Totem fragment for Jo Mead Designs

Edgar Miller
c. 1950s
Plaster composite, paint
H 62, L 24, W 38 cm

Miller was fascinated and enthralled by all the cultures of indigenous America, which is reflected in so much of his art and design work throughout his lifetime. In the 1960s, Miller had an opportunity to go even further, when he was commissioned by Jo Mead Designs to make a line of replica totems based on the art of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

The owner of the art manufacturing company, Jo Mead, was herself a pioneering woman in design and entrepreneurship, creating her own company which manufactured all kinds of affordable, mass produced artwork, typically made from mold castings. In an age when women were discouraged to start their own independent businesses, Mead was undeterred. Starting in the 1940s, she also was instrumental in establishing the historic preservation movement in the city of Galena, Illinois. There she assisted in cultivating the town as an artist enclave and colony, only a couple hours west from Chicago on the border of Iowa.

It's unknown how Miller and Mead met, but he created all kinds of other sculptural designs for her company throughout the years. In the case of this cast totem fragment, Miller created several different images based on what he had researched about the ancient art form. When stacked, the pieces fit together and could form any variety of totem pole. It is unknown how many were produced in total.