Scarce and Early Daguerreotype of an Identified Woman Wearing in a Hudson Bay Blanket

Sixth-plate daguerreotype; Accompanied by the original identification slip and research notes.

Sixth plate daguerreotype, with some slight fading and scratches, professionally cleaned and recased in a modern case in 1992, with receipts for the restoration provided. Accompanied by a period inked note reading: Dwiouski / (Showsky for Hannah) / Ischunuongwandt / (Tunangwant).

A very early image of an indigenous subject in a Hudson's Bay Company blanket. A note accompanying the photograph identifies the sitter as "Dwiousky / Showsky for Hannah / Ischunuongwandt / Tunungwant." This would identify the sitter as Seneca, from the area close to the Tunungwant Creek - also known as the Tuna Creek - near the Pennsylvania / New York border in the Bradford area. The image has additional significance for its portrayal of a Hudson Bay Company blanket, many of which were traded to indigenous traders in in Canada as part of the company's fur trade efforts. The Seneca traded with other tribes and it is possible the blanket was procured through intertribal trade, as HBC blankets were primarily traded amongst First Nations populations to the north. Overall a very uncommon image, perhaps one of the earliest photographs of an indigenous subject adorned in an HBC blanket.