SENT AS A GIFT TO NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, RUTHERFORD, N.J., JUNE 27, 1922

FROM CARD: "MADE AND USED BY INDIANS."

Columbia River/Wasco/Wishram style horn spoon.

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN JAMES SWAN, THE INDIANS OF CAPE FLATTERY, SMITHSONIAN INST., 1869, FIG. 25, P. 42."Attributed to U.S. Exploring Expedition/Wilkes collection on the catalogue card, however Jane Walsh doubts that attribution. Carved wooden bowl with animal (bear?) effigy handle on one side. Animal has ribs and backbone delineated/skeletonized.

FROM CARD: 54295 HAS 2 CATALOGUE CARDS, CARD MARKED 54295A-B HAS THESE REMARKS: "AFTER AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF THE TOTEM POLES IN THE USNM COLLECTIONS, AN OBVIOUS DISCREPANCY WAS NOTED IN THAT SPECIMEN #54297 WAS CATALOGED AS ONE POLE THIS SPECIMEN WAS ACTUALLY ONLY HALF OF THE ORIGINAL POLE THE SUBSEQUENT HALF BEING ALSO CONSIDERED AS A COMPLETE TOTEM POLE. IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE ORIGINAL POLE (2 SECTIONS) IS THE SPECIMEN MARKED "A-B" AND NUMBERED 54295 IN THE CATALOG BOOK. THE SPECIMEN WAS APPARENTLY COLLECTED FOR THE PHILADELPHIA EXPOSITION OF 1876 AND IT CAN BE NOTED (ASSEMBLED) IN PHOTOS OF THE EXHIBIT. IN NOTES DERIVED FROM 'SWAN' LETTERS (1875-6) THERE IS REFERENCE TO A "CARVED COLUMN" FROM ALERT BAY (VANCOUVER ID.), HENCE A KWAKIUTL SPECIMEN. BASED ON THE USNM NW COLLECTIONS AND CURRENT NW COAST LITERATURE; THE TREATMENT OF THE SPECIMEN COULD BE CONSIDERED AS KWAKIUTL. 6/6/68 GP. EARLIER OPINIONS HAVE BEEN NOTED AS FOLLOWS: 1882 ACCESSIONED HAIDA. 1962 M. BARBEAU KWAKIUTL. 1962 W. HOLM BELLA BELLA OR TLINGIT." AS OF 1999 THIS POLE IS STORED IN TWO PIECES OR SECTIONS."I believe this item was collected in 1875 from Yalis (Alert Bay) by James Swan. Swan was reported to have collected 3 poles for the 1876 Worlds Fair in Philadelphia. One was from Alaska, one was from Port Simpson and one was from Alert Bay." -- Ken Lund (via Reciprocal Research Network)

FROM CARD: "30209-11. LOCALITY: ALASKA (NOT ALL)*. REMARKS: ILLUS. IN BAE 3RD AR: #30211 ON PL. XV, FIGS. 25-7, P. 175 **. **FROM NOOTKA, BRIT, COLUMBIA. "

FROM CARD: "SALMON RIB DESIGN."

FROM CARD: "BLACK WOOD, BROAD ROUND BOTTOM, SHARP CURVED PROJECTING END. THE MARK ON THIS OF JOSEPH HENRY, JUST REFERRED TO THE THEN SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN, TO WHOM IT WAS SENT."The Anthropology catalogue ledger book lists the donor for boat #26615 as Edward Palmer, but it lists no donor for #26616. Someone has listed Palmer as the collector/donor for 26616 on its catalogue card, on the assumption that Palmer might have collected it as well, but that assumption is questionable. Accession number for this object is also unclear. Canoe was entered into the Anthropology catalogue ledger book in 1876 (and presumably possibly accessioned in 1876 or before?) This 1870's date is seemingly confirmed by the reference to it having been sent to Joseph Henry, who was the Secretary (Head) of the Smithsonian from 1846-1878. Speculatively, one possibility may be that this is the wooden canoe donated by Vincent Colyer under Accession No. 2478, in 1872, as Colyer was corresponding with Joseph Henry concerning the donation, so the canoe would presumably have been sent to Henry's attention. Colyer identified his canoe as being from the "Stackeen River" (i.e. the Stikine River), Alaska.