Thanks to the efforts of Gustavus Eisen, the Hearst Museum has the largest and best-documented group of 19th century Guatemalan Maya textiles in existence. In 1902, Phoebe Hearst sent the Swedish-American zoologist on an expedition to find local sources of ancient jades, new archaeological sites, and to collect Indian clothing. Among the 222 textiles (plus 143 related artifacts) are many complete costumes, mostly items that were being worn.
At a fountain, Totonicapán." The huipiles that the women are wearing are similar to the one displayed in this section. Photograph by Gustavus A. Eisen, 1902 (13-1331.20).
Indian Martooms in their ceremonial costumes." Eisen, who was captivated by the appearance of the celebrations, photographed these men as they returned from mass in the morning. Photograph by Gustavus A. Eisen, 1902
(13-1331.2).
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