RMW-002: Missing Artifacts from the Wisconsin Historical Society

BY Antiques Roadshow | Posted 02.22.2010

Hundreds of artifacts were taken from the Wisconsin Historical Society's Native American Ethnographic Collection.

Roadshow's Most Wanted Case Number

RMW-002

Date of Incident

September, 2000

Seeker

Wisconsin Historical Society

Location

Madison, Wisconsin

Items Sought

Over 400 artifacts, most from the Native American Ethnographic Collection

Case Status

Ongoing

Case Summary

In the fall of 2000, the Wisconsin Historical Society made a shocking discovery: hundreds of artifacts from their collection had been taken, and one of their own ex-staff members was a primary suspect. In October 2001, former WHS curator, David Wooley, plead guilty to 14 counts of felony theft and 3 counts of failing to file a state tax return. Hundreds of artifacts remain at large.

Resources

Wisconsin Historical Society Native American Object Recovery Effort

Contact Info

paul.bourcier@wisconsinhistory.org | 608-264-6573

Related

RMW-001: Stolen California Plein Air Collection
RMW-003: Colorado Unclaimed Property Division
RMW-004: Lost New Deal Artwork
RMW-005: Missing Norman Rockwell Coca-Cola Illustrations
RMW-006: Stolen Artworks from Hobcaw Barony
RMW-007: The Missing Norman Studios Film Reels
RMW-008: The Apollo Theater Archive

Beaded pouch, Blackfoot (front): Beaded leather pouch and beaded leather strap. Pouch beaded on both sides with yellow, green, blue, and red beads. Strap decorated with white, blue, and yellow beads. Pouch is 6" x 9". Said to be Blackfoot. Bought by donor at Glacier Park in 1924. Gift of Elsa Fauerbach, 1961. Beaded pouch, Blackfoot (back): Beaded leather pouch and beaded leather strap. Pouch beaded on both sides with yellow, green, blue, and red beads. Strap decorated with white, blue, and yellow beads. Pouch is 6" x 9". Said to be Blackfoot. Bought by donor at Glacier Park in 1924. Gift of Elsa Fauerbach, 1961. Pipe stem, Chippewa (Ojibwe): Wood stem, 19" long. Carved sheep's head, turtle, and elk's head near bowl. Bands of mallard feathers and quillwork and horsehair on stem. Originally in Heye Foundation Collection. Pipe is said to be Ojibwa of Sioux origin. Note: Pipe bowl remains in W.H.S. Museum collection. Gift of Michael Kosenski, 1961. Female Indian doll: Doll 15" long. Cloth body. Face buckskin. Coarse hair, long braids tied with buckskin. Beaded eyes, nose, and mouth, colored cheeks. Two long strands of beads around neck. Heavily beaded blue and white strip forms arms and top of waist. Fringe of buckskin at ends of strip. Beaded band as belt. Beads on long skirt, fringe at bottom. Beaded strip on legs, beaded moccasins. Gift of Mrs. Edith M. West, 1943. Moccasins, Dakota Sioux: Pair of moccasins, red, white, blue on blue beadwork. 10.25" long. Purchased from a trader about 1880. Gift of Robert B. Lang, 1919. Catlinite pipe with lead inlay: Leaded catlinite peace pipe, l6.5" long, 3.5" high, from Craw Creek, Dakota. Presented to Dr. Louis Falge of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by Chief Yellow Hand. Henry Hamilton purchased from Falge. 14 oz. Gift of Henry Pierpoint Hamilton, 1919. Men's buckskin shirt, Crow. State Historical Society of Wisconsin. State Museum Native American Collection. Scalp. State Historical Society of Wisconsin. State Museum Native American Collection.

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