Young Doctor was a prolific and well-known Makah carver and canoe maker in the first quarter of the 20th century. Through his association with the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle, Washington, Young Doctor’s creations were sold around the globe and can be still found in some of the most prestigious public collections today. Collectors of Young Doctor’s work included George Gustav Heye (1874-1957), whose collection would form the nucleus of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) which still houses pieces by Young Doctor including a large spirit canoe (11/4254) and the iconic half-scale model whaling canoe and crew (6/8874). Other major collections with Young Doctor’s work include the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (E328606-0; E336592-0; E336590-0), Burke Museum (1992-90/51), Autry Museum of the American West (643.G.158; 611.G.115; 491.G.1454; 577.G.4; 491.G.1816), Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, and the Makah Cultural & Research Center Museum. Young Doctor was also frequently photographed carving and posing with his objects, which has added to his visibility and desirability among collectors. See Kate Duncan’s 1001 Curious Things: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and Native American Art (2001) [1] for more information on Young Doctor’s relationship with the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.

This larger model pole depicts an eagle or thunderbird over a human figure and frog. It is finely carved and painted in old white, green, orange, grey, black, and burgundy pigments. The almond-shaped eyes on the figures are characteristic of Young Doctor’s work in how the pupils are fully encircled in white and do not touch the eyelids. The painting is very fine and features some nice flourishes, including a reticulating pattern of alternating colours on the wings of the bird and orange stippling on its ears. There are five vertical v-cuts with orange paint on the back of the frog, which is carved in high relief from the shaft of the pole. The pole also features an original red sticker from the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop which reads: “FROM/YE OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP/ESTABLISHED 1899/COLEMAN DOCK FRONT/INDIAN RELICS, SEA SHELLS, ETC./MOST UNIQUE/SHOP IN THE WORLD/ J.E. STANDLEY, PROP.”

[1] Duncan, Kate. 2001. 1001 Curious Things: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and Native American Art. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Christopher W. Smith