Totem Post. Wood Carving.
Item number E54299-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.
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Notes
FROM CARD: "AFTER AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF THE TOTEM POLES IN THE USNM COLLECTIONS, IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THIS SPECIMEN IS THE OUTSIDE CORNER POST STORED IN THE E-WING BASEMENT. LITTLE RELIABILITY CAN BE PLACED ON THE MEASUREMENTS FOUND IN THE CATALOG BOOK. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT PART OF THE SPECIMEN WAS REMOVED AT THE BASE SINCE THERE IS DETERIORATION AT THAT POINT. IT IS PROBABLE THAT THIS SPECIMEN WAS COLLECTED FOR THE PHILADELPHIA EXPOSITION OF 1876, ALTHOUGH THIS CANNOT BE VERIFIED TO DATE. THE ORIGINAL (1882) ATTRIBUTION OF HAIDA HAS NOT BEEN CONTESTED TO DATE. 6/6/68 GP." FROM CARD: "54297-54300. # 54299 - H. 14" ELEVATOR LOBBY. FLOOR 1. IDENTIFICATION OF 54299 BY VIOLA GARFIELD." Catalogued originally in Anthropology catalogue ledger book as Haida, Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C..Note from Ken Lund (via Reciprocal Research Network): Interior post from House 16, Strong House, in Tanu, Haida Gwaii. There is a photo from Charles F. Newcombe in 1903 showing this housepost or its mate inside a house in Tanu (BCPM E281). Notes from the Bill Reid Centre at SFU on this pole: "Inside the house were two unusual carved posts, each representing a supernatural snag with potlatch cylinders, which belonged to Naspala's wife. These were placed at the back of the house under the central pair of rafters. Newcombe purchased both and sent one to the Field Museum of Natural History and the other to the Smithsonian Institution." See "Monumental Art of Tanu", The Bill Reid Centre, Simon Fraser University https://www.sfu.ca/brc/virtual_village/haida/tanu/monumental-art-of-k-uuna.html . It is very likely that this object formed part of the Smithsonian exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition). 2 large poles from Tanu now at the Smithsonian, were collected by Charles Newcombe from House 7 and House 10 for the 1904 World Fair. He also collected 2 interior houseposts from House 16. Dr. George A. Dorsey of the Smithsonian reportedly purchased 4 poles at this time, with 2 of them large ones for a price of $1000.Assuming Ken Lund information is correct, this house post then may actually be part of Accession No. 42671: maybe Catalogue No. E231040 (or E231041), rather than E54299?
Item History
- Made in Laskeek, British Columbia, Canada ?
- Collected by James G. Swan in Laskeek, British Columbia, Canada ? during 1875
- Received from Accession Number Unknown
What
- Name
- Totem Post. Wood Carving.
- Identification Number
- E54299-0
- Type of Item
- crest column
Where
- Holding Institution
- National Museum of Natural History
- Made in
- Laskeek, British Columbia, Canada ?
- Collected in
- Laskeek, British Columbia, Canada ?
Who
- Culture
- Haida ?
- Field Collector
- James G. Swan
- Received from
- Accession Number Unknown
When
- Collection Date
- during 1875
Other
- Accession Number
- 000000
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