Hudson s bay point blankets were used twice by admiral byrds expeditions to the antarctic. The plains indians often wore the blankets instead of buffalo robes and used them to make coats. The complicated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. I have a vintage fur coat that has several holes and did not want to get rid of but this is a great idea i wil turn the coat into a blanket nice. May 21, 2014 1800s hudson bay blanket capote coats,mountain man,rendezvous. And this quirky little comic book called tales from the bay, with all sorts of legends relating to the history of the company. Hudsons bay wool point blankets in the late 1700s, wool blankets were so important to comfort and survival that they were used as a form of currency in trading between trappers and native americans. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. I never dreamed i would read a book about a blanket, i checked it out of the library to see what it was about and had to have one for myself. If you have a hudsons bay point blanket this is a must read. Choose from buffalo check, plaids, solids and stripes in a wide range of sizes and weights. By 1700 blankets accounted for more than 60% of all goods exchanged in the fur trade.
Hudson bay 4 point blanket, natural with multi stripes. Some unusual patterns, like the 1936 coronation blanket, and particularly old point blankets may bring up to a thousand or more dollars at auction. The hudsons bay company hbc point blanket has been such a fixture in canadian homes. As canadas most iconic retailer celebrates 350 years, hudsons. After finishing his first book for the hbc the blanket. However, the collecting of point blankets is a rather new field and it is expected as more information becomes available to. Mans poison of choice rural rooted canadian facts, canadian history, genealogy websites. A brief history fashion plates caroline fur hudson s bay coyote blanket gorgeous, however i would get faux fur what a good idea.
Typically, the wool blankets were traded with native americans for pelts. A hudsons bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the hudsons bay company. For well over two centuries, the hudsons bay point blanket has been an iconic product in canada and around. Hudson s bay company, home, bedding at, offering the modern energy, style and personalized service of the bay stores, in an enhanced, easytonavigate shopping experience.
But a second, tailored blanket coat style has a similarly long history. See more ideas about hudson bay blanket, hudson bay and blanket coat. According to the official company history, blankets had been taken to hudson bay as trade goods as far back. An illustrated history of the hudson s bay point blanket as want to read. If you read the last sentence in the description it says there may be gold embroidered variants of this labeli contacted the author of the collectors guide to discuss the origins of these gold labels and he says the only one he has seen was from a man that survived the. This coat was manufactured by the hudson s bay company several decades after the fur trade ended. We are committed to the preservation, education, and promotion of hudsons bay companys history and the ongoing care and maintenance of the companys historical hbc corporate art, artifact, image, and reference collections. In its new form, the hudson s bay company sold everything from coats to silverware, but the point blanket coat remained one of their signature items. The blankets and blanket coats could resist wind and water and yet still be breathable. Our history the hbc point blanket hudsons bay company. The beaver pelts were shipped to europe to meet the demand for beaver fur top hats.
Absolutely fascinating history of the hudson s bay companys point blanket. The manufacture of hbc classic coat designs ceased in 2000 but in 2009 the bay as it is now known introduced a new product line based on the traditional multistripe blanket pattern. This is a warm coat for outdoor activities and get lots of. A hudsons bay company point blanket coat wisconsin 101. I can honestly say that i have never expected to buy a book dedicated to blankets, but the whole history of the hbc is so absolutely compelling that i was drawn towards it. The first point blankets were created by french weavers who. Very few blankets hold the iconic status that hudsons bay point blankets do. Capote blanket coat history and diy before i begin provide you with the instructions on how to make your own blanket coat i thought it would be neat to give you a bit of background history. The hudsons bay company is as canadian as canadian gets, in fact its history of. Hbc stripes iconic multi stripe point blanket, offering the modern energy, style and personalized service of the bay stores, in an enhanced, easytonavigate shopping experience. In 1922, the hbc introduced its first commercial blanket coats, which had the.
The quality and style of the multistripe hbc point blanket made it a favourite material for making garments such as the traditional capote, the famous handmade wrap coat, which dates back to the mid 17th c. Common research topics hudsons bay company archives. Painting by stephen pearce, courtesy british columbia archives, victoria, b. In 1890, hbc began adding labels to their blankets because point blankets of similar quality were being sold by hbc competitors from such manufacturers as earlys of witney. This book is great, it goes into the history and other areas of the blankets history. Courtesy hudsons bay company archives, winnipeg, manitoba. These blankets first appeared in canadian trading posts in the 1700s, and aside from bedding, they. Point blanket coats remained popular in canada, first as utilitarian garments, later as fashion. Map of hudsons bay company territory with the united states below dotted line lower left, 1800s. Hudsons bay blanket coats vintagehaberdashers blog.
These red embroidered trademark labels were the very first to be used on hudson bay point blankets starting around 1890. After the end of the fur trade, the hudson s bay company transformed from a far trading company into a mercantile manufacturer similar to mail order companies like sears roebuck. Kwik sew sewing for children pattern book hood piece best of luck with your construction. These blankets do everything a blanket should do and are the ultimate in style. Charles lindbergh wore point blanket coats on their flight to europe by way of greenland and iceland. 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. The hudson bay blanket is more than a wonderful soft warm beautiful elegant blanket, it is a piece of history reminding us of the great northern frontier, the mounties, the reminder of the struggles of the pioneer spirit. This year hudsons bay company celebrates its 350th anniversary, marking an.
In those early days, the hudson bay point blanket first introduced in 1780 was. If you are interested in anything to with the fur trade then i heartily recommend it. We dive into the history of the hudson s bay company and unpack the very complicated story of the iconic striped blanket. Hudson bay 8 point blanket natural with multi stripes. In order to use all of the site functionality on the the bay website, you must have javascript enabled on. Yes, the title is a bit of a mouthful, but it has become a standard reference for antique. The cherished blanket has been turned into a caplet coat by many. Hbc coat of arms, 1962 hudson bay company, coat of arms, fur.
Whether youre emulating the western mountain man, voyageur of the north, eastern longhunter, native american or military from the french and indian wars to the civil war, northwest traders is the foremost supplier of finished capotes, capote kits, blankets, beadwork,quillwork,leather goods, and custom work anywhere. The most common hudson bay blanket coat material is wool. We offer the most extensive line of authentic styles available. Castor mountain man rendezvoushudson bay blanketimage natureamerican frontier. Unfollow hudson bay blanket coat to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Indian male bay point hudson bay blanket family history book blanket coat fur trade male clothing canadian history mountain man. Canadian history periodical now known as canadas history.
Hbc heritage is an internal department of hudsons bay company. To promote the collection, ten canadian fashion designers were invited to create oneofakind coats from hudson s bay company point blankets. The iconic hudson s bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. These stripped blankets were created by the hudsons bay company in the northern part of north america in 1780. Wearing history ahwahnee blanket coat pattern this owuld be so rad with a hudson s bay blanker blanket coat pattern from wearing history cant wait to try this one out. Hudson bay capote how to make skate sails layering survival kits how to make moccasins snow ballista, catapult equipment list. Hudsons bay point blanket the canadian encyclopedia. An illustrated history of the hudson s bay point blanket. How to make a hudson bay blanket capote indian blanket coat authentic winter garment of primitive hunters and trappers, mountain men, fur traders, voyageurs, buckskiners, explorers, hunters.
These stripped blankets werecreated by the hudsons bay company in the northern part of north americain 1780. The iconic hudsons bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. The capote the traditional name for a blanket coat began as a hooded coat that was worn by french sailors. According to the official company history, blankets had been taken to hudson bay. Today, the hudson s bay s name, their blanket and the coat are iconic. Hudson bay blankets by woolrich from dann, complete collection. A brief history of canadas iconic hudsons bay blanket. This coat was not made from a blanket used as part of the fur trade. The hudsons bay company hbc had been trading blankets since the. Like the iconic point blankets themselves, point blanket coats share a similarly long and interesting history. The complicated history of the hudsons bay point blanket cbc.
Made from hudsons bay point blankets, these striped coats are iconically canadian. How to make hudson bay capote indian blanket coat learn. I never dreamed i would read a book about a blanket, i checked it out of the library to see what it was about. Traditional capotethe mackinawcommercial hudsons bay point blanket coatsdesigner hudsons bay point blanket coats. Can i find additional information in books and articles. The following, in its entirety, with thanks, from hbc website. Our hudson s bay point blankets retain the authentic 100% wool quality that has made these blankets legendary. Harold lee tichenor, point blanket collector and consultant to hudsons bay company, has written two books on point blankets and their collectibility. Although hbc did not introduce its first commercial hudson s bay point blanket coat until 1922, fur traders, voyageurs, and indigenous peoples had already been styling hudson s bay point blankets.
The hudsons bay blanket coat enjoyed a surge of popularity on the united states market in the mid through late 1930s. For books and films referenced in this episode please visit our website at. Art books entertainment film and motion picture magazines music. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. And it was the striped hudsons bay company point blanket that helped pioneer the way. Like those sold in the 18th century, todays blankets are made in england with wool blended from sources in england, wales, new zealand, and india. An illustrated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. Why some folks feel weird about hudsons bay blankets. Mirroring the mackinaw craze of 19121915, the style was brought over the border to the us by tourists and seasonal workers who had seen the coats in use in canada and been impressed with their warmth and durability. The blanket design was introduced in the late 1700s by the hbc, and the material was soon adapted into coats by fur traders. Hbc heritage our history the hbc point blanket from.
Metis clothes hudson bay blanket, hudson bay, blanket coat. 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. An illustrated history of the hudson s bay point blanket by tichenor, harold and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Point blankets as coats point blankets have also been used as coats, either premade and sold by the hudson s bay company or recut into garments. Beaver pelts were exchanged for blankets through the hudson s bay company and its outposts throughout northern canada. Instead it was designed to look like those earlier coats trappers and traders made out of wool point blankets.
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