Lucy Telles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucy Park Telles
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Lucy Telles in Yosemite National Park, September 16, 1933
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Pamahas
c. 1870-1885 Mono County, California, United States
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| Died | c. 1955-1956 |
| Nationality | Kucadikadi- Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute |
| Education | Self-taught |
| Known for | Basket weaving |
Lucy Parker Telles (born around 1870-1885, died 1955 or 1956) was a very famous Native American basket weaver. She belonged to the Mono Lake Paiute - Kucadikadi and Southern Sierra Miwok (Yosemite Miwok) tribes. Her amazing baskets are still admired today.
Early Life and Family
Lucy Telles was born near Mono Lake in Mono County, California. Her Native American name was Pamahas, which means "Meadows." Her parents were Louisa and Mack Tom. Her grandparents were Captain Sam and Susie Sam, who were Mono Lake Paiute.
Lucy and her family lived in both Yosemite Valley and at Mono Lake. When she was a child, she played near Galen Clark's cabin. To help her family, she would catch fish in the Valley. She sold these fish to people who ran the hotels.
Lucy's first husband was Jack Parker, a Paiute man. They had a son named Lloyd Parker in 1902. Sadly, Jack died soon after Lloyd was born. Later, Lucy married John Telles, who was Mexican-American. John worked as a truck driver in Yosemite Park. Lucy and John lived together in Yosemite Valley.
Lucy Telles was part of a group of Mono-Paiute women. These women became known for their beautiful and complex baskets. Other famous basket weavers in this group included Nellie Charlie and Carrie Bethel.
Lucy Telles' Art and Achievements
Lucy Telles learned basket weaving when she was a child. She became very well known for her detailed baskets during her lifetime. Her new ideas in basket weaving had a lasting impact on other weavers in Yosemite.
Traditional Miwok baskets usually had only one color. But Lucy used two colors in her baskets. She made black dye from the roots of bracken fern plants. She created red dye from split redbud twigs. She also invented new designs for her baskets. Some of these designs were inspired by the geometric patterns seen in Plains Indian beadwork. Lucy sold her beautiful baskets to visitors in Yosemite.
By the 1920s, many people thought Lucy Telles was the best basket weaver in Yosemite Valley. In 1924, she won a prize of $100 for her baskets. Her most famous basket was the largest ever woven in Yosemite Valley. It was sold for $250 in 1939.
Another huge basket she made was 36 inches wide. It took her four years to weave! This basket won first prize at the 1933 World's Fair. In 1950, Lucy held a raffle for this basket. Her son won it, and then the National Park Service bought it for the Yosemite Museum.
From 1930 until she died, Lucy showed park visitors how to make baskets. She also taught her grandson's wife, Julia Peter Parker, how to weave. Julia was from the Kashaya Pomo tribe. Lucy Telles was one of the most productive basket makers from California and the Yosemite – Mono Lake Paiute area. Many of her baskets are displayed at the Yosemite National Park Indian museum.
Legacy and Exhibitions
Lucy Telles' baskets are still celebrated today. Two of her baskets were shown in an art exhibition about Yosemite. This exhibition traveled to several museums from 2006 to 2008. These museums included the Autry Museum of the American West, the Oakland Museum of California, the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.
One of her baskets is part of the California Academy of Sciences collection. You can see it on display at the California Museum in Sacramento.
