Treasures From The Montana Historical Society Museum Collection

Petroglyph
1988.14.01
PETROGLYPH
Prehisotric petroglyph incised into large stone, ca. 350-2000. From Colstrip, Montana area.... View Full Record
Fragment
1987.57.01
POINTED BONE TOOL
Pointed bone tool, ca. 1550-1675, with marks (files?) visible on edges and across the upper quarter inch of the top surface. Bone has slight curve so that pointed tip raises up. Inside surface is concave, outside surface is slightly convex.... View Full Record
Sherd
1987.57.06
SHERD
Sherd, ca. 1550-1675. Black rim section made of 3 joining sherds (2 rim sherds). Flat rim under which are 4 incised horizontal lines. High grog content. Edges same color as surfaces. Rim has 6 diagonal slashes on it.... View Full Record
Point, Projectile
1987.57.16
PROJECTILE POINT
Projectile point, ca. 1550-1675 Mottled tan, slightly translucent stone projectile point (arrow?). probably chert.... View Full Record
Point, Projectile
1987.57.17
PROJECTILE POINT
Projectile point, ca. 1550-1675. Brown semi-translucent stone with milky white mottling and a tan, crystalline (carbonate?) portion on one side of the "handle" section. Secondary flaking.... View Full Record
Fragment
1987.57.22
FRAGMENT
Bone fragment, ca. 1550-1675.... View Full Record
Decoration, Saddle
X1975.18.06 a-b
SADDLE DECORATION
Plains saddle decoration, ca. 1880. Pair of otter skin saddle decorations. Otter hide sewn to red wool, backed and bound with white-dotted purple cotton. Border trimmed with many brass hawk bells. Central row of cowrie shells flanked by rows of p... View Full Record
Sample, Bead
X1952.06.32
BEAD SAMPLE CARD
Sample trade bead card, ca. 1910, from Browning's Sherburne Mercantile, Blackfeet Reservation.... View Full Record
Weathervane
1995.46.01
WEATHERVANE
Weathervane in the form of a silhouette of a running buffalo bull, ca. 1854. The obverse is formed of a single sheet of iron. On the reverse, a smaller sheet of iron, which conforms to the shape of the buffalo's torso, has been riveted to hold the... View Full Record
Carving
X1904.01.02
CARVING
Skull and crossbones carving, created by Father Anthony Ravalli, ca. 1870. Sculpture of a (a) Skull and (b) crossbones and painted white. One femur is carved in one piece, the other is in two parts. A 4 inch diameter flat circle of wood is attache... View Full Record
Marker, Grave
X1928.27.01
GRAVE MARKER
Oak grave marker (tombstone) for Langford Peel, 1867. Oak tombstone, weathered gray in color. On its face is the raised inscription: "Sacred to the memory of Langford Peel, born in Liverpool, died July 23rd, 1867 aged 36 years. In life beloved by hi... View Full Record
Purse
X1968.15.01
PURSE
Chinese man's purse of heavy cotton, ca. 1880. Front covered with purple silk, edged with recording. Embroidered pattern with lotus in center in on main part of the purse and on the top flap which closes with a cotton cord loop and a metal round bu... View Full Record
Pictograph
1978.38.105
PICTOGRAPH
Crow painted pictographic; buffalo hide with beaded blanket strip joining the two sides, ca. 1880. Polychromatic war record depicting 11 horses and 24 men using guns and lances. Beaded strip mainly of blues and reds with yellow, white and green. Lar... View Full Record
Drawing
2013.29.04
DRAWING
Pen and ink drawing by Andrew Garcia depicting battle movements and field, 1877. There is compass at the top of the page with the four directions labeled: N; E; S; W and there are mountain shapes underneath this. From within the mountains a creek fl... View Full Record
Flag
X1942.02.01
FLAG
Flag, "Kessler Banner," 1st Montana Infantry U.S.V. flag, 1898. Blue silk flag has silk hand embroidered (est) Montana state seal 28 inch diameter at center. Embroidered above seal is 1st Montana Inft'y U.S.V." in white silk, Old English style... View Full Record
Quilt
X1982.71.01
QUILT
Signature quilt with red crosses and red embroidery, 1918. The obverse has red crosses of different sizes with names embroidered in red on the crosses and on the white areas surrounding the crosses. Four large crosses in corner are embroidered red... View Full Record
Leaflet
1997.02.01
LEAFLET DROP BOMB
Leaflet drop bomb, ca. 1944. Model of the "Buckley Bomb" which looks like a stubby, two-ended crayon- red in the center with silver ends. The red center cylinder is 11" long, a 3/4" wide black band painted at either end with the 4" silver rounded poi... View Full Record
Press, Printing
X1898.01.01
PRINTING PRESS
Printing press, ca. 1860.... View Full Record
Altar
1973.17.01
ALTAR
Chinese altar, ca. 1885. The front is made of wood, carved and painted. The carving shows leaves, flowers, birds, bats, butterflies and Chinese characters. The top front has three sections or framed sections. A different motif in each section. T... View Full Record
Gargoyle
X1975.17.01
GARGOYLE
Copper Gargoyle, ca. 1890. Molded copper griffin used as decorative bracket under roof of front entrance to Homer Block, 105 Clarke, Helena, MT. Parts of griffin body are soldered together. His head has open mouth with fangs and tongue is rolling... View Full Record
Tank, Anesthesia
X1969.18.09 a-i
ANESTHESIA TANK
Anesthesia Tank (Nitrous Oxide Gasometer), ca. 1900. (a) tank painted black with very elaborate hand-painted floral designs in gold, green and brown. Large chrome valve and nozzle at base of tank. Tank lid (b) is also black with floral designs. L... View Full Record
Glove
X1957.05.15
GAUNTLET GLOVE
Gauntlet gloves, smoked moosehide with fringe on cuffs, 1910. Cuffs fully beaded on front with large glass seed beads, overlay stitched. Spadelike floral design in faceted seed beads, multicolored. Cree letters monogrammed across both cuffs. Un... View Full Record
Liner, tipi
1981.67.09
TIPI LINER
Tipi liner, painted canvas, Gros Ventre, 1900. The liner is covered with many pictographic images that represent the work of more than one artist. Drawings depict various battle scenes. ... View Full Record
Spoon
X1982.44.23
SPOON
Cow horn serving spoon, 1900. Spoon shaped like an open ended scoop rather than like a conventional spoon.... View Full Record
Chair
X1927.01.01
CHAIR
Leather-covered wooden chair with buffalo horns attached, ca. 1886. Seat is two layers of pine glued and screwed. Back legs of machine-turned, brown-stained wood of 1.5 inch diameter. Attached with slight angle toward back. 7.25 inch X 3.25 inch dia... View Full Record
Dress
2014.20.01
DRESS
Brown sateen maternity dress with beige and lace trim worn in Wibaux, Montana, 1905. The dress has a high neck with beige lace trim around the top and bottom egde of the collar; there are multiple vertical pleats that run across the surface of the n... View Full Record
Hammerstone
1987.76.01
HAMMERSTONE
Hannerstone (hafted maul), ca. 1890. Granite cobble hafted with willow and hide sewn with sinew. Three willow sticks form 9" handle. Hide worn through 3/4" along one spot to reveal willow hafting.... View Full Record
Quern
X1904.01.05 a-b
QUERN
Set of Belgian buhrstones (Quern), 1845. (b) Is set in an iron ring 2 inches wide and .25 inches thick. (a) has a 1.5 inch diameter iron rod bolted atop it in an upright position through a piece of wood. A 3 inch rectangular iron sleeve is in pl... View Full Record
Iron, Branding
X1967.08.07
BRANDING IRON
First Montana brand to be recorded in the first official brand book of the Territory of Montana, ca. 1870-1871, "Square and Compass" branding iron, 1899. The brand was registered to Poindexter and Orr of Beaverhead County. 1885-1886 Montana Stock... View Full Record
Camera, Single Lens Reflex
1991.07.01 a-b
SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERA
Single Lens Reflex Camera used by Evelyn Cameron, 1903. Hard case covered with black paper, houses camera mechanism (a). Top opens to bring viewing core out of case. Front has windowed section that opens out and up, by three hinges at top. Apertu... View Full Record
Painting
X1966.21.10
MINERS IN THE STOPE
Oil on canvas painting, "Miners in the Stope" by Paul Sample, 1936. Depiction of miners working underground. The foreground is comprised of four miners, all wearing headlamps with battery packs. One man pushes an ore car, two men work with pry bar... View Full Record
Loom, Counter-Balance
1992.26.01
COUNTER-BALANCE LOOM
Four harness counter-balance loom with built-in bench and overhead beater, 1916. Reed is 9-dent (9 holes per inch) and made of a good quality steel. Each harness made with 2 locally gathered peeled sticks. Heddles are hand-tied with 8/4 cotton (in... View Full Record
Note
1985.38.01
NOTE
Wooden note, 1943. Farewell message written in chalk on a piece of a powder box from the Smith Mine disaster. Trapezoidal-shaped piece of wood. Bottom edge is smooth and straight. The other three sides are not and appear to have been broken off.... View Full Record
Doll
2013.20.07
DOLL
Handmade doll, ca. 1900. The doll has a wooden head, wooden torso, believed to be one piece and straw hips and legs. The body of the doll is covered with coarse muslin or a very fine unbleached tight weaved canvas. The head has been stained a reddi... View Full Record
Painting
2014.35.05
PLAYING CIRCUS
Watercolor drawing by Fanny Cory Cooney, "Playing Circus", 1904. Drawing is depicting children that have created a circus scene. The watercolor image is outlined with a thin black border approximately 1 inch in from the vertical sides and half inch... View Full Record
Game, Board
X1925.03.01
FARO BANK
Faro Bank, ca. 1865. (a) Folding board is covered with green wool felt texture woven cloth. .25 inch wide outside border of wood all the way around fastened to body with brass screws. Corners are rounded. At the top of the board is a label "HIGH... View Full Record
Sculpture
X1974.15.01
TROPHY HUNTERS
Sculpture, "Trophy Hunters" by Earl E. Heikka (1910-1941), 1930. Depiction of a six-horse pack string. The lead horse is being ridden by a red-jacketed man who is pointing to his left. The second horse carries a pack which includes a bear head and... View Full Record
Cradleboard
X1982.44.01
CRADLEBOARD
Shoshone beaded buckskin cradleboard, 1900. Cradleboard formed on wooden plank covered with buckskin on front and light colored fabric on back. Coverings fastened at side edges with brass tacks. Front is decorated with glass seed beads in floral... View Full Record
Ski, Snow
1979.17.138 a-b
CROSS COUNTRY SKIS
Wooden cross country skis, ca. 1894. Wooden snow skis w/ bindings. Tips come to a fine point. Stamped on the tip is a maker's name looks to be "Koestead Minneapolis Minn." Ink is worn and almost illegible. Bindings are leather with metal buckles. L... View Full Record
Bicycle
2002.45.01 a-d
BICYCLE
Columbia chainless bicycle used by Reverend Edwin M. Ellis (1853-1940), ca. 1899-1913. Bicycle (a) Front wheel (b) Front tire (c) Spare tire (d)- Columbia Chainless Bicycle. Black painted over red underpaint. Shaft driven/upright handle bar with woo... View Full Record
Pin, Commemorative
1978.08.12
COMMEMORATIVE PIN
Commemorative pin, "Montana Good Roads Association,"1914. In the shape of Montana with road map. Dave Hilger, Great Falls Aug 10-12-1914.... View Full Record
Pin, Promotional
1992.46.01
PROMOTIONAL PIN
"Montana Nail" promotional pin from the 1893 Columbian Exposition. On top of nail spike made of rose gold, copper, and silver rest a seal of stamped brass. The sunset in the crest of the mountains and sky form the background for the waterfall and... View Full Record
Bowl, Punch
1997.81.01 a-c
SILVER SERVICE
USS Montana silver service large punch bowl (a), with pedestal (b) and base (c), 1908. The base (c) is a platter or tray like object with two ornately designed handles design includes raised flower and leaf design, flower and leaf design running aro... View Full Record
Shoe
2006.01.01
SHOE
Single shoe worn by Jeannette Rankin, ca. 1916. The exterior of the shoe appears to be of gold brocade. Floral pattern all over the exterior surface of the shoe. The sole of the shoe is wooden. Engraved on the bottom of the shoe "ALEXANDER." The... View Full Record
Doll
X1928.01.01 a-i
DOLL
Japanese girl doll, "Miss Ishikawa," 1927. (a) has bobbed black human hair, moveable head, jointed arms and legs. She is dressed in a white linen undergarment (b); red silk crepe kimono (c) printed with gold cranes and sprinkles. The neck line is bo... View Full Record
Baseball
X1969.14.27 a-d
BASEBALL
Three autographed baseballs postioned on a wooden desk stand, 1956. Autographs are from New York's 3 major league teams. Dodgers signatures include: Jackie Robinson, Don Drysdale, PeeWee Reese. Yankees signature include Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle... View Full Record
Painting
1984.63.01
MONTANA A BURIED HISTORY
Acrylic and masonite painting "Montana a Buried History" by Jim Todd, 1976. Mural depicting the history of labor in Montana. Gray stone fence 3" H across bottom of picture. Ground in foreground is predominantly orange, fading to orangish-tan with... View Full Record
Sculpture
X1987.04.01
ODALISCA
Marble sculpture, "Odalisca," 1875. White marble statue of a dancing girl wearing thin drapery. She stands on left toes, right knee bent, and leans slightly back, both arm raised. Her right hand holds the end of the drapery. Left hand holds a fan... View Full Record
Painting
X1977.01.01
WHEN THE LAND BELONGED TO GOD
Oil on canvas painting by Charles M. Russell, "When The Land Belonged to God," 1914. Buffalo herd crossing the Missouri River. C.M. Russell signature, skull and date in lower left corner.... View Full Record
Painting
1979.12.29
CECILE BOY
Pastel and tempera painting, "Cecile Boy" by Elizabeth Lochrie, 1934. Head-and-shoulders portrait, in profile, of a Blackfeet woman. She is wearing a red dress, a pink choker, a bone earring, and blue beads; and her black hair is worn in braids. H... View Full Record
Carving
2000.15.868
GOATS
Wood carving by John L. Clarke, "Goats", ca. 1950. Two goats on a hill side, goat that is higher has head turned to pr. left; lower goat is looking straight ahead & hind legs are bent as goat comes downhill. 'Rocks' are dark brown, goats are light b... View Full Record
Cartoon
2012.34.210
RICK O'SHAY AND HIPSHOT
Comic strip by Stan Lynde, "Rick O'Shay and Hipshot", 1975. White rectangle comic strip. Colored Rick O'Shay and Hipshot cartoon. 9 Panels. 1st Panel: Black background with words RICK ["R" inside circle] O'SHAY AND HIPSHOT BY STAN LYNDE... View Full Record
Sculpture
2005.17.01
SWIFT FOX
Welded steel sculpture, "Swift Fox" by Jay Laber, 2004. Construction depicting a contemporary rendition of a Swift Fox. Comprised of found metal automobile parts and other metals. Fox stands with head turned back over shoulder. Mounted on automobile... View Full Record
Dress
X1892.01.25
DRESS
Plains Indian buckskin dress, ca. 1830, 192 elk teeth, long fringe down sides and at the bottom. Short fringe on the sleeves. Three rows of fringe [about 1.5" apart] attached to the skirt about 20" from the bottom. Bottom of each row hangs clear... View Full Record
Album
X1969.62.01
SOUVENIR OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
"Album Unique, Souvenir of the North American Indians" by George Catlin, 1852. Bound volume with 52 graphite drawings.The volume has a black, fabric-covered binding with a paper, hand-written label adhered to the front that reads "Catlin's N. Am. I... View Full Record
Rifle, Plains
X1910.02.01
PLAINS RIFLE
(a) Jim Bridger's Hawken rifle. Plains model. .54 caliber. Single shot, ca. 1850. Octagonal barrel - 1.125" x 33.125; 7-groove rifling; ramrod rib underneath (with 2 ramrod barrels and forend cap). Plain half-stock of straight - grain maple 29.7... View Full Record
Painting
1996.89.01
MY CABIN IN MONTANA, 1866
Watercolor painting with gouache highlights of Peter Tofft's "My Cabin In Montana, 1866" with a graphite underdrawing, on paper. Self-portait of the artist seated in front of a fireplace, reading. One of the artist's paintings hangs over the firepl... View Full Record
Quilt
X1964.12.03
QUILTS
White cotton quilt with red contton embroidered floral patterns and figures inspired by advertisements, etc. of the time, 1894. One panel: 1894, Dewey , Mont. Bound w/ cranberry printed cotton, hand-quilted. Backed w/ white cotton. "A Message From... View Full Record