Woodard's Indian Shop — Southwest Jewelry Trading Shop & Marks

Name-card placeholder — historic shop-mark imagery to follow. © Turquoise Skies Inc.

Trading shop and silver supplier · Gallup, New Mexico (and Tucson, Scottsdale, Santa Fe) · 1930s–1970s · Southwest Jewelry Guide

Overview

Woodard's Indian Shop was operated by Marion (M. L.) Woodard and later his son Phil Woodard, with roots in the United Indian Traders Association (UITA) of the 1930s. The Gallup flagship was located at 218½ W. Coal Avenue. Woodard ran additional shops in Tucson and Scottsdale, Arizona, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Beginning in 1943, Woodard also supplied silver to many Native American silversmiths on behalf of the UITA through a federal license — a role that made the business as much a materials wholesaler as a retail shop. The silver supply operation was eventually sold to the Gross Kelly Company and became the Indian Jewelry Supply Company, which still serves the trade today.

Shop mark

"Woodards Indian Shop (Shop). Marion (M. L.) Woodard worked for the United Indian Traders Association (UITA) in the 1930s and also operated shops in Tucson, AZ., Scottsdale, AZ., and in Santa Fe and Gallup, NM. The Gallup shop was located at 218 1/2 W. Coal Ave. Beginning in 1943, Woodard also supplied silver to many Native American silversmiths on behalf of the UITA through a federal license. … Mark: W (W may be sans serif; Woodard likely shared business card and letterhead sources while associated with UITA)" — Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), Shops section.

The shop mark is a simple W, which may appear without serifs. Collectors should note that Woodard's business card and letterhead design closely resembles that used by Berton Staples at the Crafts de Navajo — Hougart notes the two operations likely shared those sources during their UITA association.

The UITA connection and silver supply legacy

The UITA was the principal trade organization for licensed Indian traders through the mid-twentieth century, and Woodard's role as both retailer and federally licensed silver supplier gave the shop unusual reach. The transition from Woodard → Gross Kelly → Indian Jewelry Supply is one of the traceable institutional threads in the Gallup trade economy.

Artists connected to Woodard's Indian Shop

Kee Joe Benally, Jr. (1936–2014; Navajo) is documented as having worked for Woodard's Indian Shop in addition to the Ellis Tanner Trading Company. His mark (KJ B, Indian Hand Made Sterling Silver) may appear with the Woodard's W stamp on pieces from his career.

W. Tsosie (Navajo) worked for Woodard's Indian Shop in the 1970s; his marks include WT, TSOSIE, and W. TSOSIE, with gold accents in his silverwork. Other smiths whose work may be marked for Woodard's include Jo Y. (marks: Jo Y; a Navajo head) and Hozzie, Jr. — the latter having also worked for the Dean Kirks Trading Post at Manuelito in the early 1950s. A medicine-man's dipper mark appearing on some Navajo pieces from this period may also indicate a Woodard's attribution.

References

• Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Schiffer Publishing, 2022. Shops section (Woodards Indian Shop entry).