The Native American Curio Trade in New Mexico by Jonathan Batkin. Hardcover.

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Starting with the arrival of the railroad in 1880, Pueblo and Navajo artisans collaborated with non-Indian dealers to invent artifacts that had no purpose but to satisfy the demand for Indian goods. Machine-assisted Indian jewelry made its appearance, and objects of all kinds were sold through retail spaces, cottage industries, and a vast mail-order trade. New production methods threatened native traditions and economies, affected the teaching of silversmithing, and led to federal scrutiny of shop-made jewelry. Many young men who learned silversmithing in curio shops went on to have celebrated careers as jewelers. For the first time, the rich, complex, and controversial story of the curio trade in New Mexico is told in this eagerly awaited new book. It is not only a story about artifacts, but one of personalities, innovations, perseverance, and, ultimately, the survival of traditions.

This carefully researched and beautifully printed volume includes extensive notes, an appendix of more than 200 silversmiths who worked in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, citation of references, and a detailed index.

Jonathan Batkin has been director of the Wheelwright Museum since 1990. He was formerly co-director and chief curator of the Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, and curator of the Taylor Museum of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. He has been published widely on Pueblo Indian pottery and the Native American curio trade and has been curator or project director of dozens of exhibitions on contemporary and traditional Native American arts.

This book was published in conjunction with an exhibition titled "From the Railroad to Route 66: The Native American Curio Trade in New Mexico," shown at the Wheelwright Museum, May 17, 2008- April 19, 2009.

317 pp,  $85 (hardcover)
over 150 color illustrations;
8" X 10 1/2".