Bdote - Historic Fort Snelling

(May 26, 2018) – Saint Paul Minnesota

On a seasonally hot Memorial Day weekend Saturday, I made an overdue visit to historic Fort Snelling. The Fort is located out of sight but just across the highway from the Minneapolis – St. Paul hub airport.

Fort Snelling was located in 1818 at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, a junction known by the Sioux as Bdote. Bdote for many years prior to U. S. possession had cultural significance to the Sioux people.

Brigadier General Zebulon Pike (whom Pike’s Peak was named for) in 1805 led an expedition to explore the Mississippi River. Pike’s exploration while not directly sanctioned by President Thomas Jefferson took place the same time as the Lewis and Clark expedition of the Missouri River and the Pacific Northwest.

During his exploration Pike concluded a treaty with two Sioux Indian Chiefs and concluded as history records “Pike’s Purchase.”  The Treaty that was never ratified provided for the sale of about one hundred thousand acres of land (within U. S. territory) to the government. Inside the boundaries of Pike’s Purchase were Bdote and also the junction of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers (today: Hastings, Minnesota.)

Colonel Josiah Snelling, the Commander of the U S Fifth Infantry Regiment in 1819 was dispatched to Bdote to build a military fort. Named Fort Saint Anthony, the fort’s mission was to establish the United States’ presence in the territory, provide protection for settlers, and facilitate the fur trade. Fort Saint Anthony became the furthest western outpost in U. S. territory at the time. In 1825 Fort Saint Anthony was renamed Fort Snelling.

Fort Snelling remained operational with many different missions until it closed in 1946. The Fort was turned over to the State of Minnesota in 1858 when Minnesota was granted Statehood.  During the Civil War, Fort Snelling was used for recruiting and training exercises by both the Minnesota State Militia and Union Army. The federal government also maintained an Indian Agency there. After the Civil War the U S Army regained possession. During World War I, the Army built a contemporary facility for the U. S. Calvary adjacent to the historic fort. Over three hundred thousand soldiers mustered out at Fort Snelling in World War I. In 1944 the Army relocated their Foreign Language Training School to Fort Snelling for the teaching of Japanese and Korean languages. Minnesota being one of the few states willing to accept the school with its Japanese-American instructors.

Fort Snelling throughout its history never came under attack. On a very few occasions the battery did fire warning shots across the bow of boats traveling up river that would not stop for identification. While only four of the original buildings remain intact, the historic compound has been accurately reconstructed to its 1820s provenance. The original buildings are the Watchtower, Commandant’s Home, Officer’s Quarters, and South Battery.

In addition to the aforementioned buildings, the Garrison included the barracks, the half-moon battery overlooking the junction of the rivers, the Fort’s store, the commissary, the magazine, the school which was also used as a chapel and warehouse, the guard’s office with sleeping quarters and jail, and the shops. The shops included kitchen, bakery, carpentry, and blacksmith. The perimeter of the fort is surrounded by a high stone wall rising high above the rivers. The buildings encompass the large parade ground.

The Batteries were seriously cool. Their commanding position and construction provided great protection yet retained the flexibility to quickly maneuver and sight their guns. The Commandant’s Home including the Command headquarters in the basement were a great snapshot of how garrison operations are carried out. The Command headquarters included Commanding Officer’s office and map room, Adjutant’s office, and clerks’ office.

Historic Fort Snelling is a wonderful learning opportunity. This well maintained historic site gives a first-hand look at the daily life of a soldier on the frontier. The Minnesota Historical Society has done a comprehensive job with this historically significant venue. 

The attendants, guides, and reenactors are extremely welcoming and knowledgeable. Their expertise is caused by the fact many are teachers. Working at Fort Snelling is a compatible second job because public tours are available only during the summer months and on special weekends.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a first-class Minnesota government agency. I appreciate Minnesota’s commitment to history. Each of their other sites I have visited (James J Hill House and Mill City Museum) are tops!

The Historical Society’s presentation of Fort Snelling goes beyond its military and American history. They place an added emphasis on the treatment of minority peoples including relationships between the First Americans (Sioux and Ojibwe) African Americans (Dred Scott), and Japanese Americans (the Foreign Language School).

Footnote – There were two important residents of Fort Snelling. Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor served as Commanding Officer from 1828 to 1829. Taylor would later become a Major General and hero in the Mexican War and our twelfth President. Dred Scott lived there with his family from 1836 to 1840 as a slave owned by the Post Surgeon. Scott later returned to Missouri a slave state. Claiming his four years in Wisconsin Territory (Fort Snelling) made him a freeman, he sued for his freedom. Ultimately the United States Supreme Court decided against him. The Dred Scott decision in 1857 fueled the flames of public divisiveness on the slavery issue leading up to the Civil War.

Historic Turnblad Mansion

(May 24, 2018) Minneapolis, Minnesota

A recent lecture and exhibit at Siouxland Libraries prompted an escape from the store for some pre-Memorial Day holiday R & R in the Twin Cities. The lecturer in early April at Siouxland was Curt Pederson, the principal curator of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Mr. Pederson delivered a very informative offering on Swedish culture and folk art. The lecture was accompanied by an engaging exhibit of Swedish woodcarvings.  His presentation was intriguing.

Afterwards Mr. Pederson was very patient in answering my questions about both Swedish culture and the artistry. Because of my interest, and one of his reasons for coming to Sioux Falls was to promote the Institute, Mr. Pederson extended an invitation to see the ASI sometime when I come to Minneapolis. 

I accepted his invitation

My experience was altogether different from what I expected. The American Swedish Institute is the engaging story of a man’s love and pride in his native country with a cultural twist.

Swan Johann Turnblad was born in Sweden in 1860 and immigrated to Goodhue County, Minnesota when he was eight years old. Growing up on a farm, Swan learned the values of hard work. After high school he became a teacher though he continued to help on the family farm. Swan was ambitious and a very private person.

In pursuit of a better life, Swan moved to Minneapolis in 1878 where he found work as a typesetter at a Swedish American newspaper. In Minneapolis Swan met Christina Nilsson, another Swede who moved to Minneapolis by way of Slayton, Minnesota. Swan and Christina were married in 1883 and had one child, Lillian.

Swan in 1887 became the manager and part owner of Svenska Amerikanska Posten. The newspaper was written entirely in Swedish. Swan was a good businessman. He possessed excellent marketing skills and vision, was technologically progressive, and was adept in the field of finance and investment. In today’s terminology he might have been considered a corporate raider, unusual for a modest Swede.

From 1865 until 1915, one and a quarter million Swedes moved to the upper Midwest region of the United States (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas.) Swan Turnblad recognized this market and at its height, Svenska Amerikanska Posten (SAP), had nearly fifty thousand subscribers including some in Sweden. An outstanding publisher, he excelled in his selling advertising and adapting the latest innovations in printing (technology.)

Importantly Swan through financial and legal strategies consolidated his and Christina’s ownership of SAP. Swan Turnblad amassed a financial fortune as a result of the newspaper’s success and other investments.

In 1903 Swan began construction of a mansion for his family on the corner of Park Avenue and 26^th Street, south of downtown Minneapolis. Park Avenue was known as Minneapolis’ “Golden Mile”. The mansion was among several other mansions on the Golden Mile belonging to the wealthy and socially elite of Minneapolis, including several of the famous millers. Park Avenue was the first paved street in Minneapolis.

The Turnblad mansion was unique, constructed on a framework of steel. Sixteen carpenters three woodcarvers and untold number of masons built the home. Included were all the modern conveniences including electricity, gas heating, indoor plumbing, and telephone. Because of the steel super structure, the home is very open employing several pocket doors. The craftsmanship is spectacular and the décor ornate. The home was built on six lots with a cost over one million dollars. 

What makes Swan’s story fascinating is this thirty-three-room massive Chateau structure, was built for a family of just three very private people. They were known to have entertained there only once, a few years after they no longer permanently occupied the mansion. The Turnblad’s occupied the home for about five years.

Swan, Christina, and Lillian moved to an apartment built adjacent to his new offices and printing plant constructed downtown. In 1915 the Turnblad’s relocated again to a luxurious apartment house located directly across Park Avenue from their unoccupied but still maintained mansion. Swan would reside in the apartment the rest of his life.

In 1930 Swan established the American Institute of Swedish Arts, Literature, and Science. He gifted the Mansion to serve as its headquarters and made a large financial endowment to his Institute. Swan died in 1933 and daughter Lillian who never married moved to a small farm south of Minneapolis. Lillian left her estate to the Institute, later renamed American Swedish Institute.

The large and beautiful Turnblad mansion, the center for American Swedish culture is a paradox.

Swedes are a modest and humble people. The hallmark of the Swede is expressed by the Swedish word lagom – translated moderation. Why then did this practical businessman build a mansion he essentially did not desire? The anomaly was to not so subtlety tell his Norwegian and German neighbors there was a Swede in their elegant neighborhood!

ASI Today –

Today the ASI carries out Swan Turnblad’s vision of promoting his native pride, telling the story of the Swedish culture in America, and fostering Swedish and American relations.

The mansion serves primarily as a stand-alone attraction, though Swedish art and design are displayed within the home’s spacious rooms. The Institute’s other undertakings are located in the adjacent next-door Institute property, the Nelson Cultural Center.

Nelson Center was opened in 2012 and includes a Nordic themed café, FIKA (in Swedish meaning to have coffee and meatballs are always on the menu), an art gallery for exhibitions of Swedish art, an art studio for classes, storage archives for ASI’s collections, and an event space. The Nelson Center highlights Swedish design and I was impressed by the fact there are five classes each week for Swedish woodcarving. Gustavus Adolphus College located in St. Peter, Minnesota founded in 1862 by Swedish Lutherans rents office space in the Nelson Center.

Curt Pederson and the staff were welcoming hosts and it was two and a half hours well spent getting new insights to not just Swedish but Minnesota culture.

A Couple of Chicago Drive Byes

(March 30, 2018) Chicago, Illinois

I joined my family in Chicago again this year for Passover Seder. Having some personal time on a Windy City Good Friday I soloed into the city to scout out some history.

First stop was at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library directly across Michigan Avenue from the Art Institute of Chicago. I was aware but not familiar with the PMML. Several months ago, when surfing the Internet stalking my Gettysburg battlefield guide, Ed Bearss, I found an enlightening video interview of Ed by author – historian, David Hackett Fischer. The video was produced by this unique museum. The Bearss’ interview was first class.

Upon investigation, I learned the video was among an archive of nearly eight hundred videos the PMML has produced. Access to the videos is largely limited to Museum members. Entry level annual membership is $25.00 and well worth the investment. Besides Internet access to the videos, the basic membership includes free admission, borrowing privileges, frequent newsletters, and admission to some lectures and events. Admission without membership is $5.00, though complimentary to students, members of the Armed Forces, and Veterans

The museum's website indicates that free tours of the museum are offered at 11:00am each day. I presented myself for the tour and was instructed a guide would join me shortly. My guide was Paul Grasmehr, a reference coordinator. Paul was knowledgeable, a Bobby Britannica. The museum and library was founded in 2003 and endowed by Colonel Jennifer Pritzker, one of several heirs to the Hyatt Hotels. The museum and library are first class and reflect the deep pockets and deep character of the Colonel. My guide pointed out financially the goal was to make the institution self-sustaining over time. 

Physically the exhibits and library are located on the second and third floors of the historic Monroe Building. The building was constructed in 1912 primarily for use by doctors and architects. Because of those occupations need for light, the building’s dominant architectural feature is large windows. The penthouse of the Monroe Building was first occupied by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural firm; though Wright personally worked out of his home and studio in Oak Park. When the Pritzker interests purchased the building, they completely restored the Monroe Building. The finishes are beautiful. The library’s environment is elegant in a pristine kind of way yet comfortable and inviting for study.

The museum and library “is dedicated to improving the public understanding of military history.” Their mission is to collect, preserve, and share this history. Their scope includes the entire history of military engagement and affairs, though there is an added emphasis on Colonel Pritzker’s Illinois National Guard.

The Library’s initial collection of about 7,500 volumes related to military or historic subjects was contributed by the Pritzker family from their private libraries. Today the collection includes 32,000 volumes, 33,000 artifacts, and an extensive collection of 3,000 military posters.

Putting my family aside being in the library is practically enough to make me want to move to Chicago. What a great place to hang out. The welcoming and beautiful reading room with many current periodicals relating to history, a research room with carrels, a staff librarian to assist you with research requests, and a library at your disposal with thousands of volumes. 

The good news is you can almost fully utilize the PMML remotely. In addition to their wonderful video archives, you can access the library’s excellent website that includes extensive digital materials. Physical books can be checked out to members through interlibrary loan with your local public library, excepting their rare book collection. Research assistance is also available by telephone and I presume email.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention an important service the PMML offers, their Veterans Information Center. The center has information services available to assist Veterans. These services include: Leadership opportunities, resources for families, information on benefits including health and education assistance, career opportunities, with a special focus on information services for women veterans.

My tour lasted over two hours and was extensive. Hitting the highlights: The facilities include a fully equipped oral history studio, a beautiful intimate 116 seat auditorium, rare books storage, an event space that doubles as display space, a kitchen to service special events, library stacks, rare books storage, and offices to support their mission. The PMML has 23 employees. My guide informed me the most popular subjects of interest by patrons are the Civil War and World War II.

Displayed throughout the library are many of their artifacts, posters, paintings and photographs.

The Museum has a permanent display honoring America’s Medal of Honor recipients. Currently their primary exhibit is “Lest We Forget” commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War I. The event space contained an interesting exhibit detailing Illinois role in World War I. Future exhibits being researched and planned are: World War II Prisoners of War with a focus on downed aviators and an exhibit spotlighting Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist, Bill Mauldin. Mauldin who had a strong Chicago connection was famous for his World War II reporting containing depictions of Willie and Joe, two average GIs. 

My personal favorites were a beautifully focused print of the famous photograph of the Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima inscribed to Major Pritzker by the photographer, Joe Rosenthal; an autographed first edition of “Heart of the Antarctica – Volume 1”, autographed in 1911 by Sir Ernest Shackleton; and the Journals of Captain James Cook’s Voyages.

If you have an interest in the military or American history, the Pritzker Library is a great resource.

After a quick lunch, I stopped at a quaint depository of American history, the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, in Chicago’s River West neighborhood, just west of downtown. 

The shop is an affiliate of a frequent blog I visit, Author’s Voice. This showroom of rare books is a stronghold for anyone interested in American history and more specifically Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. The shop also has a large selection of Lincoln collectibles and memorabilia (which they term Lincolniana) for sale.

The book shop is essentially a suite of offices located on the first floor in a contemporary small office building. To gain access to the temple you must be buzzed through two security checkpoints. Their space contains three large offices on the perimeter for their staff of combination sales agent / appraiser / curator / administrators. The center of the space is dominated with a large approximately 1200 square foot for display. Most of the space is occupied by shelving with books they have for sale. The balance of the sales floor contains photographs, prints, documents, sculpture, and other Lincoln, political, or historical memorabilia.

Many of their books are out of print, many are first editions, and many are signed (occasionally personalized) by their authors, subjects, or someone connected to the subject. My estimate is they have 3,000 volumes, maybe more. Their primary subject of course is the Railsplitter. Lincoln sub categories include the Assassination and Mary Todd Lincoln. The Civil War section is extensive with special sections for U. S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Other principal subject areas include the Presidents and Americana.

I was assisted by an extremely well-informed staff member, Bjorn Skaptason, who made many suggestions, and was more than gracious indulging my questioning. Bjorn also is the executive producer of Author’s Voice.”

There were many intriguing items but unfortunately, they are a commercial establishment not a lending library. The least expensive item I had an interest in was a biography of poet Carl Sandburg authored by Harry Golden. The first edition was signed by both Sandburg and Golden. The asking price for this gem was $145. As we say in South Dakota, “spendy.”

Other items catching my eye were “Beauregard in Mexico” written by T. Harry Williams and “Partisan Life with Col. John S. Mosby” written by John Scott in 1867 ($495.)

The Lincoln Book Shop was a small cherry garnish on top of my large Pritzker ice cream sundae.

Mi Tierra de Encanto

(February 1-4, 2018) Santa Fe, New Mexico

New Mexico is indeed a Land of Enchantment.

Susan and I took a mid winter escape to Santa Fe. On arrival we were greeted by beautiful New Mexico sunshine and temperatures in the high fifties. Santa Fe is the State Capitol of New Mexico and tourism, state government, and retirees power her economy.

Super Bowl weekend is a good weekend for travel. Airfares and lodging are generally discounted.

From our connection in Denver we flew directly to the throwback and almost quaint Santa Fe airport (four scheduled flights per day two gates, and deplaning and boarding on rolling stairs). Santa Fe has major money and the Santa Fe County Municipal Airport shows it. The airport has a hundred or more private hangars in addition to private planes anchored on the accommodating tarmac.

Santa Fe has many lodging and restaurant choices. We made a good lodging choice staying at the Drury Plaza Hotel next to the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. The Drury is conveniently located less than two blocks from historic Santa Fe Plaza, Palace of Governors, and several art and history museums. Our hotel included many amenities; the hospitality was tops, and the room comfortable. Highly recommended.

After settling into the hotel, we headed to check out the neighborhood. This was a return trip for us both. Thirty years ago we traveled for a Republican Governor’s Conference with only limited time to take in the many cultural attractions. Santa Fe was settled in 1610 and is one of the oldest settlements in what is now the United States.

Our first stop was for a mid-afternoon snack at Plaza Café directly across from the Plaza. A pleasant family owned restaurant whose menu offered a variety, we settled on splitting an appetizer of nachos and soft drinks. The nachos were average at best but it was convenient.

Leaving the restaurant we spent the next hour in the glorious New Mexican sunshine, walking among the galleries, boutiques, jewelry, curio, and tee shirt shops. Artifacts and merchandise selection ranged from the luxurious and very finest one-of-a-kinds to pacific-rim massed produced imitations. We saw beautiful things but many more knockoffs and tchotchkes.   

The merchants and grinders in the high rent tourist district posed a contrast to the laid back native Indian and Mexican natives basking in the sunshine showing their arts (primarily jewelry) spread on blankets on the sidewalks across from the Plaza.

The next morning our first cultural stop was Museumof International Folk Art located on Museum Hill, a 10-minute Uber ride from our hotel. Like Folk Art this museum is unique. Not only unique but because of its international scope extremely diverse.

We arrived as the museum opened. After viewing the interesting exhibit on Tramp Art we went to the Girrard gallery to join the public tour. We were the only patrons who showed up and received a private showing. For an hour and one-half the docent, Sylvia, was exclusively ours.

Sylvia was friendly, experienced, knowledgeable, and well practiced. We were lucky. Sylvia explained the museum mission was showing “the art of craftsman acting as a bond between the peoples of the world.”

A Chicago heiress, Florence Dibell Bartlett, founded the MFIA. Miss Bartlett was a collector of folk art. The MFIA contains the world’s largest collection of folk art, nearly 135,000 pieces. The extensiveness of the collections makes the museum first class. The largest component of the museum is the mind numbing and unbelievable, if I hadn’t seen it, Girrard collection.  

The Girrard collection of nearly 110,000 pieces was a gift of Alexander Girrard. In viewing the Girrard wing you wouldn’t have believed Sandro Girrard had any time in his life other than to make acquisitions. That was not the case.

Girrard was a renowned American designer; raised in Florence, Italy who studied architecture at the Bedford School in England, and received his degree from the Royal School of Architecture in Rome. Among his many noted accomplishments were being the head of fabric design for Herman Miller textiles division for nearly two decades, designing the “end of the plain plane” for Braniff International Airways, designing the eight foot by one hundred eighty foot object mural for John Deere headquarters near Moline, Illinois, accomplishing special table setting designs for Georg Jensen, and designing the penthouse apartment for Hallmark Cards at the Hallmark Building in Kansas City.

I found it interesting; Girrard’s father, a French-Italian, was a collector of American Sampler needlework and American stamps.

Girrard’s collection is global and included woodcarving, ceramics, icons, toys, dolls, and many dioramas. This exhibit is truly one of a kind. My favorite was the Helen Cordero “Storyteller Doll.”

Other galleries at the MFIA included the Hispanic Wing and the Lloyd Cotsen – Neutrogena Wing.

Our next stop was to (supposedly) trendy Canyon Road. I was disappointed and felt Canyon Road with its profusion of art galleries and restaurants bordered on tourist trap. During our walk down the road, we chanced upon one of the city’s fine dining restaurants, The Compound. We had lunch deserving of its reputation for fine dining. It was good if not quite wonderful $$$$. Susan thought it was excellent.

After lunch we walked from Canyon Road back to the Plaza area where we separated. Susan headed to the shops and then back to the hotel and I hightailed it to the New Mexico Museum of Art.

The reason for my wanting to travel to New Mexico is my increasing interest in and study of art. Observing light and its effects is an increasing component of my art appreciation. The effect of the sun and light especially shows in the art of New Mexico and the Southwest.

The museum has an excellent collection, is well curated and displayed. Funding is by the State of New Mexico and support from the local arts community.

New Mexican art reflects the intersection of traditional styles and modern art. Marsden Hartley when he first visited New Mexico and observing the distinctive Southwest Art in 1917 reacted stating, “I am an American, discovering America.”

A wide variety of art mediums are displayed, with an emphasis on pottery. Respecting the variety of art mediums, the art of GustaveBauman, delighted me. Bauman a German American settled and was an anchor of Santa Fe Art for over fifty years. Learning about Bauman alone was worth the modest $12 admission.

The museum was celebrating their Centennial with an extensive exhibit on their history. The best pieces of their permanent collection were displayed including wonderful masterworks by Peter Hurd and Georgia O’Keeffe.  In leaving one of the topical galleries on Creativity and Vision was an engaging quote, “The best teachers teach you where to look but not what to see.”

Leaving the art museum, I headed across the street to the New Mexico Museum of History. This was going to be a three museum day. On Friday, State Museums stay open until 7pm and the History Museum benevolently waives the $12 out of state admission for Veterans.

The history museum is large, befitting the lengthy history of New Mexico. The exhibits chronologically begin in the Palace of Governors and are connected by courtyard to the larger contemporary museum. The museum covers the history but the exhibits are generally dark and while historical facts do not change technology does.  You don’t expect Smithsonian quality, but it would have been nice to have more videos and perhaps oral histories.

I don’t want to be Johnny Rain Cloud; my visit was worthwhile and I learned a lot! New Mexico’s history puts into perspective the role of the Spanish and Mexican colonization in US history.  I enjoyed learning about the southwest territory from the American Civil War to New Mexico statehood in 1912.  Not to be left out is New Mexico’s part in the development of nuclear warfare.

There are many exhibits and artifacts. I marveled at a diorama of the Taos pueblos created by the great photographer of the American West, William Henry Jackson in 1875.

The most memorable exhibit for me was on the mezzanine of the larger history museum telling the history of Fred Harvey and the Fred Harvey Company. This exhibit was world class. It was well done and extensive.

Wikipedia reports Harvey “was an entrepreneur who developed the Harvey House lunch rooms, restaurants, souvenir shops, and hotels, which served rail passengers on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, the Kansas Pacific Railway, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway and the Terminal Railway Association of St. Louis.”

Harvey’s story is that of an immigrant who was in New York City washing dishes and conceived the idea of offering meal service to travelers on the railroads that were rapidly beginning to dominate transportation.

The exhibit is fantastic and should be in a transportation museum or the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Why this exhibit is in the New Mexico Museum of History I am unsure. Harvey a native of England lived in Kansas though Fred Harvey Company had a strong business presence in New Mexico. Perhaps the Harvey Company donated the extensive collections of photographs, historical narratives and many pieces of exclusive Harvey memorabilia.

Fred Harvey died in 1901 and was succeeded in business by his son, Fred Harvey, Jr. The Harvey Company wound down their operations through the 1940’s and 1950’s as personal rail transportation diminished as it was increasingly replaced by air transportation.

After my third museum of the day and a brief very late siesta, Susan and I headed out to the Blue Corn Café for dinner. Susan had her dinner of cheese enchiladas with a couple of Margaritas (no salt please) and I had a cheeseburger with roasted green chills. The burger with peppers was excellent and the service very good.

We saved the best for last. Saturday after sleeping in we headed to the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. My awareness in O’Keefe is a result of studying her husband.  Alfred Stieglitz was a famed photographer and art dealer at the turn of the twentieth century. He championed photography as art, and had the pre-eminent art gallery, 291, in New York City.

O’Keefe, a Wisconsin native, artworks came to Stieglitz’s attention and he recognized her vision and expression immediately. She became a pioneer among women as a noted artist. Independent in both her art and spirit, Okeefe’s works incorporated the land and modernism. Her art embraces the wonder of the world. Her modernistic landscapes are wonderful; though she is widely know for her large flowers.

Prior to her being “discovered” by Stieglitz who was twenty-four years her senior, O’Keefe worked as an art teacher in west Texas. After several years of living with Stieglitz in Manhattan, Georgia relocated, primarily in the winter and spring to New Mexico at her Ghost Ranch while Stieglitz remained in New York. They summered together at his family home in Lake George, New York.

The O’Keefe Museum is modern and first class. The galleries are sharp, well lit, and the art spectacular. With the exception of Stieglitz’s gallery, she always staged her own exhibits. The museum echoes O’Keefe’s keen understanding of gallery presentation. This skill in part attributable to her artistic talent, but certainly the showmanship of the impresario Stieglitz had its effect as well.

Another aspect I found interesting was in large part the museum was funded by her charitable foundation. This is understandable as she was an astonishing financial success. Besides retaining ownership to a large part of her own works, she had inherited the works and photography negatives of Alfred Stieglitz

Georgia O’Keefe was also expert at art conservation and experimented widely with presentation materials and frames.

On our last night we dined at Mucho Gusto, a small New Mexican diner near our hotel. The food was very good, and we enjoyed the so-called New Mexican food. I say that because I found New Mexican cuisine at best just a marketing differentiation. Other than colored tostadas and an emphasis on do you want your chili sauce red, green, or Christmas, I couldn’t tell any great difference from the pre Tex-Mex Mexican food of my Texas childhood.

Our trip was a nice get a way and if you have not been to Santa Fe, Give it a try.