harry and mike

after learning about navajo weaving i read about a pioneering couple. harry and mike goulding founded a trading post in monument valley during the 1920's. trading woven wool blankets and artifacts with the navajo's linking them to the rapidly changing world. during the late 30's harry and mike travelled to los angeles to meet with film director john ford. many films were subsequently shot in the navajo reserve including the western 'stagecoach' staring john wayne and claire trevor.

john wayne and claire trevor starring in stagecoach 1938

harry trading with a navajo woman wearing a pendelton blanket

navajo weaving

a few weeks ago i was lent an amazing book about monument valley, containing these great photos of navajo weaving.

blankets and rugs were woven in wool, coloured using natural dyes (later substituted for modern dyes to allow greater range of colour). navajo weaving is highly distinctive and certain patterns can be used to trace the time and place an item was woven.

blankets have a particular importance to the navajo population. used both every day and ceremonially, they also hold value and were used for trading. in 1909 pendleton woolen mills manufactured their own trading blankets which were sold to the navajo people. pendleton designer joe rawnsley researched colours and patterns popular to tribes. these were then translated using modern weaving techniques.

the pendleton blankets were highly prized, the last photo show a navajo woman wearing a pendleton blanket in the 1940's.