These are photos of the former home of Mark Winter. They were taken by Jack Parsons and used in Christine Mather’s Native America: the follow up book to her and Sharon Woods’ smash hit Santa Fe Style.
Among the textiles in the Durango Collection, formed in Durango, Colorado, by Mark Winter and Jackson Clark (Sr.), are an exquisite series of Navajo child’s wearing blankets, hung in Winter’s office, which is also home to basketry from Arizona and California and an ever expanding collection of Indian kitsch, above. In Winter’s living room, below, a Hispanic Rio Grande textile on the wall complements a Germantown Eyedazzler Navajo textile on the floor. Plains Indian moccasins line up just beneath the roof beams.
@Ravenscry here are 2 of the 3 advertising banners (the sides are identical, one I unrolled, the other I left rolled up as it’s tearing at one end). They are 16” X 94”, so figuring out how to stabilize them was a concern.
These are too cool Maggie! I’ve seen other artwork for the Pendleton Round-up Rodeo, but never these! They would be so neat framed. Thank you for sharing.
I know I risk offending again but looking through this post I find it richly ironic that it appears most of the rare and valuable North American tribal items are owned by wealthy white men. Just something to ponder philosophically.
It’s my belief that the only way someone can be offended is if they have an inability to engage in open discussion, particularly with someone of differing views. I’ve found few that are truly capable.
To your point, Steve, for whatever reason, the wealthy are drawn to whatever is scarce, and they alone drive the price point. Only ten in existence? The millionaires will line up and step on each other to attain it, no matter what it is. I, too, have often thought about this very thing. There are far more truly passionate individuals who would deeply appreciate the ability to acquire certain pieces of rarity, but will never be able to afford them because the wealthy desire the status of exclusivity.
Strictly for entertainment and knowledge, I’m watching a Navajo First Phase Chief blanket being auctioned in London today from the Prince Collection. It came from an early Texas collection and was authenticated by Dr. Joe Ben Wheat, an absolute textile authority, and comes with a letter from him. The last time this blanket came to market it sold for $230,000 including premium, that was in 2011. Similar examples have come and gone, but there are believed to be anywhere from forty to a hundred First Phase blankets in existence, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one crawls over the $500,000 mark. Who could forget the Chantland Blanket that John Moran Auctioneers sold in 2012 for $1.8 million?
It is interesting, indeed. At least the Durango Collection of Native American textiles that Mark Winter and Jackson Clark (Sr.) put together was endowed to Fort Lewis College and is available for interested parties to view and study in the Center of Southwest Studies. I think that collecting fine examples and sharing them with the world is much more honorable than hoarding them away.
Pendleton Round-Up and Pendleton Woolen Mills have a pretty good relationship as a result. The Woolen Mills are a little older than the rodeo, but not by too much. There were many woolen mills in Oregon back in the day, Pendleton may be the only survivor.
Long Story short @StevesTrail. Without a vast non-Native market, and the piles of money that market shovels into buying Native American arts and crafts, there is no Indian Arts business or rare goods for rich folks to compete over. A great many deserving artists put food on their table and keep a roof over their heads with the non-Indian disposable income that makes its way into their bank accounts. This whole genre exists to the extent that it does because the non Indian world loves Native American arts and crafts enough to vote for it with their wallets.
Beautiful additions, Tom! I love the chaps and saddles, and am over the moon with the displayed weavings: especially the Third Phase above the stairwell in the seventh photo. The Chaco Canyon inspired room is lovely.
We have a winner! This home is my favorite. The spatial flow & design are superb, and all that natural light is a plus for me. The wonderful art is so tastefully displayed throughout. And the “Chaco Canyon” room ~ well, it’s just magical.
Great minds! I was going to mention the Hotel Chaco. Great place to stay near Old Town Albuquerque. Great open terrace at the upstairs bar, with terrific views of the city as well.
I love this type of architecture, and interior treatment. Would love to have an old Santa Fe/Taos style adobe house with 2’ walls, natural red rock colored paint , soft rounded architecture outside, with full ornamented vigas, latilla ceilings, earth toned floors and walls, lots of Navajo rugs, rustic leather furniture a couple of cozy fireplaces.
Still have an acre and a half on the desert outskirts of Rio Rancho up toward Bernallio. Maybe someday!
Another fun place we really enjoyed was the historic Hotel El Rancho in Gallup. Here’s the backstory…
Since the 1940s Hotel El Rancho has played host to some of Hollywood’s biggest movie makers and movie stars including Robert Mitchum, Elia Kazan, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Melvyn Douglas, William Holden, Billy Wilder, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Ward Bond, Lon Chaney, Jr., Jose Ferrer, Kim Hunter, Troy Donahue, Suzanna Pleshette and many more. Even today the hotel continues to host film crews.
Thank you for sharing. 
