieces that have been featured in previous editions of his material culture column.
Five Curtis photographs supplement the text along with the title page of The North American Indian and illustrations of three items from the Scanlan auction.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
2014
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
10
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
The material culture of Theodore Roosevelt (#9): Preservation through a camera lens. [December 4, 2025]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308525. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Wynn, Gregory A.. The material culture of Theodore Roosevelt (#9): Preservation through a camera lens. [4 Dec. 2025]. Image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 4, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308525.
APA:
Wynn, Gregory A..: , [2025, December 4]. The material culture of Theodore Roosevelt (#9): Preservation through a camera lens. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308525.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 4, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
