A new book for the library collection has been added. Pomo Basketmaking: a supreme art for the maker is a Californian publication from Naturegraph (1972. 1988 edition).
Edited by Vinson Brown, this volume is a history of the basketmaker, Elsie Allen and an exploration of her work in the art of Pomo basketry. The book was found in a book exchange in Arthur’s Pass housed in an old ‘fridge. It is intriguing as to how it got to the village high up in the Southern Alps.
The Pomo are an indigenous people from Northern California and they are well-regarded for their expertise in making baskets. Elsie Comanche Allen began weaving as a child, but it was her mother, Annie Ramon Burke, who was responsible for Elsie taking up basketmaking upon retirement. Annie began the family collection and in a break from tradition, asked that her baskets not be destroyed after her death. In the past, burying baskets or destroying them in honour of the maker, meant that there were no examples to use to pass on knowledge about patterns and methods of construction. Elsie honoured her mother’s request and took it a step further: she began to make baskets herself. The collection of baskets is now owned by Santa Rosa Junior College and is an invaluable resource.
The studio library is available to use for free. It is a reference collection and visitors can book a time to come to read the books or simply turn up on a weekday between 11am and 3pm. The library is reference only and is being catalogued at the moment. The full catalogue will be online through the Textile Trust website when it is completed.
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