New Mexico curios and popular culture often had a Native American theme, or were made by Native artisans.
Local curiosities emerged from earlier marketing efforts by the Santa Fe Railway and the related Fred Harvey Company.
Sophisticated travelers dismissed the businesses along Route 66 as tourist traps. They disparaged local
products and souvenirs as worthless junk. Nonetheless, local souvenirs developed a national following as
travelers dispersed these objects, and the related memories of their travels, across the country.
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