Last of a warrior breed: Colorized photographs show Native Americans as their way of life was irrevocably changed by the conquest of the West

  • The original images were taken by American photographer Edward Curtis at the turn of the 20th Century 
  • Curtis's goal was not just to photograph but also to document Native American traditional life
  • They have recently been painstakingly colorized by Anthony Malesys, 26, from Lille, France

Advertisement

Incredible images of Native Americans around the turn of the twentieth century have been given a new lease of life.

The original photographs were taken by Edward Curtis and have been painstakingly colorized by Anthony Malesys, 26, from Lille, France.

The shots show a Hamatsa shaman possessed by supernatural power after having spent several days in the woods as part of an initiation ritual, a nude bowman standing on rocks in water and aiming an arrow and Red Hawk, an Oglala warrior, sitting on a horse that is drinking from a small pond in the Badlands of North Dakota.

Other pictures show a Klamath Indian chief in feather headdress standing on a mountain overlooking Crater Lake, Oregon, Two Dakota women hanging meat to dry on poles and portraits of many Native Americans including Three Horses in full headdress.

A portrait of Chief Three Horses  photographed by Edward Curtis in 1905 and colorized by Anthony Malesys

A portrait of Chief Three Horses photographed by Edward Curtis in 1905 and colorized by Anthony Malesys

A Klamath chief in a feather headdress standing on mountain overlooking Crater Lake, Oregon in 1923

A Klamath chief in a feather headdress standing on mountain overlooking Crater Lake, Oregon in 1923

A nude bowman standing on rocks in water and aiming an arrow in 1910. It is one of the incredible colorized photographs of Native Americans

A nude bowman standing on rocks in water and aiming an arrow in 1910. It is one of the incredible colorized photographs of Native Americans

A head-and-shoulders portrait of Dakota Sioux woman, Lucille, standing in front of tree. It was taken in 1907

A head-and-shoulders portrait of Dakota Sioux woman, Lucille, standing in front of tree. It was taken in 1907

Two Dakota women hanging meat to dry on poles in front of their tent on an open plain in 1908

Two Dakota women hanging meat to dry on poles in front of their tent on an open plain in 1908

A portrait of Red Wing, left, taken in Montana in 1908
A 1904 portrait of a Navajo man wearing a ceremonial mask with feathers and with fir or spruce branches forming a wreath around the shoulders

A portrait of Red Wing, left, taken in Montana in 1908 and right, a 1904 photograph of a Navajo man wearing a ceremonial mask with feathers and with fir or spruce branches forming a wreath around the shoulders

Mr Malesys said: 'I was immediately fascinated by the work of Edward Curtis.

'He collected a census, between 1907 and 1930, of all the Native American peoples in a fabulous ethnographic and artistic project, making it possible to never forget who they were.

'I like being able to see the past from a totally different eye and angle and to be able to transmit and relate historical facts at the same time.' 

Edward Sheriff Curtis was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West.

In 1895, he met and photographed Princess Angeline, also known as Kickisomlo, the daughter of Chief Sealth of Seattle. This was his first portrait of a Native American.

In 1906, J. P. Morgan provided Curtis with $75,000 to produce a series on Native Americans. This work was to be in 20 volumes with 1,500 photographs.

Eventually 222 complete sets were published. Curtis's goal was not just to photograph but also to document as much of Native American traditional life as possible before that way of life disappeared.

Mr Malesys explained how he brought the old black and white photographs back to life by adding a splash of colour.

He said: 'At the beginning of the process I do a lot of research. 

Red Hawk, an Oglala warrior, sitting on a horse that is drinking from a small pond in the Badlands of North Dakota in 1906

Red Hawk, an Oglala warrior, sitting on a horse that is drinking from a small pond in the Badlands of North Dakota in 1906

Two models pose wearing traditional ceremonial dress, crouching with long beaks pointed toward one another in 'Kotsuis and Hohhug—Nakoakto' taken in British Colombia in 1914

Two models pose wearing traditional ceremonial dress, crouching with long beaks pointed toward one another in 'Kotsuis and Hohhug—Nakoakto' taken in British Colombia in 1914

A Hamatsa shaman seated on the ground in front of tree in 1914. He is possessed by supernatural power after having spent several days in the woods as part of an initiation ritual

A Hamatsa shaman seated on the ground in front of tree in 1914. He is possessed by supernatural power after having spent several days in the woods as part of an initiation ritual

Portrait of a Native American woman seated and holding baby in beaded cradleboard. It was taken in 1908
Black Eagle wearing buffalo hide and holding the wing of a bird. Dated 1908

Two 1908 portraits featuring a Native American woman seated and holding baby in beaded cradleboard, left, and right, Black Eagle wearing buffalo hide and holding the wing of a bird

'In fact, I often spend more time in my research than in the actual colourisation. 

'I am not only looking for references for objects or clothes but also information about the story that corresponds to the photo itself, because when it comes to choosing the right colours, it is important to know the historical and cultural context as well.

'I use Photoshop to bring life to the images. By using different layers, different tones, contrasts or colours, I can bring back details that were present in the original photograph.

'By adding colours to these photographs, the viewer is brought closer to the reality in which they were taken.' 

 

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.