Portfolio XVII, Plate 609: The Terraced Houses of Zuñi

Curtis used large-format film and long exposures to render fine detail in the textured walls and shadowed recesses of the terraces. The composition is deliberate and static, avoiding dramatic angles to present the architecture with documentary clarity. The muted tonal range and sharp focus convey a sense of stillness, reinforcing the quiet permanence of the built environment.

Created during Curtis’s expedition to the American Southwest, this image was produced as part of his multi-volume work The North American Indian. The photograph was later acquired by The Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains as a key example of early 20th-century ethnographic photography and a record of Zuni architectural heritage.

At the time of its creation, the Zuni community was navigating increasing pressures from U.S. government policies and cultural assimilation efforts. Curtis’s images, while often romanticized, preserved visual records of places and structures that were central to Indigenous identity. This photograph contributes to a broader historical archive of Puebloan settlements during a period of rapid social change.

The image endures as a reference for architectural historians and Indigenous communities studying ancestral building practices. Though Curtis’s broader project has been critiqued for its editorial framing, this particular photograph is valued for its unembellished depiction of Zuni terraced housing, offering insight into sustainable, place-based construction traditions.