Clark Field

Clark Field (1882–1971) is identified in library and public-domain catalog records as the author of The Art and the Romance of Indian Basketry, a study of Native American basket weaving that was published for the Clark Field Collection at the Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa in 1964.

That book reflects the focus he is most associated with today: documenting basketry as both everyday craft and artistic tradition. The collection and archive bearing his name later became part of the University of New Mexico, which points to a lasting connection between his work as a collector and the study of anthropology and material culture.

Even from the limited biographical details that are easy to confirm, his legacy is clear. He is remembered less for a public literary career than for preserving knowledge about Indigenous basket traditions and helping bring serious attention to the makers, techniques, and cultural meaning behind them.