This image is of a Pueblo man dressed in a dance costume likely used in public performances. The majority of the clothing is buckskin, including the shoes, while the headdress is eagle feather, leather, horsehair, cloth and beads.
The description states:
173 – PUEBLO INDIAN DANCER IN FULL REGALIA
Beautiful, rare, beaded buckskin costumes are used by many tribes of Indians in their ceremonial dances. Most of these are valuable antiques handed down from their forefathers.
–The eagle headdress, while quite dramatic, was originally worn by plains tribes such as the Sioux and was only much later adopted by the tribes of the southwest. This image is part photo and part illustration, as it is unlikely this modern Indian would have been standing for the photo while a covered wagon just happened to be in the background, particularly in New Mexico.
Category: Postcards From Another Millennium
Postcards from various decades of the 20th century.
Pueblo Deer Dance Rehearsal, New Mexico
This card shows a rehearsal of the Pueblo Deer Dance as performed in the mid-20th century in New Mexico.
The caption on the back states:
50 Pueblo Indians Rehearsing For the Deer Dance
The dances of the Pueblo Indians are many and the costumes worn, rare in keeping with the ceremony. The dance of the chase represents the Indian in costume, with Buffalo Head and Bow and Arrow, others with antlers carrying a stick in each hand to appear four footed, adorned with Fox skins and Eagle Feathers.
–Additional more recent photos of the Deer Dance performances can be seen here. This card likely dates from the 1940s.
Pueblo Pottery Makers, San Ildefonsono, New Mexico
This image shows two Pueblo Indians from San Ildefonso, New Mexico making, decorating and displaying pottery products.
The couple featured here, Julian and Marie Martinez, were famous for their own pottery work and also for the recreation of historical forms, particularly the ‘black on black’ style illustrated on this card.
The caption on the back of the card states:
JULIAN AND MARIE
famous Indian Pottery Makers
The following comment is given on the work of Marie in the New Mexico Magazine, Santa Fe, N. M., Nov. 1934: “One of the finest Indian Pottery makers of today, examples of her work are in every Museum in the U. S., as well as those of foreign lands.”
(Photo reproduced by courtesy Kaufmann-Fabry Co., Chicago, Official Photographers, Century of Progress.)
–The photo has obviously been colored in addition to reprinting. The card is almost certainly from the 1940s, as Julian died in 1943. Marie lived until 1980.
Pueblo Grain Threshers, Gallup, New Mexico
This image shows two Pueblo men in the threshing yard where the wheat they have harvested is broken down. This is done by having people or draft animals walk in a circle on a prepared threshing floor, often dragging a heavy board or log to break up the wheat shafts and ears. After this process is completed, the grain is separated from the shafts through winnowing.
The caption states:
Pueblo Indians, threshing wheat in primitive ways, near Gallup, New Mexico
–This postcard likely dates from the 1940s.
Pueblo Jewelers, Gallup, New Mexico
This image shows two Pueblo men making necklaces with very simple tools. The man on the left is using a drill to make holes in beads. The man on the right is spinning the straw threading where the beads will be attached.
The caption states:
Santo Domingo Pueblo Indians excell in making shell bead necklaces near Gallup, New Mexico B6451
–This card likely dates from the 1940s.
Hopi Basket Weavers, Gallup, New Mexico
Shown here are two Hopi basket weavers inside an adobe building beginning work on baskets. The baskets are started from a hub which has a large number of spokes attached to it, providing a framework for the woven sides. An example of the basic hub can just be seen on the ground next to the woman’s white drape. A small, completed basket is nearby.
The legend on the front states:
Hopi Indian Basket Weavers
Gallup, New Mexico A4658
–A curiosity of this image is the stamp in the lower left corner. Close examination reveals it is backwards, indicating this negative was inverted when printed for this production run of cards.
The card likely dates from the 1940s.
Pueblo Indian Woman, Gallup, New Mexico
This image shows a Pueblo Indian woman wearing the traditional clothing of her tribe, including shoes and jewelry, and holding a hand-made blanket. The material of the clothing is primarily deer hide, known more commonly as buckskin, and the blanket is wool.
There is no description on the back of this card, only the legend on the front, which reads:
Princess Bluewater
Pueblo Indian
Gallup, New Mexico A9727
–This card likely dates from the 1940s.
Zuni Mother Beading Charms, Gallup, New Mexico
Shown here is a woman with a bundled infant. She is putting beads on charms for sales, samples of which are shown at the bottom of the image above the caption. The child is bundled in a very confined way on a cradle board, typical of the tradition for Native Americans of this area. It is only used for the first few months.
The beaded charms on display here are in the shape of dolls, but many types of beadwork are well known.
There is no description on the back of this card, but it is believed to date from the 1940s.
Zuni Silversmith, Gallup, New Mexico
Shown here is a traditional Indian silversmith using the typical tools of the trade. The tools are smaller and more delicate than typically seen for metalworkers because silver is quite soft and easy to shape with lighter tools.
There is no description on the back of this card, as it was originally simply a photo that was re-sized and stamped on the back for postcard use.
The items shown include necklaces, brooches and belt buckles. This card likely dates from the 1940s.
Zuni Women with Ollas, Gallup, New Mexico
This image shows two Zuni women dressed in traditional Zuni clothing holding ollas, a kind of Zuni pottery. They are known not only for the pottery, but there is also a dance troupe of Zuni women who use the ollas during their performances.
The caption states: Zuni Pueblo Indian maidens with pottery ollas near Gallup, New Mexico, F1625
The postcard likely dates from the 1940s.