Harvey Company Cartoon
Date1927
Artist
John Sloan
(American painter, etcher, and illustrator, 1871–1951)
MediumGraphite on paper
Dimensionscomposition: 3 13/16 × 6 5/16 in. (9.7 × 16 cm)
sheet: 7 11/16 × 12 5/8 in. (19.5 × 32.1 cm)
sheet: 7 11/16 × 12 5/8 in. (19.5 × 32.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of Helen Farr Sloan, 1986
Object number1986-135.289
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextThe pencil inscription, recorded by Helen Farr Sloan, indicates that this cartoon represents a figure from the Fred Harvey Company whipping a Native American dancer. The Harvey Company ran a chain of restaurants, hotels, and hospitality businesses along railroads and highways in the American Southwest. They also organized the "Indian Detours"—car trips from train stations and hotels to Native American pueblos—which provided the subject for one of Sloan's more famous etchings. The Harvey Company was a major force in southwestern tourism, and Sloan likely thought the company exploited Native American artists and performers. The rest of the inscription indicates that this may have been an idea for a float or performance for Santa Fe Fiesta, an annual celebration. The drawing is unrelated to the letter.
