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Charles Eagle Plume Foundation is a non-profit organization established
by Eagle Plume in 1985. The Foundation encompasses the Charles Eagle
Plume Collection of North American Indian Art, which is continuously
displayed at the store. The collection is comprised of over one thousand
pieces.
Katherine Lindsay Perkins began collecting Plains beadwork shortly
after she arrived in Allenspark, adding to the few pieces she had
inherited from her father. By the 1930's she and Charles Eagle Plume
were actively collecting and trading everything from Navajo weavings
to Pueblo ceramics and everything else within the spectrum in Indian
art. As a result, the collection includes a variety of historic
Indian art including beadwork from the Northeast, Woodlands area,
and the Northern and Southern Plains.
One of Charles' favorite aspects of his collection were the baskets.
Hung from the ceiling in one room of the cabin are dozens of baskets
from the Southwest, Northwest Coast, California, and Alaska. The
beautiful Tulare basket was his favorite and still hangs where it
can be seen from his old desk in the jewlery room. Other favorites
include the intricate Pomo feather gift baskets, the finely woven
lidded grass baskets from the Aleutian Islands, and the large Apache
ollas and burden baskets that still hang above the stairwell.
Other major parts of
the collection include the historic Navajo and Pueblo jewelry, Pueblo
ceramics, and weavings. There are a few notable pieces that include
a beaded Iroqouis Glengarry cap, a Mohawk cradleboard that is finely
carved and painted, a Karankawa armadillo helmet, a Chilkat Dancing
Blanket, lacrosse sticks, as well as others. For many years Charles
had intended on donating his impressive collection to a number of
universities, individuals, and so forth. However in later years,
wanting the store to continue after his death, Charles made the
decision to keep the collection on display at the store for the
enjoyment of his many friends and customers. Eagle Plume's extensive
Indian arts library remains at the store and is available for study
by appointment.
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