The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-02

A Fine Collection of Chippewa Bead
Work to Be Shown in
Pc. t. Minneapolis.

10 the numerous deVOtees of beadWOrk
the announcement of an exhibition of a
big collection of genuine Indian beadwork
tomorrow at Mrs. Vrooman's shop on
Seventh street will be a matter of great
interest. The collection was made on the
White Earth and Red Lake reservations
in northern Minnesota by J. G. McKusick
of Bemidji, and is much more compre-
hensive than any ever shown before in
the city. The collector is the young
grandson of A. T. Ankeny of Minneapolis.
The enterprise of Mr.. McKusick coming
to the attention of Mrs. Vrooman, it i'm
mediately interested her, as she has beel
handicrafts and has given much time,
thought and money to the encouragement
Of fine handWork of all kinds. It is
her desire to assist in establishing the
Indian beadwork and other industries ma
tive to the tribes upon a permanent and
paying basis. With this idea in mind she
purchased the entire collection and will
exhibit it to illustrate the possibilities Of
the craft
In his first search for beadwork Mr.. Nc
Kusick found it difficult to obtain any
thing worth offering to civilized patrons,
but as soon as the news spread about
that he was willing to pay, apparently
all the old squaWs promptly went to work,
for 1t Is now coming in in quantities and
done in their very best patterns and
workmanship.
The choicest pieces in the collection are
lllum1natlons or banners to hang in win
dows. The width of these makes it pos
.sible to employ large and bold patterns
and they have done this very effectively.
At the bottom there are wide fringe-like
strips of bead work, finished with tassels
of silk or wool fringe, otherwise only
beads are employed.
The variety in the chains, watch fobs
and belts is very large and many Of the
patterns are the difficult diagonal; effects
Several Of these have lettering woven in,
but the words are more amusing than ap-
propr1ate for wearing, being the headlines
or newspapers, names or any lettering
with which the maker was familiar. One
squaw wove into one Of her banners the
name Of we'll known lumber baron, Tom
Shevl1n. When this reached Mr. Nc
kuslck, 1t was purchased by an admirer
of the lumberman and sent on to him. A
really interesting banner left in the COL
lection Is very suggestive of the old-fash-
1oned samplers, having arranged on it
the alphabet.
Many of the chains are finished with
small purses or watch pockets and there
is quite variety of small bags. There
are two handsome specimens of medicine
bags, one Of woven beadwork and other
sewed beads. The bands going around
the shoulders are four or five inches wide
and each bag covers the front of the
wearer's person like a shield.
:, A map of Red Lake done in vegetable
dyes on buckskin is curious. the double
scalloped edge being finished with steel
beads. The finest piece of buckskin work
Is a coat made of four carefully selected
skins. This is ornamented on the COL
lar and cuffs with beadwork. A gill not
Of linen thread, sixty yards long, repre-
sents the work of the old squaws who
can no longer see to do the close bead
work.
An interesting thing about the bead
belts is their method of finish. They end
IN tnree or four buckskin thongs which
are tied This seems much more suitable
than any kind Of a clasp and adds to the
quaintness of the articles,