Journal

The history of the American West is filled with myths, legends and iconic figures. One of the most influential of those figures was Fred Harvey. Through the impact of his Harvey House restaurants, Harvey helped open up the west to tourism. The designs and motifs of his buildings would become associated with Native American art […]
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Collectors of Native American crafts and jewelry sometimes come across an item being sold as “dead pawn”. The name indicates the item has been part of a quasi-banking system that has been around for thousands of years. It has existed in a variety of cultures and has been the choice of both kings and peasants […]
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Who Were Fred Harvey and The Harvey Girls?
The coming of the railroad changed the landscape of the American West in many ways. With its exotic scenery, the West captured the imaginations of Easterners while the opportunity for business expansion fueled the dreams of entrepreneurs. Traveling by train meant Americans could literally move from sea to shining sea. While the ability to travel […]
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Collectors of vintage Native American jewelry are making more than a connection to the art of the past. They are capturing tangible evidence of the interconnectedness of culture. Each piece acquired is the result of historic communication, not only by the artist or community which nurtured them, but also by everyone they came in contact […]
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Turquoise tidbits The story behind how turquoise got its name is an interesting one! During the 17th century, traders passed through Turkey (called “Turquie” in French) where the gemstone was called “Turquies”. The gemstone’s name therefore originated from ancient travels from Persia (Iran) to Europe via the Middle East! Just as interesting, is the fact […]
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