Mary C. Wheelwright Autobiography and Related Materials
Collection
Identifier: MSS-773-SC
Scope and Content
The core of this small collection is a photocopy of the first draft of Mary Cabot Wheelwright's unpublished autobiography, "Journey Towards Understanding." In this manuscript, Wheelwright details how she gained her knowledge of Navajo religion and offers an analysis of the religion. She tells of her travels through the Navajo Reservation and the Grand Canyon, describing the landscape, people, attitudes, and "quality of the West." She speaks of her relationship with Hasteen Klah, the Newcombs, the Hubbells, and the Wetherills. She also discusses the establishment of what is now the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, both in terms of design/construction and mission/activities.
In addition to the manuscript itself, the collection contains Sid Margolis' notes on the manuscript and on publishing the manuscript, as well as published and unpublished background materials on sandpaintings, ceremonies, and myths. To date, the manuscript has not been published.
In addition to the manuscript itself, the collection contains Sid Margolis' notes on the manuscript and on publishing the manuscript, as well as published and unpublished background materials on sandpaintings, ceremonies, and myths. To date, the manuscript has not been published.
Dates
- 1979-1992
Creator
- Wheelwright, Mary C. (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes, Copyright is held by the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, NM. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.
Biographical Information
Mary Cabot Wheelwright, born on October 22, 1878, was the only child of Andrew Cunningham Wheelwright and Sarah Perkins Cabot Wheelwright. The Cabots were a distinguished and wealthy Boston family. At age 40, after both of her parents had died, Mary traveled to the southwest, where she found and embraced "a more primitive type of civilization, more adventuresome and more exciting than the safety of Boston." She stayed at a dude ranch in Alcalde, N.M., from where she set out on repeated car and pack trips to the Four Corners area and Navajo reservation. She became fascinated with Navajo religion. In 1921, Wheelwright met Arthur and Franc Newcomb, who owned a trading post at Nava, N.M. and introduced Wheelwright to medicine man/singer Hasteen Klah. Klah was concerned about maintaining traditional Navajo religious practice, and had been contemplating a strategy to preserve his knowledge. Wheelwright was committed to learning about Navajo religion. Wheelwright and Klah quickly developed a relationship of mutual respect and began working together. Klah shared many of the Navajo ceremonies with Wheelwright, who recorded and translated them.
Wheelwright divided her time, living part of the year in the eastern United States, traveling the world hoping to find links between cultures and religion, and returning to the home she maintained in Alcalde, N.M. nearly every year. Throughout those years, she continued to record ceremonials given by Klah and other medicine men, fifty-eight in all. She also collected reproductions of ceremonial sandpaintings in mediums such as watercolors, sketches, and textiles, created by Franc Newcomb, Laura Adams Armer, Maud Oakes, Mrs. John Wetherill, Hasteen Klah, and others.
By the late 1920s, the need to build a museum was apparent. Wheelwright states, "My purpose through all the work (collecting and recording the ceremonies), has been to establish a Museum to contain all the material we had collected, as well as all the available material collected or published by others, for the use of future students of Navajo religion, art and culture." After failed negotiations to incorporate this museum within the Laboratory of Anthropology, Amelia White offered to donate 8.32 acres adjoining the Lab's property on which Wheelwright could build her museum. The museum, called the House of Navajo Religion, designed by William Penhallow Henderson, was opened to the public in November 1938. In 1939, the museum was renamed the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art, and in 1977, the name was changed to the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Mary Wheelwright served as director until her death on July 29, 1958.
Sources: Wheelwright Museum website; Wheelwright Museum docent training manual; New Mexico Magazine, Dec. 1958; Santa Fe New Mexican, July 30, 1958.
Wheelwright divided her time, living part of the year in the eastern United States, traveling the world hoping to find links between cultures and religion, and returning to the home she maintained in Alcalde, N.M. nearly every year. Throughout those years, she continued to record ceremonials given by Klah and other medicine men, fifty-eight in all. She also collected reproductions of ceremonial sandpaintings in mediums such as watercolors, sketches, and textiles, created by Franc Newcomb, Laura Adams Armer, Maud Oakes, Mrs. John Wetherill, Hasteen Klah, and others.
By the late 1920s, the need to build a museum was apparent. Wheelwright states, "My purpose through all the work (collecting and recording the ceremonies), has been to establish a Museum to contain all the material we had collected, as well as all the available material collected or published by others, for the use of future students of Navajo religion, art and culture." After failed negotiations to incorporate this museum within the Laboratory of Anthropology, Amelia White offered to donate 8.32 acres adjoining the Lab's property on which Wheelwright could build her museum. The museum, called the House of Navajo Religion, designed by William Penhallow Henderson, was opened to the public in November 1938. In 1939, the museum was renamed the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art, and in 1977, the name was changed to the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Mary Wheelwright served as director until her death on July 29, 1958.
Sources: Wheelwright Museum website; Wheelwright Museum docent training manual; New Mexico Magazine, Dec. 1958; Santa Fe New Mexican, July 30, 1958.
Extent
1 Folder
Abstract
The core of this small collection is a photocopy of the first draft of Mary Cabot Wheelwright's unpublished autobiography, "Journey Towards Understanding."
Location of Originals
The original (MS 1-1-128a) and several other versions of this manuscript are housed at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, NM.
Creator
- Wheelwright, Mary C. (Person)
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Mary C. Wheelwright Autobiography and Related Materials, 1979-1992
- Status
- Approved
- Author
- Processed by B. Silbergleit
- Date
- ©2006
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451