Available August 2026
Andrew D. Turner, Mary E. Miller, and Khristaan D. Villela
This fascinating book reveals the history of how pre-Hispanic artifacts were smuggled into the United States and reconceptualized as works of art.
By the mid-twentieth century, ancient Mexican artifacts had undergone a striking transformation. Once dismissed as anthropological curiosities, sought after more for their ethnographic value than aesthetic merit, they had become prized artworks that were prominently displayed in major US museums, featured in advertisements and Hollywood films, and shown adorning the homes of celebrities.
At the center of this shift was Earl Stendahl, a savvy Los Angeles art dealer who played a pivotal role in shaping public and institutional perceptions of these objects. Through strategic marketing and a keen eye for opportunity, he repositioned these artifacts, selling them to an elite clientele that included movie stars, wealthy collectors, and museum curators. In doing so, he helped define a new canon of “ancient American art.”
Beneath this glamorous facade, however, lies a darker narrative of the looting, smuggling, and forgery that fueled this midcentury craze, exposing how the desire for authenticity and prestige often came at the expense of ethical collecting practices and cultural heritage. This book brings together art history, museum studies, and the politics of the antiquities trade, offering both a social history and a critical examination of how ancient Mexico’s past was sold in twentieth-century America.
This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the Getty Research Institute at the Getty Center from June 23 to October 18, 2026.
Andrew D. Turner is an assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mary E. Miller served as director of the Getty Research Institute from 2019 to 2025. Khristaan D. Villela is associate director of Dissemination and External Affairs at the Getty Research Institute.
176 pages
6 x 9 inches
63 color and 29 b/w illustrations, 2 maps
ISBN 979-8-88712-028-7
paperback
Getty Publications
Imprint: Getty Research Institute
2026