The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-09
A PHOTOGRAPHER
OF THE INDIANS
Frederick T. Monsen Found
His Life Work
IN NORTHERN ARIZONA
During Eighteen Years the Artist Took
5000 Pictures-Did Great Work In
Recording Characteristics of
the Hopi Tribe
IN NORTHERN ARIZONA
From the Boston Herald.

From the Boston Herald.
Nearly 20 years ago Frederick l. Mon
sen found his lifework as an ethnologist
and artist in that fascinating region of
northern Arizona which the Spaniards
called 1.-THE painted DESERT Its natural
features are still untouched by civiliza-
ton, and it remains what it was in the
days of Coronado and his banda country
of purple cliffs, extinct volcanoes and
shadowy canyons, alternating with long
stretches of sand-a territory of glowing
atmosphere and Respondent color of ever
changing aspects and perennial beauty
forming altogether combination of land
scape and skyscape unmatched in any
other part of the world.
This magnificent setting profoundly inn
pressed Professor Monsen when he first
wandered into the region as member of
the geological survey, but his interest
deepened as he recognized in it the home
of people whose antiquity on this con-
tinent makes the recording of their physi-
CAL mental and social characteristics of
imperative Importance to history, ethnol-
ogy and art. The magic of the desert
held him, with charm of it's own, and
as he studied 1.-The primitive, peaceful
Indian folk, who still live after the man
ner of their forefathers, in villages that
seem to have been a part of it all, since
the morning of the world the desire
grew on him to picture the Pueblo peo-
pie in their natural environments with
degree of completeness never before ats
tempted.
Pictures Noted for NaturaIness
His original mission in Arizona was
temporary preoccupation, but the work
of picturing the Indians so fascinated
him that he remained there IS years.
Beginning in the early days of pho
Biography with a camera tripod and glass
plates. Professor Monsen was finally able
to use kodak and films. and with these
he took nearly 5000 pictures, representing
the Pueblo people-Hopis. Navajos, Apa-
ches and Mojaves-in their homes at
work and play, serious in ceremonials.
or joyous in festivity. The figures in
these pictures reveal none of the studied
effects of posing while for realism and
naturalness the whole collection presents
a degree of excellence rarely attained in
photography.
| OF all the Pueblo Indians studied By
him, Professor Monsen was most inter.
ested in the Hopi, so called from a word
meaning peaceful" There are scarce
| ly 1000 of them now loft. They still live
| In the home chosen for their race by the
ancient cliff jewellers 1000 years ago.
| In some of their social arrangements
the Hopis would be called advanced"
by many who regard their civilization
as higher than that of the Pueblo In.
dams. The Hopi houses, mainly built
| by the women, are owned by them, ana
the wife queens it against all corners
under her own roof. After marriage
she receives the husband into her home
and all corn, melons, squash, etc., brought
into the. house by him become at once
her own personal property. Otherwise
on an equal footing with her husband.
she requires him to knit his own stock.
ings and weave the garments she herself
needs for wear. When children arrive
they belong to her clan. and they re-
ceive her clan name, not that of their
father.
"rhe BcdouIns Of Our Desert"
| Another Pueblo people studied by Pre-
| lessor Monsen were the NavaJos, some
%. 200 of whom are located in north An.
| IONA in a reservation 10000 square mile
in extent Being a pastoral people, Win
hocks of 1 1000, 900 sheep to care for, they
move about from place to place, taking
their hogans or huts with them.
s"They are so widely scattered" sayQ
Professor Monsen, that one may trav0
for DAYS through their country withoue
meeting a single Indian; yet ] doubt y
the traveller is not constantly scrutinize4
by the beady black eyes of some Navajo
who. concealed from view, watches eveSo
movement of the white stranger"
| physically, the Navajos are tall. sleQp
der and extremely agile. They have
strong. well-formed faces, with brilliant
and kindly eyes, Professor Monsen Gale
them 1.-THE Bedoulns of our desert" and
saws, they are perfectly at home in the
| saddle
| isrhe chief occupation of the Navajo
women is carding and spinning wool for
the Navajo blankets, thousands of which
are annually sold Eat the first an
nroach' says Professor Monsen. the
Nayajos seem taciturn and unfriendly.
but on closer acquaintance, when they
realize your interest in them they show
/ that they possess a great store of good
hunor and make good friends and cheer.
full companions