Vintage Boots: Minnetonka Moosehide Moccasins

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Minnetonka Moosehide Moccasins

Marmon's most famous portrait is the iconic "White Man's Moccasins" (1954), which has become his signature photograph.^[5] In that image, tribal elder Jeff Sousea, the 85 year old caretaker of the Laguna mission, is sitting in the afternoon sun sporting a traditional headband, traditional beaded necklaces, and a well-worn pair of Keds brand high-top sneakers on his feet. This curious juxtaposition of both traditional tribal and western wear in "White Man's Moccasins" has come to symbolize the great cultural transition that Marmon's works documented on the pueblos in the mid 20th century, as ancient tribal traditions and practices gradually gave way to more modern, western-oriented practices.

Marmon's varied and notable career has extended beyond photography.