Presented in this lot is a Route 66 Nickel Silver Apache Blue Turquoise Bracelet, circa 1950. Starting with the arrival of the railroad in 1880, Pueblo and Navajo artisans collaborated with non-Indian dealers to invent artifacts that had no purpose but to satisfy the demand for Indian goods. From its inception, the curio trade comprised cottage industries, retail spaces, and a vast mail-order trade, and objects were sold by the thousands. Early in the twentieth century businessmen in Denver invented “Indian style” jewelry, made with the aid of machinery. In the 1920s machine-assisted jewelry production spread to The Route 66 country of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and hundreds of young Native American men moved to the cities to work in the curio shops. Observing a jeweler at work and obtaining a piece of Indian jewelry became an integral part of the touristic experience in New Mexico. Production methods in the shops threatened native traditions and economies, affected the teaching of silversmithing in the Indian schools, and led to federal scrutiny of and control over shop-made jewelry. On the other hand, many young men who learned silversmithing in curio shops had successful and celebrated careers as jewelers following World War II. Many of these artists were represented in the exhibition, including Mark Chee, Ambrose Roanhorse, David Taliman, and Manuel Naranjo. This vintage Nickel Silver Apache Blue Turquoise bracelet has all the features that typifies the Route 66 style: feathered lizard depictions, arrows, and a man. The bracelet is in good overall condition, a rich patina throughout, no obvious marring noted. Measures 2" x 2.5"