Shgen George, weaver, and Florence Sheakley, elder, made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. This blanket has a commonly used diving whale design, but some of the details are unusual: side braids were never attached, some of the lines are too thick, some of the weaving is too tight, and there is black in some of the corners where there would normally be blue.According to Helen Alten during visit on 8/29/24, this blanket was possibly woven by Jennie Warren (Warne).

NO NUMBER; LARGE WOODEN WHALE MODEL WITH DETACHABLE FIN, NW COAST.

FROM CARD: "THESE ARTICLES WERE RETURNED FROM THE CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION WITHOUT MARKS. 1 ILLUS. IN PROCEEDINGS, USNM, VOL. 60; P1. 25, NO. 3; P48. *STORED AS MAKAH (NOOTKA) NW COAST BECAUSE OF RESEMBLANCE TO USNM #4122 (MAKAH-J.G.SWAN)."

FROM CARD: "LOCALITY: *N.W. COAST. REMARKS: *THIS HARPOON POINT MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED BY GIBBS DURING HIS STAY IN NW CALIFORNIA (1851). COMPARE WITH ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS FROM THAT AREA; ILLUS. UCAS NO. 67, JUL-66 "EXCAVATION OF TWO NW CALIF. COASTAL SITES", ELSASSER & HEIZER."Note that 7514 is mentioned as being used in an exhibit in Berlin in 1880 on p. 60 of USNM Bulletin No. 18. It is described as head of fish-spear made of elk-horn.

FROM CARD: "BASKET. NO. 168,252 TWINED WOOF. 168,253 CHECQUER WEAVING, BLACK STRIPES."

From card: "Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Fig. 75, p. 273. Red on blue motifs, poncho type. killer whale motifs. Collector's tag: "Blue blanket embroidered with the Scana or Killer [killer whale; orca] in red cloth. Skidegate, B.C. 1883."

CARVED OF MOUNTAIN SHEEP HORN (ACCORDING TO R. LINTON, 1953). CARVED HANDLE (BIRD AND HUMAN HEAD). CRACK ON BOTTOM.

From card: "Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. 15, fig. 52, p. 270, also in USNM AR, 1893; Pl. 16, fig. 1; p. 642." From late 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Jerkin. - Made of two thicknesses of moose hide, and worn under the armor as an additional protection to the body. It has an opening at the neck and an arm-hole on the left side; the right side being left open to facilitate the putting on of the garment, after which it is secured to the person by means of toggles and straps. Tlinkit Indians ... , Alaska. Loaned by Max. B. Richardson."The accession card for E130587 - 130590 states: "One trunk of Indian clothing." The items were accessioned as a loan. The loan accession file contains correspondence and memoranda pertaining to the loan. In a letter dated Oswego, New York, September 24, 1888, Max B. Richardson, writes: "A few years ago, while on the Pacific Coast in Oregon, I obtained, among other things, from a fur trader, some curious articles of clothing, made apparently from the skins of the Sea Lion or Walrus. These garments are cut from the same pattern. they have an opening at the top for the head, and an arm-hole for the left arm, and are open at the right side. One of them is padded in front and is more than one inch in thickness, was apparently used as armor. One of them is decorated with Totemistic designs and another one was trimmed with the toes of the Mountain Sheep, with rows of Bear's teeth across the breast, and rows of copper bell-shaped ornaments across the bottom. I have never seen anything like these garments in any collection. I think they were procured by an Agent of the Southwest Trading Company from some Indian belonging to the Aleutian Islands." In a letter dated December 10, 1888, Max B. Richardson furnishes descriptions of the items sent and writes: "The article marked No. 2 was a coat of a chief who doubtless lived in Alaska or upon one of the Aleutian Islands adjacent thereto...The coat No. 1 was a very striking garment when I first saw it...The party of whom I purchased these goods would not sell No. 1 unless I allowed him to remove all the bear's teeth as he wished to use them, and appeared to value them very highly. I had to allow him to cut them off in order to get the garment at all. I am ashamed to say I removed the rest of the ornaments which I have preserved. One of the bear's teeth was carved to represent an eagle. I saved this piece of carving."