FROM CARD: "CARVED FROM THE SOLID. HARDWOOD. UNPAINTED AND PLAIN EXCEPT FOR FACE WHICH IS TUFTED WITH HAIR AND PAINTED. TOP OF CROWN FROM EAR TO EAR HAS TUFTS OF APPARENTLY HUMAN HAIR INSERTED IN SMALL HOLES SECURED WITH PEGS. MOUSTACHES AND CHIN WHISKERS OF CUT SECTIONS OF A SOFT GRAY FUR GLUED OR OTHERWISE SECURED IN PROPER LOCATIONS. FACE PAINTED GREEN (RIGHT SIDE); VERMILLION (LEFT SIDE); EYES, WHITE AND BLACK; EYEBROWS, BLACK; TEETH, WHITE; EARS, RED. NEG. NO.43,227-D (FRONT). 43,227-C (PROFILE-RIGHT SIDE). 43,227-I (PROFILE-RIGHT SIDE AT AN ANGLE)43,227-J (PROFILE-LEFT SIDE) LOANED: OSAKA EXPO-70 JULY 69 - JAN 71. RETURNED TO COLLECTION DECEMBER 7, 1970. LOANED TO THE S.I. CENTENNIAL COMM. 7-9-75. LOAN RETURNED MAR 22 1990." FROM OLD 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "HEAD-DRESS.---HEAVY CONICAL HELMET OF WOOD, HOLLOWED OUT ON UNDER SIDE TO FIT WEARER, AND ORNAMENTED IN FRONT WITH A CARVED AND PAINTED MAN'S FACE, ONE HALF BEING COLORED BLUE AND THE OTHER RED. THE MOUSTACHE, BEARD, AND HAIR ARE OF VEGETABLE FIBER. WORN IN DANCING BY SITKA-KWAN INDIANS. OUTER DIAMETER, 11 1/2 INS. INNER DIAM., 8 1/2 INS, HEIGHT, 9 1/2 INS. SITKA, ALASKA, 1876. 20,785. COLLECTED BY J. G. SWAN."Ruth Demmert, Alan Zuboff, Linda Wynne, Florence Sheakley, and Virginia Oliver made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. This object was carved from a burl, and looks more like a helmet than a dancing mask. Florence believes that helmets with iron nails or staples are newer because earlier Tlingit helmets only used wooden dowels to make repairs. The fuzzy beard on this object could be made of animal fur, human hair, or whiskers, but it is not vegetable fiber as the record states. The blue color on this object in particular looks commercial and has changed over time. This object is made in a similar fashion as a shakee.at dancing headdress, with additional garments draped down the back.

FROM CARD: "MADE OF CARVED WOOD IN TWO SECTIONS, TIED TOGETHER AT THE EDGES AND NAILED TOGETHER AT THE HANDLE. DESIGNS, A HUMAN MASK HELD BY A BEAR. PAINTED RED, GREEN AND BLACK. ILLUS. IN USNM BULL. 136, PL 8G, P.121. LOAN GLENBOW NOV 13 1987. LOAN RETURNED NOV 25 1988."Karen Anderson (Nuxalk elder) and Ian Reid (Heiltsuk) of the delegation from Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Rivers Inlet communities of British Columbia made these comments during the Recovering Voices Community Research Visit May 20th - 24th, 2013. This is a medicine man's rattle. The medicine man won't shake it, but they'll move it in a way that creates a 'washing' sound. This piece has a classic northern style - especially the slanted eyes. It is similar to the Tlingit and Tsimshian style.

From card: "For paint, Lignite is ground with salmon eggs. For tattooing, ground with water." Neg. #2005-22350 is photo of this mortar with lignite paint Catalogue No. E88904.Listed on page 50 in "The Exhibits of the Smithsonian Institution at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915", in section "Arts of the Northwest Coast Tribes (Tools)". Listed under incorrect number 89013.

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: "FOR MAKING MATS."

FROM CARD: "FOR MEDICINE MAN." FROM 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "HEAD-DRESS.---FLAT BAND OF THICK LEATHER, ON WHICH ARE SEWED IN ERECT POSITION, TIPS INWARD, THIRTY-SEVEN CLAWS OF BLACK OR GRIZZLY BEAR. FT. SIMPSON. CIRCUMFERENCE, 21 INS. HEIGHT, 3 1/2 INS. BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1875. 20,639. COLLECTED BY J. G. SWAN."

FROM 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "BASKET STRAP.---A BAND MADE OF YARN OF VARIOUS COLORS WOVEN IN ZIG-ZAG DESIGNS, WITH A PLAITED ROPE ATTACHED TO ONE END. USED TO FACILITATE THE CARRYING OF HEAVILY LADEN BASKETS. THE ROPES ARE FASTENED TO THE BASKET, WHICH IS HELD ON THE BACK BY THE WOVEN STRAP PLACED OVER THE FOREHEAD OF THE CARRIER. WIDTH, 2 3/4 INCHES. CLALLAM INDIANS (SALISHAN STOCK), WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 23,471. COLLECTED BY JAMES G. SWAN."