Notes

FROM TYPED CATALOG CARD: "PINNED TO ONE OF THESE SPECIMENS, ON EXHIBITION IN JUNE 1949 WAS THE FOLLOWING HANDWRITTEN NOTE [note is in James G. Swan's hand]: "MINIATURE HAT WORN BY THE MAKAHS. THE MAKAHS MAKE HATS OF A VARIETY OF PATTERNS, BUT THIS FORM IS THE ONE USUALLY WORN BY THEMSELVES. OTHER KINDS ARE SOLD TO THE WHITES AND ARE SIMPLY IMITATIONS OF THE SHAPE OF OUR STRAW HATS. FROM WHAT I CAN LEARN FROM THE INDIAN TRADITIONS I INFER THAT THE SHAPE OF THIS HAT, WHICH RESEMBLES THE CHINESE HAT, WAS FIRST INTRODUCED BY THE PARTY OF CHINAMEN WHO WERE BROUGHT OVER BY MEARES FROM CHINA IN 1788, AND ASSISTED IN THE BUILDING OF THE SCHR. "NORTH WEST AMERICA" WHICH WAS BUILT IN NOOTKA SOUND IN THE SUMMER OF THAT YEAR. NEAH BAY, W. T. MAY 24, 1856. J.G. SWAN."" [A memo in the accession file indicates that the original of this handwritten note was added to the accession papers in 1949, at the request of Department of Anthropology curator John C. Ewers, and it is indeed in the microfilmed copy of the accession file.] FROM THE MORE RECENT TYPED CATALOG CARD: "NOTES FROM SWAN'S ORIGINAL PAPERS: "MINIATURE HATS WORN BY THE MAKAHS. THE MAKAH MAKE HATS OF A VARIETY OF PATTERNS, BUT THIS FORM IS THE ONE USUALLY WORN BY THEMSELVES. OTHER KINDS ARE SOLD TO THE WHITES AND ARE SIMPLY IMITATIONS OF THE SHAPES OF OUR STRAW HATS. FROM WHAT I CAN LEARN FROM THE INDIAN TRADITIONS I INFER THAT THE SHAPE OF THE HAT WHICH RESEMBLES THE CHINA HAT, WAS FIRST INTRODUCED BY THE PARTY OF CHINAMEN, WHO WERE BROUGHT OVER BY MEARES FROM CHINA IN 1788, AND ASSISTED IN THE BUILDING OF THE SCH. "NORTH WEST AMERICA" WHICH WAS BUILT IN NOOTKA SOUND DURING THE SUMMER OF THAT YEAR. NEAH BAY, W. T. MAY 24, 1865"." From 2 old museum tags with the hats, as of 2008: "Miniature hats - worn during rain. Made from roots of the spruce tree split into fine strands. Inner cap made from cedar bark and grass." "Miniature conical hats such as are worn by the Indians of W. T. Neeah Bay. J. G. Swan."Though the catalogue lists E1036 as consisting of 4 miniature hats, as of 2008 there are 5 miniature basketry hats with this catalogue number. One is plain/undecorated, height 6 cm., diameter 14.5 cm. Four are black-brimmed painted hats, The four black-brimmed hats range from 8 cm. - 11 cm. in height, and from 15.5 cm. - 18 cm. in diameter. The four black-brimmed hats are illustrated Fig. 9, p. 58 in Ostapkowicz, Joanna, 2010, "Nuu-chah-nulth and Makah Black-brimmed Hats: Chronology and Style," American Indian Art Magazine, 35(3).