Nimkish village at Alert Bay . Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
View looking along the facades of the timber frame houses, each with carved totem poles in front: 'The figure at the bottom of the column in the foreground, with the painting on the front of the house, represents a raven. When a feast or a dance is to be held in this house, the guests enter thro...
Masked dancers in canoes — Qagyhl (a). Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
View of three canoes approaching the camera, each with a costumed figure standing in the prow: 'Visitors approaching a village where the winter dance is in progress sometimes array themselves in their ceremonial costumes, and dance while the canoes slowly move shoreward. From left to right the d...
Rounding into port — Qagyhl. Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
View of canoes under sail: 'The primitive Kwakiutl sail for canoes was a sheet of cedar-bark matting, and on catamarans a large, square section of thin boards was propped up against the wind. Canvas is now used. The painting on the canoe at the left represents 'sisiutl.' the mythical double-head...
Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert . Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
View of wood framed houses, the nearest with a large painted totem pole in front: 'This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. T...
Koskimo woman. Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
Head-and-shoulders left profile portrait of an elderly Koskimo woman: 'The head is a good illustration of the extremes to which the Quatsino Sound tribes carried the practice of artificially lengthening the skulls of their infants.'
Dancing to restore an eclipsed moon — Qagyuhl. Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
View of dance in progress, looking upwards towards the figures from a low viewpoint: 'It is thought that an eclipse is the result of an attempt of some creature in the sky to swallow the luminary. In order to compel the monster to disgorge it, the people dance round a smoldering fire of old clot...
Sailing — Qagyuhl. Photographer: Curtis, Edward Sheriff
Scope & Content:
View looking towards a group of canoes under sail: 'The canoe in the foreground, fifty-five feet in length overall, is probably the largest native craft now in existence on the North Pacific coast, and it is doubtful if any canoe of greater size was ever made in this region.'