Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-08-13
A SUPERB
EXHIBIT
An chronological Collection at the
Worlds S Fair That Has No Equal
at the Exposition.
CRAFTS OF AB0R|CINES
These Are illustrated by Fine Speci.
mems Of Basket Weaving, Blanketry
and Other Native Arts.

For many years students Of the an
tiquity of man, as we'll as OF Living
races, have regarded the Southwest al
the most interesting region of Nortl
America; and of this great region
central and western New Mexico an(
the adjacent territory of Arizona stant
pre-eminent. This vast area is un
speakably rich in ruins of ancient pueb
los and cliff-dwellers wich occupied
commanding positions in canons and
well-defned positions in valleys. In
fact, scarcely square mile through
out this region is entirely destitute of
more or less abundant traces
of mans evidence in more or
less remote times. Nor is the
interest confined to evidences of past
occupations, for New Mexico alone, in
addition to two great groups of Apache,
one of Utes and large number of
Navajo, contains twenty-six pueblos;
while beyond the state line, in Ari-
zona, are the incomparably interesting
seven pueblos of Tusayan, popularly
known as the "Moki."
From region so interesting to the
student and the trader both from the
point Of view of its antiquities and it's
living races, it was inevitable that
specimens of primitive mans handi-
craft should find their way back to the
east, for the artifacts both ancient and
modern of this region are singularly
substantial and generally of intrinsic
beauty. This is especially true of the
pottery, both ancient and modern, the
basketry and the superb textiles wo-
ven by the Navajo and many Pueblo
tribes. For many years the tourists
passing back and forth over this area
on the trains of the Santa Fe have
found their interest increasing in these
specimens of Indian handicraft, espe-
cially as their knowledge of the people
themselves increased and as their love
of the desert became heightened
through better acquaintance.
To supply and make more accessible
these art products of the Southwest,
collectors began several years ago to
collect in modest way a few of the
better grade of blankets and baskets.
These were offered for sale at the
news stands and hotels along the line
of the railroad in New Mexico and
Arizona From that beginning have
grown several collections of ethnologi-
cal and archaeological specimens with
out rival apart from the three or four
great museums of the country.
1t was also but natural that as the
interest in these collections grew the
regions represented should increase
consequently the collections are rep
resentative not only of the best in the
southwest, but are almost, If not quite,
equally representative of the higher
phases Of culture of certain represen-
tative tribes of the Great Plains, of
of the Columbia and Frazer
rivers, of the Island of Vancouver and
of the coast of Alaska.
The exhibit of New Mexico at st.
Louis has been selected with the idea
of representing to as great an extent
as possible the character of these col
lections. 1t is believed that it has
never been surpassed, at this or any
other Exposition, in general interest or
scientific value. Especially should it
be borne in mind that while the exhibit
made in Room Ill of the Anthropologi-
cal Building may be regarded as char
acteristic, it in fact represents only
a very small proportion of the wealth
of material which has been assembled
in several .private collections.
The exhibits as finally installed are
nine in number, and may be regarded
as representative of six great culture
areas of North America. The collec-
tions are as follows:
~, The Northwest coast-The cul-
ture of this region is chiefly character
lied by the pre6ominance Of objects
both everyday and ceremonial In ma
ture, which are remarkable for their
general excellence, their artistic beau
ty, or their decoration In the form of
realistic carving.
or the tribes comprising this group
the Tlingit are perhaps the most rep
resentative, for among them the art
OF carving was carried to a very high
extent and among them alone, the art
of basketry reached an unusually high
state. The collection selected to rep
resent this area Is therefore that Of the
Tlingit. The collection Is more re-
markable on account of the excellence
and rarity of the specimens than on &C.
count Of its size although 1t Is sufi-
ciently large to represent adequately
the salient features Of the region.
Especially noteworthy in the collec-
Continued on Page Three.