doll, Minnehaha

doll, Minnehaha

doll, Minnehaha

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Introduction

Depiction of Minnehaha of H.W.Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha; Beaded white buckskin dress, leggings and moccasins; formerly in the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Otho C. Hudson; donated to MAI in 1955 in memory of their daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Hudson Mavroyanis.

Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe Hodenosaunee/Haudenosaunee
Nation of Origin

The legends on which Longfellow based the Song of Hiawatha were originally told to Schoolcraft by Anishnaabe Chief Shingwauk (aka Shingwaukonse) of Garden River in the early 1800s. Longfellow borrowed the name, Hiawatha, from the Hodenosaunee historic figure who brought about peace and founded the Six Nations.

Date Made or Date Range: 194u/1955-01-01
Seasonal time
English: Summer
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

CW summary plus provenance info copied from NMAI record.

Materials

Ceramic doll, commercially tanned leather, pink, white, turquois, and clear blue glass seed beads, imitation hair, embroidery thread wrapped around hair (NMAI online record and CW observations)

Techniques or Format

Applique and edging stitch beadwork on dress, and moccasins; edging stitch on leggings. Small short and fine fringes on dress cuffs, yoke and hem.

Dimensions: 0 × 0 × 0 mm
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

NMAI online catalogue record gives c.1940 and the item was donated in 1955.
Hiawatha pageants were performed during the summer tourist season.

Current Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C. USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 224761.00
Link to Institution's Collections Database: www.nmai.si.edu
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1955-01-01
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: donation
Collection Narratives and Histories

Collection history unknown; formerly in the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Otho C. Hudson; donated to (George Heye's Museum of the American Indian) MAI in 1955 in memory of their daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Hudson Mavroyanis.

Exhibition History

On display at NMAI in doll exhibit in hallway on second floor; photographed there by Cory Willmott, May 2008.

GKS Reference Number: 1121
Record Creation Context

Created by Cory Willmott from photos of item on display at NMAI and online NMAI record, without any physical examination besides what could be seen and recalled from display.

Approximate Place of Origin

42.3314, -83.0458

Source of Information about Places

Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha based on legends from Great Lakes region; Hiawatha pageants performed primrarily in Great Lakes region, initially Debarats, ON, and Wayagamug, MI.

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