During her years traveling the dusty back roads of the Four Corners region, she collected dozens of American Indian rugs, katsina dolls, jewelry and beadwork from the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Haslam died three years ago, but her collection of tribal items has landed at the Utah Museum of Natural History. The 666-piece collection will be on display Saturday for one day only before moving into storage.

Like Haslam's travels through the desert, her collection of American Indian items followed a winding road to reach the Salt Lake City museum.

It began when Marjorie Chan, a University of Utah geology professor, stumbled upon the Haslam family's estate sale more than two years ago. She spied a box of Arizona Highway magazines, with multiple copies of collector editions, and asked whether the sellers had any American Indian items.

Chan learned many items were available but had not been organized. The Haslam family invited Chan back a few months later.

Dorothy Haslam's children showed photo after photo of Navajo rugs, turquoise jewelry and other craft work. "My eyes popped out," Chan said. "I couldn't believe it."

Chan realized she had found a significant collection worthy of display in a museum. Later that day, she discussed the collection with the museum's executive director, Sarah George, and learned the museum might be able to buy the collection.

The Collectors Council, chaired by Cynthia Conner, raised $180,000 for the purchase.

Conner recalled she and George had been at a New York City museum a few years ago waiting in line to see a collection of American Indian crafts, most of which were from the Four Corners area. Conner decided Haslam's collection needed to stay in Utah.

"I don't want some New York museum to have the edge on us," she said.

George said the collection fills a gap in the museum's ethnographic collection with high-quality, mid-century items that can be taken to schools across the state for outreach purposes. Most of the collection will be kept in storage, but will be more accessible at the museum's future home at Research Park.

Storage will not be anything new for this collection, which was kept for years in the Haslams' six-bedroom house on Salt Lake City's east side.

Dorothy Haslam's husband Kenneth, an oil company executive, traveled across the West; Dorothy often went along.

"While he was busy, she would go and visit anything Indian," said Steve Haslam, their son.

Dorothy's passion for American Indian culture spilled over into family trips to places such as Gallup, N.M., and Cortez, Colo. "That was our summer vacation, whether we liked it or not," son Kevin Haslam said.

The trips took the Haslams into the territory of the Zuni, Ute, Navajo and Hopi people. When the collection was being appraised, two items were discovered that held special spiritual significance and were returned to their appropriate tribes.

Steve Haslam said his mother's last wish was for the collection to stay together. While family members kept a few items, 95 percent of the collection is now together at the museum, where Dorothy Haslam's passion will help educate future generations.

glavine@sltrib.com

Items on display

* The Dorothy Haslam collection of American Indian crafts items will be on display at the Utah Museum of Natural History from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is on the University of Utah campus and admission fees apply.