Edward S. Curtis – “A Load of Fuel – Zuni,” 1903

Updated August 7, 2026

Edward S. Curtis – “A Load of Fuel – Zuni,” 1903 from The North American IndianPhotogravure, image size approximately 11¼ × 15¼ inches (standard large folio plate size). A classic daily-life scene from Zuni Pueblo. A Zuni man (wrapped in a heavy dark blanket or manta with head covering) stands beside a small donkey or burro that is heavily laden with a large bundle of firewood and brush. The man holds a stick or staff and looks toward the camera. Soft desert light and a simple pueblo background complete the composition. Curtis made this photograph in 1903 during his early fieldwork among the Zuni; it illustrates the everyday labor of gathering and transporting fuel in the Southwest.

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