The Flute Of The Gods Ryan, Marah Ellis. Edward S. Curtis Photo Native Americans,Photography,Western Americana

Hardcover. 8vo (8.5" x 8.5"), later half crushed brown morocco, gilt spine and ornamental borders on covers, raised bands, gray buckram, original illus. front pastedown and endpaper, plain paper replacement at rear to pastedown and terminal leaf, t.e.g. Frontis., xii, 338 pp., 24 photogravure plates. Signatures at limitation page. CONDITION: Very good, ffep with 1" separation at top and bottom of hinge, small loss to lower right corner of flyleaf, some pages uncut, 1.5 inch hear in one page. Autograph edition, limited to 500 numbered copies signed by Curtis and Ryan. This copy is number 163. An historical romance set in the southwest, this is the second collaboration between Ryan and Curtis. It was published while Curtis was in the midst of compiling the North American Indian (1907-1930), the "most ambitious and the most expensive project ever attempted in photography" (Parr & Badger), and is illustrated with his photogravures, mainly of Hopi and Apache subjects. Marah Ellis Ryan (1860-1934) "went to live among the Hopi Indians.and claimed to be the only white woman ever admitted to the secret religious rites. She was.an authority on the tribal life of the Indians in the United States and Mexico" (NYT). REFERENCES: Parr, Martin and Gerry Badger. The Photobook (New York: Phaidon, 2004), vol. 1, p. 73; "Mrs. Marah E. Ryan, Writer, Dies at 68" New York Times, July 12, 1934, p. 17.