Watercolored Pencil Drawings from the Parker-Reuss Presentation Book

In late 2000 Mr. William Guthman of Westport, Connecticut, kindly donated an oversized, bound volume of Iroquois-related documents and illustrations to the New York State Museum. The volume had been prepared under the direction of Arthur C. Parker, the Museum's Curator of Ethnology and Archaeology, in 1922 for presentation to Mr. Frank L. Reuss, obviously a friend of Parker and someone with an interest in Iroquois history and culture.

The volume consists of original 18th and 19th century documents, manuscripts, and illustrations carefully tipped into its oversized rag paper pages. In addition the volume also contains some published documents and illustrations, generally of lesser import and more recent in age. It does include, however, a series of pages bearing descriptions and/or illustrations dis-bound from Lewis H. Morgan's first report on the Iroquois collection made for the State Cabinet of Natural History and published in 1850.

These are juxtaposed in the volume with its real treasure: 33 original water-colored pencil sketches of Seneca and Iroquois objects that comprise the greater part of the collection made in 1849. Most bear the Seneca name of the object pictured in Morgan's hand. It is clear that these precisely executed watercolors served as the bases for the illustrations of these objects that were published as either simple line engravings or hand-tinted lithographs in the published cabinet report. Two of the watercolors are signed by the artist, "J. Wilson," and a third by the lithographer, "Robt Pease, Albany."

Silver band (NYSM Catalog No. 51150) from elaborate headdress lost in the Capitol fire of 1911. The watercolor image of the complete headdress is shown above.

In addition to their aesthetic impact, the watercolors are extremely important because they preserve a primary record of artifacts' forms, colors, and sometimes their decorations. Many of the objects pictured in the watercolors did not survive the 1911 State Capitol fire. Some of the objects in the watercolors were illustrated in the cabinet report only as simple black-and-white engravings. Others were depicted in hand-tinted lithographs. However, a careful comparison with the original watercolors often reveals that the published hand-tinted lithographs occasionally differ significantly in both the choice of and the pattern of colors applied.

Aside from a few diagrammatic sketches in Morgan's notebooks and the daguerreotypes showing Parker family members with objects from the collection, the earliest images we have of objects that Morgan collected are those included in this presentation volume. These images are shown below, with information about their relationship to published illustrations. In some cases, two or more images appear on a single page.

	Top: Bow and four types of arrows (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 72).
	Bark tray (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 74 top).
	Bark sap tub (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 74 bottom).
	Mortar and pestle (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 76).
	Snow shoe (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 79).
	Snow snake and detail (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 80).
	Lacrosse stick (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 81 bottom).
	Saddle (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 84).
	Turtle rattle (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 86 top).
	Gourd rattles (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 86 bottom).
	Drum (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 87 top).
	Tobacco pouch (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 87 bottom).
	Bow and shaft fire making tool (compare with Third Regents Report, p. 88).
	Moccasin (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 2).
	Headdress (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 3 top).
	Necklace (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 3 bottom).
	Woman's legging (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 4).
	Skirt (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 5). Painting is signed "J WILSON DEL."
	Overdress, back side (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 6a). Pencil drawing.
	Kilt (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 7). Painting is signed "J WILSON DEL."
	Man's legging (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 8).
	Sash (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 9).
	Knee, wrist, and arm bands (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 10).
	Work bag (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 11). Painting is signed "Lith Robt M/W Pease Albany."
	Needle book (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 12).
	Pin cushion (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 13).
	Pocket book (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 14).
	Breech cloth (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 15).
	Baby frame (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 16).
	Pipe (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 17 left).
	Pipe (compare with Third Regents Report, Pl. 17 right). Pencil drawing.