John Burnsides — Navajo Silversmith
John Burnsides is one of the smiths Adair followed most closely. John Adair's The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths records him in 1938 as the half-brother who first taught Tom Burnsides wrought work, living a few miles north of Tom's place (Adair 1944, p. 55), and follows his silver from his bench to the trading post at Pine Springs and on to a wholesale house in Gallup (Adair 1944, p. 116).
Adair's figures make him unusually visible. John worked silver all year, most of it from November to April, and kept his own account of what he made: $192.60 in January 1938, $211.30 in February, $133.10 in March, $148.75 in April and $33.00 in May. Most went to the trader at Houck, some to the post at Pine Springs. His wife ground turquoise and did some of the silver work, his two sons helped him, and his income in 1937 came to more than a thousand dollars, by far the greater part of it from silver (Adair 1944, pp. 107, 113). He was also a singer. "Once in a while I dream about the designs I have put on my silver," he told Adair, "and sometimes I see bracelets and rings that I am going to make" (Adair 1944, p. 107).
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as "John Burnside (1909-1988; Navajo)," active from the 1920s to the 1960s in sand cast work, hand wrought work and overlay, at Pine Springs, C. G. Wallace, Kelsey Indian Trading Co. and Wide Ruins (Hougart 2022, p. 73). Hougart (2022) spells it Burnside. Adair's ages for the brothers, taken around 1938, would put John's birth near 1903 (Adair 1944, pp. 55, 106).
His hallmark
Hougart gives his mark as J B (Hougart 2022, p. 73). Julius Burbank, a Navajo smith listed on the same page, also marks J B, and John's son Frank Burnside marks F. BURNSIDE (Hougart 2022, p. 73).
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References
- Adair, John. The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths. The Civilization of the American Indian Series. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1944.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- Schaaf, Gregory, with Angie Yan Schaaf. American Indian Jewelry I: 1,200 Artist Biographies, ca. 1800-present. American Indian Art Series, Vol. 5. Santa Fe: CIAC Press, 2003. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2003.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003) recorded two stamps for him:
“John Burnsides (stamps JHB or J B)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 98 [3]
Schaaf (2003, p. 98) gave his lifespan as beginning about 1901, recorded him at Pine Springs, Arizona, and noted that he demonstrated silverwork at numerous events in the 1960s. [3]
Schaaf (2003, p. 201) named the Navajo artist Chester Kahn, a brother of Franklin Kahn, as a nephew of Tom Burnsides, John Burnsides and Mabel Burnsides Meyer. [3]
Schaaf (2003, p. 216) named John Burnside of Pine Springs as the teacher of Ernie Lister. [3]
Field Notes by Mateo James
I notice a third birth date for John Burnsides. Hougart gives 1909, Adair's ages point to about 1903, and Schaaf's 2003 entry gives about 1901. I show all three.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and compiled from published references. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.