The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-19
MR.. WANAMAKBR'S GIFT.
Pennsylvania University Receives
Valuable Indian Relies.
The Donaldson Collection to Re Add
ed to the Museum. Besides Arti-
cIes Secured by the ex-PostmaE-
ter Generals Western Expedition.


ter Generals Western Expedition
PHILADELPHIA, July I9--Tbe Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania Museum has just
been presented with large and very val
liable collection Of Indian antiquities. oil
paintings, and photographs of celebrated
Indian warriors and aboriginal scenes and
customs. The gift is from ex-Postmaster
General Wanamaker-
Tire Donaldson collection, as it is
known, in honor of the late Thomas
Blaine Donaldson, ST. will be installed
with the Indian collection made by the
expedition which Mr.. Wanamaker sent
West last summer in the central hall on
the first floor OF the museum building
where II is proposed TO display com
prehensive exhibit from the various IN
dian tribes Of North America. The col
lection embraces buckskin suits, war bon
nets. pipes, pottery, stone implements,
and a magnificent series Of oil paintings
Of Indians made from life by celebrated
artists
Mr. Donaldson was an enthusiastic col
lectOr. and ha0 many opportunities for
securing Indian objects. He was Register
Of the United States Land Office IN Boise
City. Idaho. from 1863 70 1874, when he
the Baunucks and the ShosnOBes. Later
he became d special agent Of the Smithso-
nian Institution. and had charge OF the
census Of the indians in 1890 While con
necled with the Smithsonian he edited
and published in the report Of the United
States National Museum an elaborate
/ catalogue OF the George CatIiu collection
( OF Indian paintings in that institution His
/ house on Forty-second Street. in West
/ Philadelphia. became q veritablc museum.
! where he entertained scientific men and
artists. among whom he had many init
/ mate friends.
It was Of Importance TO science that his
! collection should be preserved entire in
! some public institution. and negotiations
! were in progress to dispose Of it to q
: Western institution. when Mr. Wanama-
] ker intergosed and secured it for the uni
verify Among the principal treasures Of
! the collection are the buckslzin garments.
! some decorated with quill work emhroId-
( cry, scalp locks and ermine, and others
/ more recent, bea dtifylIy ornamented with
! bead work
The most valuable Of these specimens
were purchased by Mr. Donaldson at the
! sale Of the estate Of John H McIlvafn in
1855. Among them is a tunic and Icggings
of a Mandau warrior decorated with
beautiful quill work embroidery and
fringed with erTnine and scalp locks. 9th
er bucksIlin tunics have similar quill work
embroidery or bands Of marvellous color
cd bead work. and are painted in differ
ent CUICrs. The shields are especially in
teresting, comprising an Old war shield Of
buffalo hide, with a boss Of coIored quiu
work embroidery in the centre
Another shield of raw hide has its COW
CT OF painted buckskin, which can be- re-
moved and replaced at will by the owner
The face Of the shield, painted differently
from the cover, is only seen in battle
and in war ceremonies. The value of
these objects will be better understood
with the knowledge that such things have
/ entirely disappeared in the West, and
cannot be bought at any price. They
serve TO complete the collections from the
same tribes already secured by Mr. Wan
anaker. Many Of the objects were secur-
ell from noted chiefs and have a well au-
thenticated history.
The. Indian pipes are Of extraordinary
interest They comprise the celebrated
stone pipes figured by Mr. Catlin IN his
wcH-known works on the Indians and re
produced as characteristic in many books
from that time down TO the present They
disappeared for many years. and Were ac-
cideHtaIly discovered by AIr. Donaldson
while he was working on tbe CatIin col
lection
Among the oil paintings are several
original pictures by Catliu representing
the celebrated torture dances Of the Man
dams. and altogether the collection is in
pictures one Of the most valuable records
We have Of Indian life and customs as
they existed before the influence of the
white man was felt. One Of the original
paintings Is portrait Of the Chief PIacE
Hawk, painted in 1896 and there is also
CatlIn's original sketch Of Keokuk, after