Charles F. Lummis

by Marc Simmons

Author, photographer, historian, archaeologist, and preservationist, Charles Fletcher Lummis stood tall in the affections of American Southwesterners at the turn of the 20th century. A flamboyant figure of enormous energy, he championed Indian rights and Hispanic culture, while introducing Easterners, through his many books, to the rich heritage of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. After years of fading from view, the large Lummis legacy is being rediscovered. His works are coming back into print and in 2006 the city of Los Angeles inaugurated an annual Lummis Day Festival. This little book can acquaint readers with a remarkable recorder of history and can help to reawaken interest in his efforts to preserve the distinct cultures of the American Southwest. Additionally, the book contains, as its first chapter, the complete contents of the classic Two Southwesterners: Charles Lummis & Amado Chaves by Marc Simmons, originally published by San Marcos Press in 1968 and long unavailable