Customer Reviews

Indian Maidens (Artist Archives)

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Indian Maidens is a selection of advertising art from the early to mid 1900's. All pictures were intended to represent young Native American women at a time when many U.S. consumers had a romantic view of Native Americans. A thoughtful and realistic introduction by Max Allan Collins details some other art background in the art of the times and explains that the models were white women. Called "pinups" in the calendar art of the day, the women have bare feet and low necklines, but these are not R-rated pictures by today's standards. This selection of beautifully drawn, painted, and detailed ads highlights a slice of American life with wistful views we find unrealistic, if not unacceptable, today.

This coffee table type book is ok if you're looking for a marginal introduction to the art of Indian Maidens. Not allot of history here sorry to say, more or less a synopsis written on two pages dealing with the 1920's and 30's when the Indian Maiden was at its zenith. Also a quick run down of the more popular artists during this time. The rest of the book contains 14 one-sided color plates that give you an idea of the stylized art that was used. Most of these plates are the more popular prints you see popping up on ebay from time to time. I guess when you come down to it I was hoping for a more in-depth approach to the artists, their techniques, and also to the numerous Indian Maiden prints that still to this day have no idea who painted them.
A synopsis it is... an unabridged addition it is not.