photo #9128692

Canyon de Chelly photographed by Edward S. Curtis,1904 ... This photograph of Canyon de Chelly is part of Edward S. Curtis's extensive documentation of Native American life. Located within the Navajo Nation, Canyon de Chelly has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. Curtis often photographed Navajo riders moving through the landscape, emphasizing both scale and continuity, people living within the same terrain their ancestors had occupied for generations. His work, while visually striking, is also viewed critically today. Curtis sometimes staged or altered scenes to fit his vision of a “vanishing” culture, shaping how Native Americans were represented to wider audiences. Despite that, his photographs remain an important visual record of the early 20th century American Southwest. Canyon de Chelly is still inhabited today, making it one of the longest continuously lived-in landscapes in North America. © Vintage American Photos #archaeohistories