How Railroad Tourism Created The Craze For Traditional Native American Baskets

It turns out that Native American baskets which are the most prized today were made for the tourist and collector market, which flourished between 1890 and 1930 - from the years when the railroad first brought carloads of tourists and fortune seekers West, to the Great Depression, which essentially killed the market.
Recently Collectors Weekly spoke to John Kania and Alan Blaugrund in order to write an article about these beautiful pieces. They have just written a comprehensive book on the subject, with a focus on how to identify baskets based on their materials and construction techniques.