Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-04
IllMMIS DONATES
RARE COLLECTION
LIBRARIAN MAKES VALUABLE
GIFT TO MUSEUM
Indian Relics and Other Objects of
Handicraft Collected in South
west and in South
America

In celebration of his fiftieth birth
day, and to round up many years ac-
tivity in various fields pertaining to
the history of Spanish-Amerlca,
Charles F. Lunmis has donated to the
Southwest museum his entire collec-
ton of objects gathered during his
travels through New Mexico, Colorado,
Arizona and Central and South Amer
lea, as we'll as his books and paintings.
Mr.. Lummis' collection of Indian
relics has long been recognized by sci
entists as one of rare value. Between
the securing of ''curios" and the stu
died accumulation of an authoritative
explorer there lies a wide gulf; and
the Southwest museum-and through II
the people of Los Angeles-by this gltt
receives the offering of a life's work
of research, travel and hardships.
Through his several years of resi-
dence in the Pueblo of Isleta, and his
many horseback journeys of eXplora-
ton into Colorado and Arizona before
these districts were invaded by the
tourist, Mr.. LummiS was able to
gather specimens of aboriginal handi-
craft unique in character and abso-
lutely unobtanable today. From the
NaVaios were secured BLANKETS, noted
the world over; rare antique weaVes
the very stitches of which are now for
gotten, rich native colorings long since
supplanted by the dyes of commercial
ism. "bayetas"-neVer common, at
present unobtainable at any price-all
are represented in this collection which
embraces perfect specimens of the COM
plete series of woven Navajo fabrics.
From Mexico, Central and South
America he has secured fabrics, Wea-
pons, idols and irlplements-enough to
constitute a retrospective survey OF the
life of the Mayas and the mysterious
~e.G iT11fn nor
tance, among many examples of an
cient handicraft, is the gold orna-
mented musket of Juan de Soto, the
great-grandson OF Her
de Soto, diseoVerer of the Mis-
sissippi.
To supplement this great aggrega-
tion of stone, wood, metal and clay OBJ
iects, fabrics and textiles, are some
ten thousand Photographic negatives
of various subjects of archaeological
and chronological interest-from Har-
ward university to TERRA del Fuego-
every phase of aboriginal
life and civilization of the western
Valuable Drawings
Special interest attaches to the col
lection of drawings water colors and
oil paintings, for not only does this
include work by such well known men
as Norman st. Clair, Carl Oscar Borg,
Hammer. Poore, and Borglum, but
contains canVascS of inestimable value
from the brush of Thomas Hill-plo-
neer painter of California-and of the
great William Keith, painted when
they were in the prime 'Vigor of their
talents.
Perhaps the most valuable acquisi-
ton of ALTO the museum and stu
dents of the southwest-is the library
about 1000 volumes of his
Lorical. critical and scientific works.
Included among these are rare Amerl-
cana. ancient ] anuscripts IN tadeo
Darchment covers, books of reference,
maps, and early editions dealing with
The story of old and new Spain, and
he colonies. 1t is especially rich In |,
historical data concerning Mexico,
rom the days of the Aztecs to those
IF Porfrio Diaz, and books OF geo
graphical and chronological information
California and that land that
Charles f. Lummis himself christened
the great southwest" There are, be-
;ides. many autograph letters and
,igned portraits of men distinguished
n the arts and sciences. including
Theodore Roosevelt, Gen. Leonard
Wood, Lndrew Lang and others.
All these articles are given to the
southwest museum with but one con-
lition attached-that they "shall be
maintained in perpetuity for the bene-
1t of the public as a free public exhibit