These blankets first appeared in canadian trading posts in the 1700s, and aside from bedding, they. Map of hudson s bay company territory with the united states below dotted line lower left, 1800s. The hudsons bay company collaborates with worldfamous. Furious and embittered, radisson turned his coat and joined hbc. The blankets were typically traded to first nations and native americans in. 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. The true hudsons bay blankets were made in england. The crest is bookended by hbc stripes, and features a small, heavyweight. I have also done a considerable amount of research on the dates of labels used on blankets made by many mills like earlys of witney, pendleton and jacobs of oregon, as well as for blankets marketed by retailers other than hbc, like the t. By the end of the 1800s these posts were converting to retail shops. Aug 12, 2018 a brief history of canadas iconic hudsons bay blanket. When the several states joined the union, they all agreed to give up their western claims, as many of their original charters extended to the south sea or pacific ocean. Hudsons bay company delivers an epic tale to schools across.
No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Hudson s bay company is quite simply the most successful commercial enterprise ever known to capitalism. May 07, 2020 hudsons bay company, corporation that occupies a prominent place in both the economic and the political history of canada. Jan 11, 20 genuine hudsons bay blankets continue to be sold by canadas hudsons bay company, and are available to buy from woolrich.
Hbc stripes hbc x smythe womens blanket swing coat thebay. We are committed to the preservation, education, and promotion of hudson s bay companys history and the ongoing care and maintenance of the companys historical hbc corporate art, artifact, image, and reference collections. The hudsons bay company is as canadian as canadian gets, in fact its history of. The remarkable history of the hudsons bay company book. Coat of arms of the hudson bay company at one time it claimed a third of canadas territory, now its a department store. Nov, 2019 explore cahulawassees board hudsons bay blankets, capotes, voyageurs, and metis. The hudsons bay company is now a wellknown retail group that claims to be the oldest company in north america, and it includes saks fifth avenue and lord and taylor among its department stores. See more ideas about hudson bay blanket, hudson bay and mountain man. A brief history of canadas iconic hudsons bay blanket mental floss. Hudsons bay miscellany 1670 1870 by williams glyndwr abebooks.
Jan 3, 2019 explore amsilva71473s board hudson bay outposts, etc. Painting by stephen pearce, courtesy british columbia archives, victoria, b. To promote the collection, ten canadian fashion designers were invited to create oneofakind coats from hudsons bay company point blankets. In order to use all of the site functionality on the the bay website, you must have javascript enabled on your browser. 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. Many versions of the capote were made, and variations in style were common. Often the blankets were converted into winter coats, known as capotes. Hudsons bay company hit bay stores nationally midoctober and will be available for giftgiving throughout the 2011 holiday season until all 12,000 units sell out.
The striped blanket is still produced today in england by john atkinson, a subbrand of the a. Early 1920s hudsons bay blanket coat, from the collection of the fashion history museum label from early 1920s green wool blanket coat see right following the height of its popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, sales for hbc coats began to decline. The blankets continue to be sold by canadas hudson s bay stores and have come to hold. 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 company sold most of its european operations by august 2019 and its remaining stores, in the netherlands, were closed by the end of 2019. The iconic hudson s bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. See more ideas about hudson bay, canadian history and fur trade. After finishing his first book for the hbc the blanket. There is also a version made by the pendleton company, refered to as national parks blankets, but these blankets are not true hudsons bay and most importantly are lacking the points on the sides.
Some were tailored for and sold by the bay, others, while they bear the fabric tag showing they were made from hudsons bay blankets, were made into coats by and were retailed by third party companies, as is the case with the red maine guide coat pictured below. An illustrated history of the hudsons bay point blanket. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. This little book offers a concise history of the hudson bay blanket. The iconic hudsons bay point blanket has a complicated history with indigenous people in canada. The hudsons bay company, a furtrading enterprise headquartered in london, began operations on the shores of hudson bay in 1670. According to the official company history, blankets had been taken to hudson bay as trade goods as far back as 1668.
The fur business was the primary employer for the inhabitants of. The book was created in collaboration with hbc heritage services, with contributions on fur trade history from dr. Hudsons bay company kids britannica kids homework help. Hudson bay 6 point blanket, natural with multi stripes. The history of the hudsons bay company, 16701870, volume 21 volumes 2122 of hudsons bay record society. Everything you read in this book is the result of the primary economic force of its time, fur. A brief history of canadas iconic hudsons bay blanket. See more ideas about hudson bay, fur trade and canadian history. Too bad too few graphic designers and artists see the link between good brandinglogo design and the rich history and symbolism in heraldry. Hudsons bay point blanket the iconic blanket has its. A fur trading business for much of its existence, hbc now owns and operates retail stores in canada and the united states. Hbc heritage is an internal department of hudson s bay company. This volume includes albany fort journal, remarks on the french raids on churchill and york, james tates journal and character book of george simpson, 1832. Why some folks feel weird about hudson s bay blankets to kick off the second season of the secret life of canada, cohosts falen johnson and leahsimone bowen dive into the contentious history of.
Courtesy hudson s bay company archives, winnipeg, manitoba. The history of the hudsons bay company, 16701870 edwin. The hudsons bay company is the oldest company in canada. Jul 15, 2010 the hudsons bay company originated in 1670 as fur trading posts, where furs were traded for manufactured goods.
The blankets continue to be sold by canadas hudsons bay stores and have come to hold. Jul 28, 20 the hudsons bay blanket coat enjoyed a surge of popularity on the united states market in the mid through late 1930s. He then sailed back to hudson bay under english colours and took possession of the hayes river post and a load of 20,000 beaver pelts for his new employers. Coat of arms of the hudson bay company at one time it. Moreover, the historical record indicates that the company used the. Aug 03, 2017 the hudsons bay point blanked has the status of an icon in the history of modern canada. I have identified and dated some twodozen styles of labels used by the hudson s bay company since 1890. The capote a wrap coat made from a hudsons bay point blanket was a common garment among indigenous peoples throughout the fur trade era. The hudsons bay company archives is one of the worlds most complete. A blanket so importantit even has a book written about it. Shop hudson s bay for handbags, womens and mens clothing and shoes, and housewares.
The company is named for the hudson bay and the blankets were typically traded to first nations in exchange for beaver pelts. The remarkable history of the hudson s bay company. Imagine a company that controlled one twelfth of the earths surface, whose domain was 10 times larger than the holy roman empire, a company whose beginnings date from 1682, that developed its own army, its own navy and whose stock is still reputed to be owned by britains royal family. Why some folks feel weird about hudsons bay blankets cbc radio. Its design with the recognizable stripes can be found on many products including coats, scarves, coffee mugs and many others. During the next century and a half, it gradually expanded its network of trading posts west across canada. 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. Hudson s bay company a brief history by hudson s bay co and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Including that of the french traders of northwestern canada and of the northwest, xy, and astor fur companies paperback december 22, 2000.
Determining age and value of hudson bay blanket the ebay. Jan 12, 2017 from its beginnings as the largest land owner in north america, to its role in the french and indian war, this is a brief history of the hudson s bay company. 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. The early history of the hudsons bay company comes alive in these true tales of furtrade wars, incredible wilderness journeys, hardships and danger.
The hudsons bay company coat of arms has remained a constant corporate identifier for. We offer carhartt jackets, jeans, sweatshirts, bibs, and pants. If you are interested in anything to with the fur trade then i heartily recommend it. Today the company runs department stores throughout canada. 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.
The history of the hudsons bay point blanket the cavender. Map of hudsons bay company territory with the united states below dotted line lower left, 1800s. Hbc stripes hbc x smythe womens blanket swing coat the bay. Hbc heritage is an internal department of hudsons bay company. Anyone who enjoys historical adventure will relish these exciting stories of canadas oldest company.
Extra large hudsons bay blanket coat vintagehaberdashers blog. A hudson s bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the hudson s bay company hbc in british north america now canada and the united states during the 1700s and 1800s. The remarkable history of the hudsons bay company by george. The hudson s bay company soon expected to extend their monopoly to the entire gold coast. By the 19th century there was a string of hudsons bay company posts throughout canada. Hudsons bay blanket coats vintagehaberdashers blog. The new hudson s bay brand was launched in march 20, incorporating a new logo with an updated rendition of the classic hudson s bay company coat of arms, designed to be modern and better reflect the companys heritage. In those early days, the hudson bay point blanket first introduced in 1780.
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