Who was Chief Joseph?

A leader of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce (circa 1840–1904), known for the 1877 retreat toward Canada and his surrender speech. He spent his later years seeking the return of his people's land.

When did Edward Curtis photograph Chief Joseph?

In 1903 in Seattle, a year before Joseph died. The portrait became part of Curtis's The North American Indian.

What is a photogravure?

A printing process in which a photograph is etched into a copper plate and printed like an engraving, giving rich tone. Curtis published his work this way.

Is the portrait copyright-free?

Yes. It was published over a century ago and is in the public domain; the Library of Congress lists no known restrictions.

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Photograph · Edward S. Curtis · 1903

Edward S. Curtis, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce (1903)

This is Edward S. Curtis's 1903 portrait of Chief Joseph (Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it, circa 1840–1904), the Nez Perce leader, made in Seattle a year before Joseph's death and later issued as a photogravure. The photograph was published more than a century ago and is in the public domain.

Sepia photogravure portrait of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce by Edward S. Curtis, 1903, head and shoulders with shell earrings and swept-up hair — Edward S. Curtis, 1903. Source: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (Edward S. Curtis Collection).

History

Chief Joseph led a band of the Nez Perce who refused to be moved from the Wallowa valley in Oregon; in 1877 he and his people conducted a 1,200-mile fighting retreat toward Canada before surrendering in Montana, where his words 'I will fight no more forever' were recorded. He spent the rest of his life in exile from his homeland, pressing Washington for its return.

Curtis, a Seattle studio photographer, photographed Joseph in 1903 during the chief's visit to the city; the sitting is one of the earliest in the project that became The North American Indian, Curtis's twenty-volume record of Native peoples published between 1907 and 1930. The Library of Congress holds Curtis's prints and the published volumes.

What the print shows

A head-and-shoulders portrait of Joseph facing slightly left, in a dark blanket with shell earrings and his hair swept up from the forehead in the Nez Perce style. The lighting is soft and the background plain; the image has the sepia tone of a photogravure. The print is vertical, in a 2 : 3 shape, reproduced from a high-resolution scan of the photogravure plate.

Source and licence

Source: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (Edward S. Curtis Collection).

Licence: Public domain. Curtis's photographs of this period were published before 1929 and the Library lists no known restrictions on their reproduction.

The Library's Curtis collection holds the photogravure plates and photographic prints from The North American Indian.

Available sizes and prices

Print: paper or framed Etsy listing 4547622961

Size	Paper	Framed
8 × 12 in (21 × 30 cm)	$29.99	$98.99
12 × 18 in (30 × 45 cm)	$44.99	$137.99
16 × 24 in (40 × 60 cm)	$54.99	$195.99

Printed to order, shipped in 2–5 business days, free US shipping. Paper: matte fine-art paper. Framed: real wood (black, white, wood, dark wood), shatterproof acrylic, ready to hang.

Buy

Edward S. Curtis Chief Joseph 1903 Portrait (print: paper or framed): buy on Etsy, from $29.99.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Chief Joseph?: A leader of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce (circa 1840–1904), known for the 1877 retreat toward Canada and his surrender speech. He spent his later years seeking the return of his people's land.
When did Edward Curtis photograph Chief Joseph?: In 1903 in Seattle, a year before Joseph died. The portrait became part of Curtis's The North American Indian.
What is a photogravure?: A printing process in which a photograph is etched into a copper plate and printed like an engraving, giving rich tone. Curtis published his work this way.
Is the portrait copyright-free?: Yes. It was published over a century ago and is in the public domain; the Library of Congress lists no known restrictions.

Sources

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (Edward S. Curtis Collection)

Published 20 Oct 2026; prices are the live Etsy prices as of 20 Oct 2026. The work is public domain; this page's text is © ThinkDotCo and may be quoted with a link.