FROM CARD: "54297-54300. 54298 - H. 30 FT. ELEVATOR LOBBY. FLOOR 1. FROM CARD: "AFTER AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF THE TOTEM POLES IN THE USNM COLLECTIONS, IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THIS SPECIMEN IS ONE OF THE TWO SHORTER POLES PRESENTLY ERECTED IN THE OLD ART HALL. THIS SPECIMEN IS, THEN, ESSENTIALLY IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CATALOG BOOK. *THE SPECIMEN WAS PROBABLY 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. *A SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF PHILADELPHIA EXPOSITION PHOTOS POSSIBLY REVEALS A PORTION OF THE BASE OF THIS SPECIMEN.GP. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN OF THIS TOTEM POLE IN SECTIONS. NEG. NO. MNH 2337; 2338; 2346; 2347; 2349. 11-6-75. LOANED TO 1876 - CENTENNIAL EXHIBIT, A&I.-LEFT POLE. LOAN RETURNED SEP 1990. 1990-THIS POLE ON EXHIBIT IN NHB CONSTITUTION AVE. LOBBY STAIRWELL-LEFT POLE. 1991 - EXHIBIT LABEL IDENTIFIES POLE AS RED CEDAR (THUJA PLICATA), TSIMSHIAN, CARVED AT K'SAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, COMMISSIONED FOR 1876 PHILADELPHIA EXPOSITION. CARVINGS ARE IDENTIFIED AS (FROM TOP): POSSIBLE WOLF; UNKNOWN; BEAR MOTHER WITH CUB; BEAR MOTHER WITH CUB. AS OF 1994 THIS HAS BEEN RELABELLED AS HAIDA IN EXHIBIT LABEL.From 2009 exhibit labels: Pole is identified as carved from Western red cedar (Thuja plicata). Haida totem pole, carved at Kasaan, Alaska. This pole was commissioned in 1876 [sic, should be 1875] for the Philadelphia Exposition. Crests, from top: Possible wolf, unknown, Bear Mother with cub, Bear Mother with cub. A separate label for the pole tells the story of the Bear Mother, and identifies the lowest crest on the pole again as a crest of Bear Mother holding one of her cubs. It also identifies the pole as carved at Kasaan, Alaska in 1875; commissioned for the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. "Story of Bear Mother. Bear spirits captured a young girl gathering berries. After turning her into a bear, they forced her to marry one. She gave birth to twin cubs - half human, half bear. The girl's brothers rescued her by killing the bear husband. Before dying, he taught his wife ritual songs. Bear Mother's children and brothers became skilled bear hunters. They and their descendants always sang ritual songs over bears they killed."See the letter in the Smithsonian Institution Archives from James G. Swan to Spencer Baird, written at Port Townsend, Washington Territory, and dated November 5, 1875, where Swan notes: "Another [totem pole] has been carved expressly for me at Kazaan [Kasaan], Alaska and will be brought here by the Steamer to arrive Dec. 1st."Illus. Fig. 4.33, p. 208, and discussed p. 206-208 of Wright, Robin Kathleen. 2001. Northern Haida master carvers. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Wright identifies as "Pole commissioned by James G. Swan through Charles Baronovich for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, 1876 ... possibly was carved by Dwight Wallace." [Dwight Wallace (gid k'waajuss) of Klinkwan.] See pp. 121 - 126 in Jonaitis, Aldona, and Aaron Glass. 2010. The totem pole: an intercultural history. Seattle: University of Washington Press. See especially "The Swan Pole" by Robin Wright, on pp. 124 - 125. Wright notes "The first known person to commission a full-size pole for an outside audience was James G. Swan, on his Centennial Exposition collecting trip to Alaska in 1875. Having failed to purchase an existing pole on his trip [Swan] wrote a letter on July 15 [1875] to the trader Charles Baranovich, who had a store at Karla Bay that he had visited near the village of Kasaan .... In the letter, Swan ordered a new pole to be carved and sent to him at Port Townsend. ... It tells the story of Ku.l qe, who had an encounter with land otters. This is the same story recorded on a pole carved by Dwight Wallace for Kusqwa'i, John Wallace's mother's brother, that once stood in the village of Sukkwan. ... It is likely, given both the story and the similarity in carving styles, that Dwight Wallace was the carver commissioned by Baranovich to carve the pole for Swan. ... His son, John Wallace, would have been about fifteen years old at the time of this commission, and may have assisted his father. John Wallace also carved a copy of this pole in 1941 for Mud Bight Park north of Ketchikan...."This pole appears to be the one on the left in engraving shown on p. 100 and captioned "The Indian Department, in the United States Government Building", in Norton, Frank H., and Frank Leslie. 1877. Frank Leslie's historical register of the United States Centennial Exposition, 1876. Embellished with nearly eight hundred illustrations drawn expressly for this work by the most eminent artists in America. Including illustrations and descriptions of all previous International exhibitions. New York: Frank Leslie's Pub. House. The pole or house post on the right in the same engraving appears to be E54301. The Library of Congress has a copy of this engraving and a thumbnail image is shown on their website here: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005689180/ .A photo of this pole on display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution Archives: Photo ID 90-7265, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 61, Folder: 5, https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8250 . Pole partially visible in back left of photo.

Described p. 101-102 in Brown, James Temple. 1883. The whale fishery and its appliances. Washington: Govt. print. off.: "Harpoon And Laniard. Harpoon and line attached to pole and seal-skin buoy, showing the manner in which the apparatus is rigged when used. Headpiece of sheet brass. Laniard, whale-sinew, served with twine made from the fibers of the nettle. Makah Indians, Cape Flattery. James G. Swan. The harpoon is not permanently fastened to the staff; it is, however, connected with the buoy by means of a laniard. When the harpoon is thrust into the whale, the staff is withdrawn and taken into the canoe, and the animal is incumbered with the buoy. A harpoon with one buoy attached is thrown into the head of the whale, but the harpoon thrown into the body has as many buoys as can conveniently be tied on; and, when a number of canoes join in the attack, it is not unusual for from thirty to forty of these floats to be made fast to one whale, which, of course, cannot sink, and is easily dispatched by the spears and lances. The Indians did not acquire the art of whaling from white men; it has been handed down through countless generations. The same kind of apparatus has also been in use for many years."

Attributed to U.S. Exploring Expedition/Wilkes collection on the catalogue card, however Jane Walsh doubts that attribution.

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?

FROM CARD: "4/18/67: LOANED TO VANCOUVER ART GALL. 12/13/67: RETURNED BY VANCOUVER. SEE CAT.#S 1127-31 FOR MORE INFO. ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1888; P. 48, FIG. 271, P. 322. 4/17/67 LOAN DATA: OK. 8 ABALONE INLAYS. LOAN: CROSSROADS SEP 22 1988. ILLUS.: CROSSROADS OF CONTINENTS CATALOGUE FIG.317, P.237. LOAN RETURNED: JAN 21 1993." Crossroads catalogue caption identifies as: "Pipe inlaid with abalone. Haida. Thunderbird, octopus, men, and monsters adorn this tobacco pipe that has a bowl lined with sheet copper." Possibly part of Accession No. 929?FROM 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "6014. TOBACCO PIPE.-CARVED IN WOOD AND INLAID WITH ABALONE, THE SHELL OF THE HALIOTIS. HAIDA INDIANS (SKITTAGETAN STOCK), QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, B. C. COLLECTED BY COLONEL BULKLEY, U. S. A."This object is on loan to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, from 2010 through 2027.Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on artfact http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=502 , retrieved 6-24-2012: Pipe, i.e. tobacco pipe The carved figures on this Haida pipe include an octopus, a horned animal, and an eagle or thunderbird holding a mask with a human face. No Haida interpretation of this crest imagery was recorded by collector Charles S. Bulkley, who headed the Canadian section of the Western Union Telegraph project during 1865-67. Bulkley acquired the pipe at a village in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia.

Attributed to U.S. Exploring Expedition/Wilkes collection on the catalogue card, however Jane Walsh doubts that attribution.