The Indian Picture Opera

The Indian Picture Opera is a magic lantern slide show created by photographer Edward S. Curtis in the early 20th century. Curtis is best known for his extensive work documenting Native American tribes through his 20-volume book series, The North American Indian, which featured around 2,400 photographs along with detailed ethnological and linguistic studies of the tribes of the American West.

In 1911, Curtis developed The Indian Picture Opera as a promotional tool to increase sales of his book series. The travelling slide show used a Stereo-Opticon projector to display Curtis’s photographs on large screens in major American cities. The show featured a live soundtrack performed by a small orchestra, which played music inspired by Native American chants and rhythms. Curtis himself narrated the show, providing commentary on the images and sharing stories about the tribal communities he had documented.

The Indian Picture Opera was presented to audiences who were captivated by the imagery and the narrative of Native American life. The show received positive reviews and standing ovations, reflecting the public’s interest in Curtis’s portrayal of Indigenous cultures during a time when such communities were facing significant challenges, including cultural erosion and forced assimilation. The visual and musical elements of the opera provided a unique, albeit romanticized, view of Native American life that contrasted sharply with the prevailing attitudes of the time.

Curtis’s work, including The Indian Picture Opera, was part of a broader movement in the early 20th century to document and preserve Native American cultures, which were rapidly changing due to U.S. government policies and westward expansion. While Curtis’s efforts were significant for their scope and detail, they have also been critiqued for romanticizing Indigenous cultures and sometimes staging scenes to fit his narrative vision. His work remains both a valuable historical resource and a subject of ongoing debate regarding representation and authenticity.

Curtis’s influence extended beyond his lifetime, and his visual documentation of Native American tribes continues to be referenced in cultural and academic discussions. In 2006, a contemporary remake of The Indian Picture Opera was released on DVD. This version followed Curtis’s original script and music, reconstituted into a modern multimedia format. The remake aimed to preserve Curtis’s original presentation while making it accessible to contemporary audiences.

Following the success of The Indian Picture Opera, Curtis went on to produce and direct In the Land of the Head Hunters in 1914, one of the first feature-length films to star an entirely Native American cast. This film further showcased his dedication to documenting Indigenous cultures, though it, too, faced criticism for its staged elements and fictionalised portrayals.

• The Indian Picture Opera Archived 2019-09-21 at the Wayback Machine Pictures and words by Edward S. Curtis, newly recreated on DVD
• Magic Lantern Society of the United States & Canada