We made our purchase at moose lake trading post in pointe au baril, ontario. The company is named for the hudson bay and the blankets were typically traded to first nations in exchange for beaver pelts. Yes, the title is a bit of a mouthful, but it has become a standard reference for antique. Point blankets are a type of trade blanket and are most closely associated with the hudsons bay company who have been marketing them into north america since 1779. Beads, beading supplies, jewelry findings, feathers, leather, and kits focus on materials and information to make both traditional and contemporary native american crafts and powwow dance clothing. Why some folks feel weird about hudsons bay blankets cbc radio. In 1668, two years before the granting of the royal charter, nonsuch sailed to hudson bay on a speculative voyage to prove the feasibility of the northern fur trade route. Hudsons bay point blanket the canadian encyclopedia. In the book of job, lucifer challenged jehovah and said that a man will give anything to save his life. One of the trading commodities most highly prized by the indians in exchange for their beaver pelts, was the original hudsons bay point blanket. An illustrated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. Common research topics hudsons bay company archives.
This connection was originally made possible by wooden sailing vessels. Throughout the 18th century, wool blankets were among the most popular trade items in the canadian fur trade, accounting for more than 60% of all goods exchanged by 1700. Hbcs colonial barbie comes with some baggage macleans. The earliest mention of hudsons bay point blankets is contained in the minutes of a meeting of the hudsons bay companys london committee on 16th december, 1779, but there is little doubt that. Hudsons bay company hbc was founded after the 1668 voyage of the nonsuch had demonstrated the commercial feasibility of sailing through hudson straits and into hudson bay in order to acquire furs. Hudsons bay blankets have been imported from england since 1779 and were once used as a form of currency between trappers and native americans. Indians at a hudson bay company trading post hudsons. Hudsons bay company has been selling blankets, a staple of the fur trade, from the beginning.
From the fur trade to fifth avenue, this short historical overview of north americas oldest company offers you a brief introduction to 350 years of hudsons bay. Welcome to the web door for noc bay trading company. Absolutely fascinating history of the hudsons bay companys point blanket. How the hudsons bay point blanket became a canadian. Ive been wanting to make one for a while, but it hasnt made its way up the project queue yet. The hudsons bay company hbc had been trading blankets since the company incorporated in 1670.
Hudsons bay company 90 by 100inch queen size 6 point blanket, scarletblack stripe. Hudsons bay point blanket the iconic blanket has its. This little book offers a concise history of the hudson bay blanket, its importance in developing trade with native tribes in the farflung north. A fur trading business for much of its existence, hbc now owns and operates retail stores in. The collectors guide to point blankets of the hudsons bay. Among the trade goods carried were woollen blankets. A hudsons bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the hudsons bay company hbc in british north america now canada and the united states during the 1700s and 1800s. In 1670 charles ii awarded a royal charter to the hudsons bay company, granting it the rights to all the commerce of the bays entire drainage. Based on annual reports, post journals and account books, supplied by bay officials, basic policies are decided in london, england and then implemented in. Cinetel, bowen island 2003, 128 pp, colour illustrations, spiral bound for field use. Always reminds me of visiting with my grandparents, since the hudsons bay blanket was always on the guest bed.
Typically, the wool blankets were traded with native americans for pelts. Hudsons bay company, corporation that occupies a prominent place in both the economic and the political history of canada. The toy, emblazoned in the hudsons bay companys iconic colours, is a hotticket reminder of a colonial past by nikki wiart december 16, 2016 hudsons bay company collection barbie photograph. It was incorporated in england on may 2, 1670, to seek a northwest passage to the pacific, to occupy the lands adjacent to hudson bay, and to carry on commerce with those lands. For over fifteen years i have been researching the history of these blankets and recently published two books on the subject. The nowiconic point blanket was one such item bartered for furs. Between 19 and 1970, the hudsons bay company hbc produced a. Easeland soft king size blanket winter warm microplush lightweight thermal fleece blankets for. The collectors guide to point blankets of the hudsons bay company and other companies trading in north america.
The point system was invented by french weavers in the 18 th century and it indicated the size of the finished blanket, not its value in beaver pelts as it was believed. The blankets continue to be sold by canadas hudsons bay stores and have come to hold. Can i find additional information in books and articles. Vintage 1930 hudson bay 4 point wool blanket, this blanket is green in color with a large green stripe and 4 stitched lines underneath, it has fringe at the top, there is some fading at the top and bottom of the blanket but otherwise, this blanket is in very good condition with no holes or damage. Hbc fur trade post map hudsons bay company archives. The hudsons bay companys evolution from fur trading to. Beginning of a dialog window, including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account. For some groups of related posts see fortrupert for james bay.
The 18th century plains indians valued the preshrunk and felted cotswold wool blankets for their ability to retain heat and repel water, and used them for bedding and clothing. Earlys advertising sign showing a point blanket trading between a native american and an early merchant. The history and legacy of the famous english trading. For many, the hudsons bay company blanket with its familiar red, green. After finishing his first book for the hbc the blanket. These stripped blankets were created by the hudsons bay company in the northern part of north america in 1780.
Hudsons bay was not the only company to use the point system in blankets over the centuries, but thanks to 21stcentury marketing extensions into. I have a hudsons bay company wool blanket, the kind with the colorful stripes. The hudsons bay company hbc is a canadian retail business group. The iconic hudsons bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. With its proud stripes and distinctive black markings, the hudsons bay point blanket is a canadian icon.
For books and films referenced in this episode please visit our website at. Harold tichenor welcome to the site exclusively dedicated to point blankets. Ottawa river, winnipeg river, assiniboine river fur trade and saskatchewan river fur trade. On our honeymoon, my wife and i purchased a hudsons bay point blanket with money we received as a wedding gift. As a history buff i have always been fascinated with the story of how hudsons bay company was formed. Etsy has thousands of handcrafted and vintage products that perfectly fit what youre searching for.
Beaver pelts were exchanged for blankets through the hudsons bay company and its outposts throughout northern canada. See what customers said about these highly rated items. Unfollow hudson bay blankets to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Please note that only 494 hudsons bay company fur trade posts appear in these maps because the map is based on the fur trade posts originally included in the archives section b records.
List of hudsons bay company trading posts wikipedia. A complete source of quality supplies for making native american indian crafts, native american indian cultural arts, and dance clothing. In 1779, hbc commissioned the textile mill of thomas empson of witney, oxfordshire, to produce pointed blankets. Unfollow hudson bay blanket to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.
The collectors guide to point blankets of the hudsons bay company and. Yet the hudsons bay point blanket owes its existence to both, with the hudsons bay fur trading post in canada acting as a halfway point between the two cultures. Feb 24, 2014 the hudsons bay company is as canadian as canadian gets, in fact its history of fur. Discover all the extraordinary items our community of craftspeople have to offer and find the perfect gift for your loved one or yourself. By 1744 the hudsons bay company had to establish its first post in the interior at cumberland house on the saskatchewan river near the present saskatchewanmanitoba border. This is a list of hudsons bay company trading posts for the fur trade in general see north american fur trade and canadian canoe routes early. Maritime voyages remained an important part of hbcs operations until. 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.
Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. The native peoples valued them for several reasons they were warm, durable, lightweight and very useful as clothing. Free instructional learning circle downloads and videos are. The hudsons bay company hbc, chartered 2 may 1670, is the oldest. 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 entire history of the blanket.
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. These blankets first appeared in canadian trading posts in the 1700s, and aside from bedding, they. This proved so successful that the prince organized a group of 18 investors to form the hudsons bay company, also known as the governor and adventurers of england trading into hudsons bay. I am so glad i bought a copy its a beautifully written book with fantastic photos and historical tidbits. The company sold most of its european operations by august 2019 and its remaining stores, in the netherlands, were closed by the end of 2019. In the case of the hudsons bay company, they would give anything.
Search our fur trade post maps to find the location of a hudsons bay company fur trade post. Photo via very few blankets hold the iconic status that hudsons bay point blankets do. First commissioned by hudsons bay company hbc in 1800, the multistripe design lives on as a testament to our shared canadian heritage. The origin of the hudson bay company point blanket point blankets are wool blankets marked on one edge with black or indigo stripes. The hudsons bay company is a canadian retail business group. The history of the hudsons bay point blanket photo via very few blankets hold the iconic status that hudsons bay point blankets do. Hbc was a fur trading business for most of its history, a past that is entwined with the.
Hbc heritage is an internal department of hudsons bay company. The complicated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. Since 2000 i have been a consultant to the hudsons bay company building a. The hudsons bay company men made many trips into the interior to urge the indians to do their trading at the port in hudsons bay, but to no avail. Common research topics hudsons bay company archives search. A fur trading business for much of its existence, hbc now owns and operates retail stores in canada and the united states. Point blankets are a type of trade blanket and are most closely associated with. It will last a lifetime, according to leon leonwood bean himself, who always kept one on hand even in his car.
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