What is Fred Harvey Style Jewelry?

Fred Harvey jewelry refers to a particular style of Native American jewelry primarily made during the 1920s to the 1940s in response to the expansion of tourism in the American West.

Who was Fred Harvey?

Frederick Henry Harvey was a 19th century entrepreneur. Born in England in 1835, Harvey immigrated to the United States at age fifteen. When he died in 1901, Harvey’s enterprises included restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops, newsstands, and dining cars on the Santa Fe Railroad. By 1887, the Santa Fe Railroad had stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles, making Harvey's influence wide-reaching. During a time when the American Southwest was regarded as the "Wild West," Harvey was coined with “taming the west” due to introducing formal dining and hospitality to the region. Fred Harvey is considered a foundational figure in the American service industry, and he is credited with creating the first "chain" restaurants in the U.S. 

Southwest Native American Jewelry and Rise of the Fred Harvey Style

Harvey was a prominent leader in promoting tourism to the American Southwest, a dynamic and vast region inhabited by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Southwest Native American jewelry is an ancient tradition, especially amongst the Pueblo tribes such as Zuni and Santo Domingo (Kewa). The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the Southwest began a time of profound upheaval and loss for the region. It was during this time that metal was first introduced to Southwest tribes. By the mid-1800s, the Navajo (Diné), known for their adaptability and resourcefulness, learned techniques from Mexican blacksmiths and quickly recognized the potential of this new craft. They soon began incorporating silversmithing into their jewelry-making practices. This early silver jewelry was heavy and large, including concho belts, squash blossom necklaces, and cuff bracelets. 

By the time the railroad reached the Southwest in 1880, the Fred Harvey Company was prepared to serve the influx of tourism and harness their purchasing power. As tourism grew over the years, Harvey recognized the tourists' desire for silver jewelry that was inexpensive, light, and adorned with garish designs. Beginning in 1899, the Fred Harvey Company sent pre-cut turquoise stones and silver to trading posts for Navajo (Diné) silversmiths to make lighter-weight jewelry for Harvey's tourist ventures. 

The jewelry was often stamped with various designs: lightning, clouds, arrows, snakes, owls, and thunderbirds. Lists of what these figures supposedly symbolized were given to tourists, which can be seen below. This lightweight silver jewelry made from 1900 to the 1950s, often set with a single turquoise stone and featuring these Native American symbols, became known as the “Fred Harvey Style.” 

Expansion of Fred Harvey Style Jewelry

As the jewelry became increasingly popular, others began capitalizing on the success of the Harvey Company. Soon, numerous craft "factories" producing similar silver jewelry were established throughout the country. Most of these new businesses marketed their jewelry as authentically handmade by Native Americans, however, for some shops, few Native Americans were actually involved in the process, and assembly line practices and machines were primarily used. 

Maisel's Indian Trading Post (1923) and Bell Trading Post (1932), both in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were two of the bigger producing shops that employed Native American silversmiths and created Fred Harvey style cuffs and pins. By the 1940s, Maisel's was considered the largest trading post on Route 66, employing more than 300 Navajo (Diné) artisans onsite. Both Maisel's and Bell Trading initially focused on entirely handmade jewelry, but they soon installed machines to assist with the production alongside the craftspeople.

Because of this, the Fred Harvey style is an era that includes both handmade and machine-made jewelry. However, in 1938, the Fred Harvey Company stated "the chief requisite for genuine Indian Silver is that it be the product of a single artisan, from the melting of the silver to completion of the finished article." 

Lasting Imprint

The Fred Harvey era is a distinct chapter of Southwest Native American jewelry history. While this particular jewelry was tailored to tourism, rather than an organic artistic expression of Native culture, the industry did create jobs for Native craftspeople during a time of continued change and little economic opportunity. It also played a role in establishing a market for Native American jewelry, paving the way for talented jewelers today. Years later, the antique lightweight silver jewelry adorned with stampwork and symbols is a recognizable and sought-after piece of history, collected by people from around the world.

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