Here stands the Southwest Museum of the American Indian a treasure. It safeguards Native American art and artifacts. The museum closed in September 2022. Yet its legacy lives on.
The Southwest Museum’s story began with Charles Fletcher Lummis. He was an anthropologist and journalist. Lummis founded the Southwest Society. It was a branch of the Archaeological Institute of America. He gained support from city leaders. Attorney Joseph Scott provided financial backing. In 1907, the Southwest Museum opened.
Initially, exhibits were downtown. The museum moved to Mt. Washington in 1914. Sumner P. Hunt and Silas Reese Burns designed the 1914 building. Its style is Mission Revival. Later additions included the Caroline Boeing Poole Wing of Basketry in 1941. Gordon B. Kaufmann was the architect. The Braun Research Library followed in 1971. Glen E. Cook designed it.
Frederick Russell Burnham served as an early president. He was a military scout. He was also the father of the international scouting movement. Carl Dentzel directed the museum from 1955 to 1980. He was a historian and preservationist.
In 1993, Patrick Houlihan faced charges. He was the director from 1981 to 1987. He was convicted of embezzlement and grand theft. He sold or traded museum items.
The Autry Museum absorbed the Southwest Museum in 2003. It became the Autry’s Mt. Washington Campus. After years of financial struggles the Southwest Museum closed. Its collections moved to a new facility.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation partnered with the Autry. They developed a long-term plan for the site. In 2015, the Southwest Museum became a National Treasure. Despite ceasing operations the Southwest Museum remains important. Its building stands as a testament to its past. It holds memories of its contributions to Los Angeles culture.
Imagine the halls filled with pottery. Picture the displays of Native American life. Think of the researchers in the Braun Research Library. While the museum is closed these visions stay alive. The Southwest Museum significantly impacted Los Angeles.
The Southwest Museum station is down the hill. A long tunnel leads to the museum site. The Autry removed the dioramas that once filled this tunnel. The tunnel leads to an elevator. The elevator goes to the museum’s lower lobby.
The Southwest Museum’s collections were extensive. They included items from the Great Plains. They also featured artifacts from California and the Northwest Coast. The Autry and the Southwest Museum together hold the second-largest collection of indigenous art in the country. Only the Smithsonian has more.
Today the Autry seeks new uses for the building. Renovating it for museum use is too expensive. The Southwest Museum’s legacy endures. Its impact on Los Angeles remains undeniable.