Existing comment:
Hopi House:
Hopi House opened on January 1, 1905, the first Grand Canyon work of architect Mary Colter. To complement El Tovar, their new hotel. the Fred Harvey Company commissioned Colter to design a building to display and sell Indian arts and crafts. Colter designed Hopi House to resemble a true Indian dwelling, modeling it after structures in the Hopi village of Old Oraibi.
When it opened, Hopi House contained sales areas and a museum. Upper floors housed Hopi families who worked there. Visitors could observe artisans at work, and in the evening experience traditional song and dance on the patio.
Hopi House was designed to blend commercial needs with a human and natural setting, an architectural concept then new in the Southwest.
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter:
For almost 50 years, Mary Colter designed structures and interiors throughout the Southwest for the Fred Harvey Company. She advanced a new architectural style -- simpler designs that incorporated the Southwestern heritage she loved. She was a pioneer, succeeding in a man's field at a time when professional women were not widely accepted.
Six of Mary Colter's works may be seen at Grand Canyon: Hopi House, Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, Hermit's Rest, Desert View Watchtower, and Phantom Ranch. |