Six films of early exploration Introduced from the Royal Geographical Society by the pioneer polar explorer Duncan Carse.
4: Red Indian Shadow Catcher (1896-1930)
* The most spectacular ritual of the Hopi Indians is their Snake Dance, employing live rattle snakes, and I became obsessed with the idea of participating ... I followed the dancer four times around the plaza, cast my snake aside, and received the next snake for a continuation of the dance ...' So the pioneer American photographer, anthropologist and explorer Edward Curtis describes one of the most dangerous incidents in his life's work of chronicling the vanishing customs and ways of life of the American Indian. Altogether Curtis recorded the lives of some eight tribes, took 40,000 photographs (' shadow catcher' is the Indian name for photographer) and several miles of motion pictures.
Narrator DONALD SUTHERLAND
Film editor PAT o'cbadt
Producer RICHARD ROBINSON