Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets [Hardcover]

Barry Friedman (Author), James L. Collins (Author), Gary Diamond (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003

The dazzling Indian trade blanket has become one of the hottest categories in collecting. Icons of Adirondack and Western décor, these stunning geometric-patterned blankets remain a staple of Native American life and are regularly featured in design and shelter magazines. CHASING RAINBOWS is the only book to trace both the fascinating story of the commercially produced wool trade blankets from the 1892-1942 "golden age" and the equally collectible 1910-1942 cotton Indian camp blankets. Illustrated throughout with hundreds of rare blankets, historic photographs of Native Americans and original blanket manufacturers' catalog pages, this definitive work advises where and what to collect and how to care for vintage blankets. The author, Barry Friedman, is known internationally as the ultimate authority on vintage Indian blankets and this book is unquestionably the collector's Bible. Formerly a highly successful Hollywood comedy writer, Friedman presents his information in a wildly entertaining style.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barry Friedman is the pioneer collector/dealer of Indian trade blankets and has bought and sold a staggering 26,000 vintage blankets in his 40 year career. Stories about Mr. Friedman have appeared in hundreds of publications ranging from USA Today and the Los Angeles Times to the Antique Trader and he's been profiled on TV programs such as "Good Morning America". He has lectured at many institutions including the Baltimore Museum of Art and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and was the first non-Indian ever invited to give the keynote address at the Pendleton Woolen Mills national sales meeting. In a previous life he was a Hollywood television comedy writer and received six Emmy nominations and wrote stand-up material for scores of comedians ranging from Johnny Carson to Jerry Seinfeld. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch; 1st edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821227580
• ISBN-13: 978-0821227589
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK! GENIUS AT WORK!, January 7, 2003

By 

Carolyne Lassiter (Jackson, Wyoming) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets (Hardcover)

It's time a female voice chimed in on this amazing book. There is almost no point comparing previous works on Indian blankets with Barry Friedman's "Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets" because there is no comparison. This book trumps the competition on every level. If anything, it's almost too beautiful for its own good. The pictures of the blankets are so dazzling that I fear people will just see it as a colorful adornment for a coffee table and neglect to read the text.

That would be a tragedy, because I wholeheartedly agree with the Amazon reviewer from San Francisco who proclaimed this the best book he has ever read on any collectible subject. I have NEVER read a book on antiques or collectibles written by an author with Friedman's combination of knowledge, enthusiasm and remarkable comic sensibility.

This is not to say he doesn't take his subject seriously. It's doubtful anyone takes it more seriously. The previous books on the subject read like Cliff's Notes compared to Friedman's penetrating portrait. So while I repeat that there is no comparison with earlier stabs at this topic, the differences must be mentioned to understand why this book is the new gold standard.

Robert W. Kapoun's worthy "Language Of The Robe: American Indian Trade Blankets" came out in 1992 and has been the reference in the field until now, but in the wake of Friedman's effort it is offically dethroned. Virtually all of the blankets Kapoun listed as manufacturer unknown in his book are conclusively identified here and Friedman offers histories of blanket manufacturers Kapoun doesn't even know existed.

The Kapoun blanket collection obviously was acquired by the glass artist Dale Chihuly and the result was the book "Chihuly's Pendletons". Chihuly also acquired Charles Lohrman, the writer that co-authored Kapoun's book. Chihuly's unfortunate introduction reveals he knows less than nothing about Indian blankets and Lohrman takes over from there with a rehash of the Kapoun text that is so abbreviated you'd think it was commissioned by Reader's Digest. The book consists of photos of 60 or so blankets (some misidentified and most already seen in Kapoun, but photographed much more beautifully by Chihuly) along with some exceptional historic photos of Native Americans wearing trade blankets. This is followed, inevitably, by a section that is the real reason for this book: a cavalcade of Chihuly glass vessels called Blanket Cylinders which the glassmeister states were inspired by the blankets. Chihuly may well have a genuine passion for the blankets, but he is overreaching here. Assuredly, glass photos are no doubt lusted after by his legions of fans, but their presence here makes the blankets appear to be nothing more than colorful excuses for yet another Chihuly glass book. While Chihuly may clearly see the historic link between his glass and Indian blankets, blanket collectors will find his book a self-serving contrivance.

Neither Chihuly or Kapoun bother with cotton Indian style blankets, but the subject is handled amiably in Jerry and Kathy Brownstein's "Beacon Blankets Make Warm Friends", a study of the leading maker of cotton camp blankets. Many vintage Beacon blanket catalogs are reproduced in their entirety (although in pictures so small that magnification is definitely recommended). Some attractive Beacon blankets are shown, but picture quality is fair at best. The Brownsteins know their subject, but they also attempt to be a price guide and their prices are often ridiculously low.

So that's the competition and brings me full circle to our Mr. Friedman, who is the real deal as both as a blanket expert and a writer. One senses he would be compelling writing about any subject. His is a unique voice that can be completely serious one moment and then instantly launch into inspired silliness a la Bill Murray the next. He mentions in his Author's Note that he is a professional comedy writer by trade and obviously his humor even extends to his book jacket photo. He states he's been immersed in the Indian blanket hunt for more than thirty years, but he appears to be 25 in his photo. Vanity may well be an issue here. Whatever his age, I don't think he will outlast the shelf life of this book. Young or old, Barry Friedman has produced a classic.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY the Blanket Bible!, January 2, 2003

By 

Anthony Marsh (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets (Hardcover)

INCREDIBLE! This is not just the ultimate book on Indian blankets, but the best book I have ever read on any collectible subject. For starters, the book is beautiful - I need to upgrade my coffee table to show it off! The blankets are stunning and hundreds Id kill to own are pictured. There are also some wonderful historical photographs including my favorite: two carny operators in a midway booth where blankets are the prizes.

If youre a blanket collector, youll think youve died and gone to Heaven, but anyone interested in Native Americans or western history buffs will find this a critical addition to their library. The authors view of history is panoramic. He discusses the end of the Indian Wars and the transition of the Navajo weavers from making wearing blankets to a new product invented by white traders  the Navajo rug  and the simultaneous rise of the commercial manufacturers to provide blankets for the Navajo and many other tribes throughout America.

Every manufacturer gets their own chapter and receives much fuller treatment than they have in any previous book. The trade blanket companies discussed are Pendleton, Capps, Oregon City, Buell, Racine, Knight and Shuler & Benninghofen. Not a word about the last two has been mentioned in previous books. The Knight story is especially interesting  the business was originally financed by Brigham Young! Cotton camp blanket manufacturers  Beacon and Esmond  are also covered in great depth. An additional chapter addresses a number of miscellaneous manufacturers and another provides the most complete information on labels and dating of blankets ever presented.

At 304 pages this book is much larger than any previous book on the subject and is the first to cover both wool trade blankets and cotton camp blankets  Kapouns trade blanket book did not include cotton and Brownsteins book on Beacon blankets was focused strictly on that subject.

There is a huge bonus - the author is brilliantly funny. I cant remember ever reading a book on antiques that continuously made me laugh out loud. The chapter entitled Collecting Indian Blankets: Its Symptoms and Treatment is priceless.

Mr. Friedman advises what to look for in each companys blankets  which patterns and colors to buy or avoid; and also addresses the buying and selling of blankets including the positives and negatives of eBay. His chapter on care and repair of blankets notes: Moths need only three things to survive and breed  food, shade and privacy. I require just those three things and cable.

Clearly Friedman knows more about vintage Indian blankets than anyone alive and his passion for the subject is delightfully contagious. This is a gorgeous and enormously entertaining effort by an expert who also happens to be an extremely gifted writer. I urge you to buy this book and demand Mr. Friedman pens a second volume as soon as possible!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HUMOROUS TEXTBOOK?? AN OXYMORON!!, January 8, 2003

By 

James K. Fox (Mayfield Heights, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets (Hardcover)

Who would have thought it possible? A veritable BIBLE on the history of Indian blankets, but written with wit and humor to accompany Friedman's expertise. The illustrations are true to the color of each blanket-no mean feat in the printing game! And they are SPLENDID! I know, I know...it helps to have such pulchritudinous subject matter, but the photos truly do justice to the beautiful blankets. There is no better source of information on this VERY American subject, and the book will easily win pride of place on your favorite coffee table. A PRICELESS COMPENDIUM by the maven of blanket lore. And Friedman has risen to the top of my wish list of dinner guests. I gotta MEET this guy!! He is HYSTERICAL!! A job VERY well done!