A collection of Klamath Indian baskets not seen in public for nearly 50 years will be displayed this summer at the Klamath County Museum.

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - August 26th, 2011 - A collection of Klamath Indian baskets not seen in public for nearly 50 years will be displayed this summer at the Klamath County Museum.

The exhibit will open with a program and basket making demonstration set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, 2011, at the museum, 1431 Main St. Admission is free.

The baskets were collected in the early 1900s by Louis Jacobs, a merchant who often accepted baskets from Native Americans in trade for goods at his business, known as the Boston Store.

The collection has been handed down to his granddaughter, Adrienne Milbradt of Roseville, Calif., who loaned them to the museum for display.

“There are more than 40 baskets, each with a unique and beautiful design that signifies many hours of work by the people who made them,” said Todd Kepple, museums manager for Klamath County. “We’re very pleased to be able to show these beautiful baskets that have been in storage for almost half a century.”

The Jacobs collection of baskets was last displayed at the Klamath County Museum in the 1960s, when the museum was housed on Third Street with the library.

Besides the baskets, there are also several woven mats and hats, as well as a beaded bow and a doll. A recent appraisal estimated the value of the collection at several thousand dollars.

All of the baskets are made from bulrushes, also known as “tules,” with the exception of one basket made from pine needles. Porcupine quills are woven into the pattern of a few of the baskets and mats.

Nadra Gallagher, a member of the Klamath Tribes, will demonstrate traditional methods for preparing basketry material, and discuss weaving techniques. Gallagher learned Klamath traditions from her grandmother, and strives to share them with younger generations.

“We’re fortunate to have this set of baskets that has been so well preserved, and thrilled to have someone like Nadra who can share stories and traditions passed down from the time when the baskets were made,” Kepple said.

“We don’t know who made these baskets, but we can be certain they came from local Native Americans, and represented techniques and styles common to the Klamath people around 100 years ago.”

For more information call Klamath County Museums a 541-883-4208.

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