Art & Art History ETDs

Publication Date

4-27-1978

Abstract

Charles Lummis is well known for his cultural contribution to the American Southwest as a writer, magazine editor and museum founder. He was also a photographer worthy of consideration although very little attention has been given in the past to this aspect of his multifaceted career. From the fall of 1887 to the fall of 1892 Charles Lummis produced an extensive body of cyanotypes and salt prints documenting the Indians, pueblos, geological landmarks and archeological ruins of the Southwest. These photographs represent not only a valuable historical and ethnological record, they offer a significant contribution to the history of photography. Charles Lummis' photography is examined in relation to the other aspects of his life, the technical developments within the medium of photography that allowed his work to take the form that it did, photographs of the same subject matter taken by other photographers and the personal beliefs about the Southwest held by Lummis from which these photographs were generated. It is concluded that the unique characteristics of Charles Lummis' photography resulted from his familiarity with the region, his sophisticated sensitivity to the qualities of light and architecture existing within the Southwest and the degree of commitment with which he photographed while maintaining the informality of an amateur.

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Arts

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Department of Art and Art History

First Committee Member (Chair)

Thomas Francis Barrow

Second Committee Member

Van Deren Coke

Third Committee Member

Beaumont Newhall

Fourth Committee Member

Nicolai Cikovsky Jr.

Download

Share

COinS