Julia:
Sir William Johnson, died 1774, lived in the Mohawk Valley, Upstate NY, was
Royal Commissioner for Indian Affairs for Colonial NY for many years and
had an extensive "Curiosity" collection of Native American materials. The
collection was dispersed when the estate was confiscated in 1779, but
included just about everything imaginable that he gathered in his journeys,
campaigns, and in councils.
I have been unable to find a report on the collection that was done a few
years ago (Johnson's estate inventory survives but the collection does
not). You should contact Lois Fiester with New York State Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation for more info and other possible
leads. The house is now a State Historic Site:
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/nysparks/historic.cgi?p+14
See also:
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/edocs/parks/johnson.htm
Also, when we were doing excavations on what apears to be the Cook House or
central Kitchen at Mount Independence, VT (Rev. War Fortifications opposite
Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain) we found a number of wonderful
projectile points, including one probably plano point, that had been picked
up by soldiers, probably while tending the gardens on the flats along Otter
Creek or the Lake. You should contact David Starbuck about those finds.
Dan W.
At 12:05 PM 4/17/02, you wrote:
>Dear Colleagues,
>
>I am studying artifact collecting and collecting behavior, especially in
>colonial and 19th century America. Has anyone come across evidence
>(archaeological, documentary, etc.) of artifact collecting that would be of
>interest to my project?
>
>I am especially interested in the collecting people did at places they
>deemed historic, and how collectors then used or displayed these materials.
>Any information about artifact collecting practices in colonial and 19th
>century America would be helpful and appreciated.
>
>Many thanks,
>
>Julie King
>
>JULIA A. KING
>MARYLAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSERVATION LABORATORY
>10515 MACKALL ROAD
>ST. LEONARD, MD 20685
>410.586.8551
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