BOOKS - Turquois; Joseph E. Pogue

S1-1      1975; Rio Grande Press.  First Published (in part) in 1915.

Wow! .... just wow.  The full title is "Turquois: Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences; Volume XII; Part II Second Memoir; Third Memoir."  (and very interestingly the covers have different metalized bordering;  some bright red/Kelly Green center, some lime green/copper center and some more of a tangerine/spruce green center.)  No choice, you just get the next on in the stack.

I am pretty sure this was intentional, and it had to be hand done!   There is sparse info on the original Rio Grand Press, other than they were small; only did re-publishing (this being there best seller ever) .. are were started by a couple gents who both gave up very successful carriers to live in Glorita, NM. 

This book apparently started with the initial 1915 work of Joe Pogue, which itself is considered seminal by some much more educated in turquoise then I am.  They actually chide Pogue for "misspelling" the name of the mineral, though give him a bit of slack as perhaps in 1915 they concede that maybe it did not have an "e" on the end.

The bibliography is 18 pages long

I've only read the Publisher's Preface, particularly as it pertains to that "Hombre Especial".  And I have read the Introduction.  And, I have skimmed through Pogue's original 1915 pamphlet.  But I will get more into this one ... especially the parts and pictures supplied by Rex Arrowsmith.

Mr. Arrowsmith apparently supplemented and embellished on the work of Mr. Pogue.  Pogue was a geologist and author on many subjects; turquois(e) was just one.  Arrowsmith was one of the most accomplished "traders" in Navajo, Zuni, Apache and other native artifacts ... when so many of the master smiths and craftsmen were working their magic in silver, leather, feathers .... and turquoise.   Rex Arrowsmith was also a trained geologist.

The authors/compilers/publishers of this work leaned heavily - first on the original Pogue text and secondly on Arrowsmith.  As is said in the preface,

"The work contains everything you might want to know about Turquoise, but were aftaid to ask.  If there is anything incomplete about it - especially in view of the emendations of the erudite Rex Arrowsmith of Santa Fe - we can't imagine what it would be."

You all can judge for yourselves.