Jacket
The beadwork on this jacket was commissioned in 1964 by Robert Killin from Emily Bluecoat, who still lives at Severn. The jacket style was fashionable in the 1960s, but Emily's beadwork makes it especially distinctive. Emily beaded the letters of the alphabet onto hide, which could then be sewn onto garments. As well as having his initial added to the left sleeve of his new jacket, Robert Killin also sent one of these beaded letters as a gift to his younger brother, Derek.
The floral beadwork along the shoulders and down the front is sewn directly onto the jacket, and a beaver fur trim has been added to the collar. On the right sleeve is a circular beaded disc with feathers from owls's ears sewn around the edge. This was not made by Emily, and was probably added later by Killin himself.
On the reverse of the jacket Emily sewed a crest of the Hudson’s Bay Company with the words ‘Northern Stores Department’, and ‘Fort Severn’ which she had beaded onto a separate piece of hide. Although this jacket was commercially made, with Emily adding the beadwork to it, she also made jackets from moose and deer hide and sewed the same crest onto them. These were very popular with HBC staff at Severn at this time.
Emily Bluecoat continues to make beautiful beadwork for her family and friends and to sell. Some examples of her work can be seen on the gallery on the K-net website.
Click the images to zoom in for a more detailed view.
© Photograph by John McIntosh
© Photograph by John McIntosh
© Photograph by John McIntosh
© Photograph by John McIntosh
