Indian Postcards

During the 1950's and 1960's the shutterbugs clicked away making postcards of various Indians and Indian communities. Naturally these were popular with the tourists who used to send one back home from vacation.

You don't see many of these today, because "enough is enough" the people said. Many of the postcards were out and out disrespectful. Others, however, provide a window into the cultures of Native American people. We have selected some of the best of these to share with you.

Young Cheyenne Mother and Child
Frontier Photographer L.A. Huffman
Huffman Pictures of the Old West
J. Coffrin - 1968

Chiefs and Medicine Men People always liked a chief or a medicine man. The chiefs pretty well stereotyped the real "Indian". But a few honestly portrayed the true person. You can tell the difference in the examples below.

Medicine Man Petley Studios	Indian Sash Maker Barnes and Caplin - 1960	Moses One Feather, Sioux Crandall Studios	Indian Warrior A. Devaney - 1962

	Chief Running Horse Bob Petley - 1957	Black Elk, Oglala Chief Pikes Peak Litho - 1957

	Indian Chief Scenic Art - 1962

Navajo People Some postcards, though posed, give good insights into day-to-day life. Here is a series that shows life on the Navajo reservation. In many respects, the beautiful Navajo reservation and the wonderful people haven't changed all that much since these pictures were taken.

Navajo Mother and Baby Jim Cagle - 1962	Hosteen Hashk'ann and Granddaugher. Petley Studios	Navajo Indian Boy Petley Studios

Navajo Family At Their Hogan Petley Studios - 1957		Navajo Women Baking Bread Fronske Studio - 1957

Navajo Woman preparing wool for rug weaving Pikes Peak Litho - 1957		Trader buying Navajo Rug Noble, Inc. - 1960

Navajo Woman preparing fry bread Technor Bros, Inc. - 1956		Grinding corn on stone metate, Navajo Reservation George W. Thompson - 1957

"Mighty Warrior" astride his steed. Jim Cagle - 1962	Navajo Sand Painters Ray Manley - 1953	Navajo Land Pikes Peak Post Card - 1962

Navajo Maiden and Her Goat Southwest Post Card Co.- 1957		Navajo Shepherdess Nobel, Inc. - 1957

Pueblo People Whereas Navajos preferred the wide open spaces, the Pueblo people preferred their cities. Today the Pueblo people continue to live in their "Pueblos"...Hopi, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Laguna, Zuni and others that are scattered along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.

Walpi Indian Village Ray Manley - 1960		Taos Pueblo In The Springtime Barnes & Caplin - 1957

Pueblo Indians, Rehearsing for the Deer Dance Bob Petley - 1957	Corn Dance at Cochiti Pueblo Bob Petley - 1960	Deer Dance at Santa Clara Pueblo Harry Herz - Date Unknown

Indian Eagle Dancer Petley Studios - Date Unknown		Young Warrior's Dance H.S. Crocker Co., Inc. - 1962

Hopi Indian Girl Arizona Color Card Corp., 1960		Hopi boy "smiles" for the Camera Petley Studios - Date Unknown

Indian Pottery Makers International Tourist Supply, Inc - 1957		Zuni Indian Silversmith and Family Southwest Postcard Co. - 1957

	Laguna Indian Dog Dancers Petley Studios - Date Unknown

Apache People The Apache people are cousins of the Navajo people, belonging to the same Athabascan language group. Today the Apache live on many reservations scattered throughout Arizona and New Mexico.

Apache Devil Dance Lollesgard Specialty Co. - Date Unknown	Mountain Spirit Dance Rembrant Post Card - 1957

Apache Devil Dance Bob Petley - 1957	Apache on Horseback Bob Bradshaw - 1957

Chiefs and Medicine Men

Navajo People