In September 1895, Aby Warburg started out on his journey to the USA, which proved to be momentous for him as well as for the scientific discipline of art history. The results of his cultural-anthropological research ( Snake Ritual ), which he presented in lectures in 1897 and at the Kreuzlingen Sanatorium in 1923, are for the first time presented in reliable transcriptions, including all image documents.

In addition to about 200 photographs by Warburg, covering subjects such as the Pueblo Indians'dance rituals, this edition offers the complete catalogue of his collection of Indian artefacts. With detailed comments, and explanations of that journey, the volume shows how Warburg uses the exploration of the Hopi culture for the cultural psychological self-reflection of a European scientist.