Weaving a Legend: Elle of Ganado Promotes Fred Harvey’s Indian Southwest

For more than 100 years, the pleasant, classic visage of a Navajo Indian woman has gazed out at the American public from postcards, playing cards and the pages of books.  Travelers who journeyed to the West over the Santa Fe Railway between 1903 and 1923 could enjoy a personal encounter with Elle of Ganado as she worked at her blanket loom in the Indian Building next to the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque.  She also traveled nationally making appearances at fairs and shows promoting tourism and travel to Indian Country.  Elle of Ganado’s  image became the most recognizable icon for the Fred Harvey/Santa Fe Railway portrayal of the Indian Southwest.

At 2 pm on Sunday, May 17, Dr. Kathleen L. Howard, historian and co-author of Inventing the Southwest: The Fred Harvey Company and Native American Art, speaks on “Weaving a Legend: Elle of Ganado Promotes Fred Harvey’s Indian Southwest,” in the History Museum Auditorium. Part of the exhibit, Setting the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company and Its Legacy, her lecture is free with admission; Sundays free to NM residents.

Seating is limited. Get a free ticket starting at 1 pm; doors open at 1:30 pm.