Label
Fan, 1858
Niagara Falls, New York
Feathers, birch, porcupine quill
This unusual artifact, at least to present day observers, seems barbaric. When it was made in the 1850s it was a souvenir. What we know about it is written in pencil on the lid of its custom-made box. The inscription reads, "bought at Niagara Falls 1858 by Mrs. Wm. Billings. Made by the Indians. Presented to Blanch C. Fisher, Randolph, Vt. by Mrs. Wm Billings Jan 22 1910 as a birthday present". Who were Mrs. William Billings and Blanch Fisher? At present we don't know. The quillwork and birch bark handle is of a type made by the indigenous peoples of the Northeastern part of North America (In particular New York or Canada). Pieces like this, as well as boxes and baskets, would have been sold at Niagara Falls, a popular tourist attraction even in the 1850s.