Pomo Culture Series – Papa Quail Pomo Basket Project

Soper Reese Theatre is proud to host the
Pomo Culture Series

Friday, August 21, 2026 – 6 PM
FREE ENTRY
Donations gratefully accepted

Papa Quail Pomo Basket Project

Forty years ago, I did my dissertation on Pomo
Baskets. In the process I photographed 1200 baskets
from major museums and private collections where I
knew the village the baskets came from, and in some
cases the names of the weavers. These photos
focused on the Pomo baskets but also included
surrounding tribes. The baskets ranged from the late
1800s to the 1980s. I also got to work with weavers
such as Mabel McKay and Elsie Allen. Now that I have
retired from Fresno State, I am returning to this
research to digitize these photos. I would like to
return this resource to the weaving communities –
long overdue. While it is not the same as returning the
baskets themselves, at least these photos can
become a resource. I would also be happy to mentor
tribal scholars on their own research with this data
base to further their academic careers. If you are
interested in more information on this project, please
contact me (John Pryor) at jhpryor24@gmail.com