Franc Johnson Newcomb (1887-1970)

Franc Johnson Newcomb (1887-1970) came west to teach at the Navajo Indian boarding school in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Known as an Indian trader’s wife while at the same time recognized as a scholar and writer on Navajo religious ceremonials. Newcomb’s documentation of Navajo art and culture—writing, lecturing, or reproducing ritual sandpaintings onto a two-dimensional painted surface—made a significant impact on Southwestern studies.  Her spiritual awareness and intense interest in Navajo religion helped her develop a unique ability to memorize sandpainting symbols, placement, and color.  She often translated or reproduced three-dimensional ritual sandpaintings into a remarkable two-dimensional painting genre, generating more renderings than any prvious individual.

Source: The Spiritual World of Franc Johnson Newcomb