Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade and Camp Blankets

Book Description
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 first book to trace the fascinating story of the commercially produced wool trade blankets from the 1892-1942 "golden age" as well as 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.

About the Author
Barry Friedman is the pioneer collector/dealer of Indian trade blankets, and has published hundreds of articles in national publications and newspapers including the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Valencia, California.


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At the end of the nineteenth century, Pendleton and other American woolen mills began manufacturing dazzling geometric-pattern blankets for trade and sale to the American Indian. In 1911 the Beacon Manufacturing Company began producing cotton blankets in Native American-inspired patterns. Known today as Indian camp blankets, they are coveted by collectors nationwide. Indian trade and camp blankets have become icons of Adirondack and western decor, and Chasing Rainbows is the first book to cover both blanket types. Every manufacturer is discussed, including two previously unknown to collectors. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of spectacular blankets, original manufacturers' catalog pages, and rare photographs of legendary figures such as Buffalo Bill and Geronimo, this lively book offers valuable information on the nuances of collecting: identifying and dating blankets from the "golden age" of the Indian trade blanket (1892-1942) and the Indian camp blanket (1911-1942), judging condition, finding blankets, and caring for them properly. The culmination of more than thirty years of research, Chasing Rainbows is an indispensable reference for collectors of Indian blankets and the many enthusiasts of rustic style as well as a fascinating look at the textile industry, Indian traders, and American Indians in the Old West. 320 full-color photographs and 60 black-and-white illustrations


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