The blankets were typically traded to first nations and native americans in. Jan 17, 2020 the origins of the iconic blanket began with fur trading in the new world. The complicated history of the hudsons bay point blanket cbc. These blankets first appeared in canadian trading posts in the 1700s, and aside from bedding, they. In addition to celebratory events planned throughout 2020. The 1837 great plains smallpox epidemic spanned 1836 through 1840, but reached its height after the spring of 1837 when an american fur company steamboat, the s. An illustrated history of the hudsons bay point blanket, written by noted hudsons bay point blanket collector harold tichenor.
Hudson bay blankets by woolrich from dann, complete collection. An illustrated history of the hudson s bay point blanket 9781895892208 by tichenor, harold and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at. Prehistory of the hudsons bay companyhbc blanket stems from. James daschuk traces this history in his awardwinning book, clearing the. We could envision this blanket becoming an heirloom piece seeing our son through college, wrapped in front of a fireplace, and one day tucked around tiny feet. They were most often made with the iconic hudsons bay company blankets. If you read the last sentence in the description it says there may be gold embroidered. The hudsons bay company is a canadian retail business group. Poking into historical fires part 2 the years between. The most common hudson bay blanket coat material is wool. The label is white with orange lettering and reads hudson bay point blanket, hudson bay company incorporated 1670 in circle with crest design, the seal of quality, 100% wool, us reg no. An illustrated history of the hudson s bay point blanket 9781895892208 by tichenor, harold and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. An illustrated history of the hudsons bay point blanket tichenor, harold on.
In 1670, king charles ii of england granted a charter to form the hudsons bay company, which in short order controlled vast tracts of wilderness and the fur trade in north america. Geometric knit blankets book a book of fun and colorful knitted blanket patterns inspired by geometry and quilts. And before this they sometimes used paper labels attached onto a corner with jute. Jul 26, 2011 among the most valuable were plain wool blankets, called hudson bay blankets, which were introduced in the late 1700s. These factorymade blankets became very valuable, says bobbie conner, director of the tamastslikt cultural institute in pendleton, ore. Hudson s bay blanket company has been manufacturing wool blankets since 1670. Crochet vintage stripes baby blanket daisy farm crafts. Hudson bay wool collectible blankets for sale ebay. Rita trichur, in the montreal gazette may 25, 2004. A blanket so importantit even has a book written about it. Create beautiful geometric designs using beginner and intermediate techniques. This interpretation derives from the book of job, chapter 2, verse 4.
One of the trading commodities most highly prized by the indians in exchange for their beaver pelts, was the original hudson s bay point blanket. Dakota sioux indian tribe photographs and images detailing their history and culture. Hudsons bay company, york factory account books, national archives of cana. I chose 100% superwash wool for warmth and ease of cleaning. It had a rich history, a rustic feel and the palette of primary colors was just right.
By 1700, point blankets accounted for more than 60 per cent of the trade. The navajo tribe of the american southwest wove sheeps wool. See more ideas about hudson bay blanket, hudson bay, hudson. Hudsons bay inspired crib blanket purl soho pattern. Introduction to indian trade blankets barry friedmans. Peter, carried infected people and supplies into the missouri valley. Indians did not have a european sense of property, the fur trade could not. Bestowed with a royal warrant from the queen, the hainsworth name is synonymous with quality woollen productsfrom the softest merino to the renowned hudson s bay point blankets. The striped blanket is still produced today in england by john atkinson, a subbrand of the a. I have an item with the hudsons bay company or hbc name on it.
It is a 2 point cream color with the black, yellow, red and green stripes on both ends. The iconic hudsons bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. The original indian trade blankets were the multistriped point blankets imported by the hudsons bay company from english woolen mills. The hudsons bay point blanked has the status of an icon in the history of modern canada. Among the most valuable were plain wool blankets, called hudson bay blankets, which were introduced in the late 1700s. The blanket was wrapped around the body and worn like a robe. As a quality wool blanket became an important trading commodity for trappers and explorers, american companies such as racine woolen mills in wisconsin, buell in missouri, capps in illinois, and the oregon city mill in oregon began production of woolen trade. Points black or indigo lines stitched, woven or died into one corner of the blanket were assigned based on the weight and size of the blanket. The englishmade wool blanket cream, with thick coloured stripes harkens back to the 18th century, when it was the companys most popular traded good. Wool blanket wool blanket 100%virgin woolmerino wool blanket xxl 160x220240260 nature hudson s bay 5 point blanket style riwadesign 4.
It can even start with the nowiconic hudsons bay point blanket, something. In the united states they can be found at luxury department store and hudson s bay sister chain l. It starts there because although the story of the hbc is a canadian story, its a transnational one, too. The history of the hudsons bay point blanket canadian history, canadian art. Indian trade blankets are commercially woven wool blankets with striking. Determining age and value of hudson bay blanket the ebay. Vintage heppner hotel wool hudson bay point blanket stripe blanket no label. Sep 17, 2020 the famous point blankets date back even further.
For most canadians, the hudsons bay blanket is a symbol of canadian. Jan 01, 2002 for generations my family has been collecting hudson bay blankets, and while i knew some of the background i was surprised to find a book dedicated to the entire history of the blanket. We might not think that a common, household object like a blanket could have an impact on history, but that has happened with the iconic hudsons bay point blankets. Hudson bay tribe is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 6 times. This little book offers a concise history of the hudson bay blanket, its importance in developing trade with native tribes in the farflung north american interior, and its enduring legends as an heirloom quality item. In that time they have mass produced and sold their products all over the worl.
Hudsons bay point blanket the iconic blanket has its. Hudsons bay point blanket the canadian encyclopedia. Hudson s bay company has been manufacturing them in england since the late 1700s. With its proud stripes and distinctive black markings, the hudson s bay point blanket is a canadian icon. Much of the greatest part of the indians whose furrs have formerly.
The thick, striped hudson bay company blanket was made in england and was traded by european trappers to the blackfeet and northern plains indians. What an exciting time ive had creating this crochet hudson s bay inspired blanket for a new little one. This little book offers a concise history of the hudson bay blanket, its importance in developing trade with native tri. The earliest mention of hudson s bay point blankets is contained in the minutes of a meeting of the hudson s bay companys london committee on 16th december, 1779, but there is little doubt that. Point blankets were most often used by native american tribes as a piece of clothing. A kaleidoscope of color american indian trade blankets. The hudson s bay company, or hbc, first began producing and selling their point blanket in 1779 in posts around canada and very quickly, the durable, distinctive wool blankets became popular among the settlers and indigenous tribes of canada. Jan 25, 2019 only later in the 2 nd half of the 19 th century was the width standardized, as well as the spacing and color sequence of the individual color strips. With its proud stripes and distinctive black markings.
This telling of the hbc starts in london, the epicentre of the british empire. The hudsons bay point blanket is a wool blanket with a series of stripes. Hudson bay blanketsused to infect indians with smallpox. Aug 12, 2018 and it was the striped hudson s bay company point blanket that helped pioneer the way. Uncovering the complicated history of blankets in indigenous. Vtg chatham wool full blanket stripe nautical beach hudson bay look soft. A friend gave me a vintage hudson s bay point blanket that is a bit moth eaten in sections, so i decided to cut it up and make a capote hooded coat. From 1780 to 1890 the point blanket was a staple in every fur traders inventory and thousands upon thousands found their way into indigenous hands. Meagan was inspired by a blanket she had found in her parents attic. An illustrated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. The collectors guide to point blankets of the hudson s bay company and other companies trading in north america. The blankets continue to be sold by canadas hudson s bay stores and have come to hold iconic status in canada. Indian trade blankets were the multistriped point blankets imported by the hudsons bay.
More than 17,000 indigenous people died along the missouri river alone, with some bands becoming nearly extinct. Choose from contactless same day delivery, drive up and more. Vintage mid century hudson bay 4 point 100% wool blanket 85x68 approx. Mar 10, 2012 hudson bay blanket saturday, march 10, 2012. In 1779, hbc commissioned the textile mill of thomas empson of witney, oxfordshire, to produce pointed blankets. Metis culture the hudsons bay point blanket kikino metis. Jan 02, 2014 there are a number of sites on the web about the hudson s bay company point blankets. The untold story of the hudsons bay company canadian. However, another weaving tradition began in the 18th century.
Each pattern has written instructions and plenty of illustrations. The most common hudson bay blanket coat material is. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about hudson bay blanket coat. A brief history of canadas iconic hudsons bay blanket. The hudsons bay point blanketits official nameis far more than a.
Cinetel, bowen island 2003, 128 pp, colour illustrations, spiral bound for field use. Equally important, the book presents personal perspectives and sensitively chronicles the trade blanket s history as it coincides with the lives of native americans. For most canadians, the hudson s bay blanket is a symbol of canadian identity. The company is named for the hudson bay and the blankets were typically traded to first nations in exchange for beaver pelts. Ive been collaborating with my sweet meagan, she babysat my kids for years and was an amazing mothers helper, with a design for her almost to be born little boy. Margaret atwood is the author of over twentyfive books, including fiction. Sep 06, 2019 the iconic hudson s bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. A second wool wearing blanket tradition was contemporaneous with the. As a quality wool blanket became an important trading commodity for trappers and explorers, american companies such as racine woolen mills in wisconsin, buell in missouri, capps in illinois, and the oregon city mill in oregon began production of woolen trade blankets. Circle alignments on the planet washington, dc part 6.
A hudsons bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the hudson s bay company in british north america and the united states during the 1700s and 1800s. This little book offers a concise history of the hudson bay blanket, its importance in developing trade with native tribes in. The blanket was published in 2002, and is available at selected hudsons bay company stores. Sep 06, 2019 but instead of a book or a movie, she decided to use blankets as a medium to share boy chiefs heroism, compassion, healing abilities and survival. The point blanket site offers a comprehensive overview and has an excellent bibliography. The hudson s bay company website also provides a history of the blankets. Get the best deals on hudson bay blanket when you shop the largest online selection at. Native american art, american history, american women, american indians. Jul 07, 2017 these red embroidered trademark labels were the very first to be sewn onto hudson bay point blankets starting around 1890. From 17801890, these blankets creamcolored with black, yellow, red and green stripes were a staple of the fur trade and many thousands made their way into indian hands. How the hudsons bay point blankets became a canadian icon.
River and established a trading relationship with the cree tribe. The book offers hundreds of colorful and historic photographs of trade blankets and the people who wore them. In the united states they can be found at luxury department store and hudson s bay. According to the official company history, blankets had been taken to hudson bay as trade goods as far back. Hudson s bay is celebrating its 350th anniversary with a colourful release of its iconic point blankets. Vintage hudson s bay blanket 4point red and black 100%wool 86 x 68 on sale. In its trade with native peoples, hudson s bay company exchanged wool blankets, called hudson s bay point blankets, for the beaver pelts trapped by aboriginal hunters. Introduction to indian trade blankets barry friedmans blankets. Jan 02, 2014 after pouring through pattern books and the web, we selected the hudson s bay point blanket. I am so glad i bought a copy its a beautifully written book with fantastic photos and historical tidbits.
The complicated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. Iconic hudsons bay point blanket with four colored stripes on each side red, black, green and yellow. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable prices. Capotes were introduced to native americans by the french voyageurs, and became prized possessions among the tribes of canada, and the northern plains and plateau regions of the us.
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