Indian House

Item number E23547-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

FROM CARD: "REPAIRED AND PARTIALLY RESTORED IN 1969. THE PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS THE CORRECT SPECIMEN FOR THIS CAT.#. OLD PHOTOS OF THE PHILA. EXPO. OF 1876 [Centennial Exposition] SHOW THIS HOUSE MODEL W/ENTRANCE POLE AND CEDAR BARK ROOF ON DISPLAY. TYPOLOGICALLY THIS HOUSE SEEMS MORE HAIDA LIKE AND ESPECIALLY WHEN CONSIDERING THE ENTRANCE POLE. INDIVIDUAL PARTS LETTERED A-F. 6/11/69 GP." PHOTO NEG. #6251 IS PHOTO OF TOTEM POLE MODEL ONLY. ON BACK OF TOTEM POLE MODEL/HOUSE FRONTAL POLE IS COLLECTOR'S PENCILLED DESCRIPTION WHICH APPEARS TO SAY: "LOWER FIGURE WASKO WOLF WITH YOUNG WOLF IN ITS MOUTH. 4 HUMAN FIGURES DOCTOR'S GUARDIAN IMAGES. UPPER FIGURE HOORTS - BEAR AND SUMMATION IS THE KOOT OR FISH EAGLE" - F. PICKERING 6-29-1999Per Robin Wright, Burke Museum, University of Washington, 4-12-2012, the house model is probably Tsimshian, based on the painting. In 2018, Robin Wright added: The model house does indeed look to be Tsimshian in style. But now that I'm looking closely at the pole that is associated with this number, the pole does not look Tsimshian, and in fact looks to be another version of the Haida flood pole. It is based on one of the 3 Haida flood poles, It depicts the story of the flood with a stack of hat rings. Raven rescued the village during a flood by pulling up on the chief's hat rings making it grow tall enough for the people to climb up out of the flood waters.A photo of what appears to be this house model on display at the Smithsonian circa 1879 (photo may actually date more specifically to 1882 - early 1885) is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution Archives: Photo ID 2962 or MNH-2962, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 41, Folder: 4, https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8263 . House model is on back left of photo in front of house front.This house model is visible (on right side on top of cabinet) on display in a photograph taken at the Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia. Interior view, Department of the Interior exhibits in the United States Government Building, featuring archeological and anthropological artifacts, prepared by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 64, Folder 01, Image No. SIA_000095_B64_F01_029. https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_400427 .

Item History

What

Name
Indian House
Identification Number
E23547-0
Type of Item
house model and crest column model

Where

Holding Institution
National Museum of Natural History
Made in
Fort Simpson, British Columbia, Canada
Collected in
Fort Simpson, British Columbia, Canada

Who

Culture
Haida ? or Tsimshian ?
Received from
James G. Swan

When

Acquisition Date
during 1876

Other

Accession Number
005260

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