Hopi Snake Dance Arizona Postcard E. Irving Couse Fred Harvey Painted Desert

Beautiful early Fred Harvey “Phostint” postcard depicting the Hopi Snake Dance, based on a painting by E. Irving Couse, A.N.A. (American painter, 1866–1936). Published by the Detroit Publishing Company, this vividly printed lithograph captures the sacred rain-prayer ceremony of the Hopi people of northern Arizona.

The image shows Hopi men in ceremonial attire performing the Snake Dance, a central religious rite held annually in mid-August on the mesas of the Painted Desert. In this depiction, dancers handle live snakes—symbols of spiritual communication—while others prepare offerings and prayers. This card is numbered 79011 and marked “Copr. Fred Harvey.”

The back of the card provides an extended printed description of the ritual, explaining how the ceremony serves as a prayer for rain, with snakes washed, blessed, and released to carry the Hopi’s petitions to the gods of the clouds.

Details:

• Original vintage Fred Harvey “Phostint” postcard

• Title: Hopi Snake Dance, Arizona

• Artist: E. Irving Couse, A.N.A. (Eanger Irving Couse, noted Taos Society painter)

• Publisher: Detroit Publishing Co.

• Series: Fred Harvey / Phostint Card

• Number: 79011

• Era: Circa 1910s–1920s

• Back: Divided back, printed description, unused

• Condition: Very good—vivid color, minimal edge wear, clean reverse

• Size: Standard 3.5” x 5.5”

Historical Note:

The Hopi Snake Dance is one of the most renowned Indigenous ceremonies of the American Southwest, held on the mesas of northern Arizona as a prayer for rain and fertility. The ritual reflects deep spiritual traditions and the Hopi worldview of harmony between nature and people. The Fred Harvey Company and Detroit Publishing Co. helped popularize Native American art and culture through postcards and imagery like this, making works by artists such as E. Irving Couse accessible to travelers and collectors across the country.

Eanger Irving Couse (1866–1936) was one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists, known for his sympathetic and atmospheric depictions of Native American life. His works combined artistic realism with cultural respect and were often adapted into collectible postcards during the early 20th century.

A stunning and historically significant card ideal for collectors of Fred Harvey, Hopi culture, Native American postcards, or Southwest art.