Books

The Ella M. Cain Collection

Ella Margaret Cain (1882–1966) grew up and spent her life in the Sierra Nevada towns of Bodie and Bridgeport. Over three-quarters of a century, she collected and left behind a legacy of more than 300 Native American baskets. Her basket collection focused on the 1910–1930 era, sometimes referred to as “the golden age” of Californian basketry, and she acquired them both individually and by purchasing entire collections. This book is a memorial tribute to Cain and her love for this wonderful art form and the people who made them. It features comprehensive illustrations of her collection accompanied by detailed descriptions. Part of her collection can be found at the Mono County Museum in Bridgeport, California. A portion of it is being marketed by Bonhams and Butterfields, which elected to produce this document of what was perhaps the last of the great early basket collections in the West.