Northwest Coast Totem Poles Photos

The Native Americans who inhabited the Pacific Coast from Alaska through British Columbia created an art form by carving their family & tribal histories on huge wooden poles which are known as Totem Poles.

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Northwest coast native totem pole collection in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.Northwest coast native totem pole in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.Northwest coast native totem poles in Stanley Park against mountains. Vancouver, BC.Carved Northwest coast native totem poles in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.
Northwest coast native totem pole collection in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.Northwest coast native totem pole in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.Northwest coast native totem poles in Stanley Park against mountains. Vancouver, BC.Carved Northwest coast native totem poles in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.
Painted Northwest coast native totem poles in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.Totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC against surrounding mountains. Vancouver, BC.Mortuary Haida house frontal pole by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Upper detail of Mortuary Haida house frontal pole by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Painted Northwest coast native totem poles in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC.Totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC against surrounding mountains. Vancouver, BC.Mortuary Haida house frontal pole (1959) by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Upper detail of Mortuary Haida house frontal pole (1959) by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Lower detail of Mortuary Haida house frontal pole by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Haida mortuary pole by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of Haida mortuary pole by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Haida carved house pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Lower detail of Mortuary Haida house frontal pole (1959) by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Haida mortuary pole (1961) by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of Haida mortuary pole (1961) by Bill Reid with Douglas Cranmer at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Haida carved house pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Haida double mortuary pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Carved painted face on mortuary pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of Northwest Coast native totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Totem poles inside Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Haida double mortuary pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Carved painted face on mortuary pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of Northwest Coast native totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Totem poles inside Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Northern Kwagiutl totem house post at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of painted totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of painted totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Southern Kwagiutl house post & seat by George Nelson at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Northern Kwagiutl totem house post at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of painted totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of painted totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Southern Kwagiutl house post & seat (c1906) by George Nelson at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Face of Kwagiutl house post at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Slave figure from Kwagiutl house post at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Kwagiutl house posts at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Collection of Northwest Coast native totems at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Face of Kwagiutl house post at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Slave figure from Kwagiutl house post at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Kwagiutl house posts at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Collection of Northwest Coast native totems at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Detail of Northwest Coast native totems at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of Northwest Coast Kwagiutl native totem at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Haida house front poles at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Northwest Coast native totems at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Detail of Northwest Coast native totems at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Detail of Northwest Coast Kwagiutl native totem at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Haida house front poles at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Northwest Coast native totems at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.
Haida house front totem pole at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Southern Kwagiutl house posts by Quatsino Hansen at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Tlingit totem poles at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.Modern Tlingit totem poles by James Lewis & Wayne Carlick at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.
Haida house front totem pole (mid 19thC) at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Southern Kwagiutl house posts (c1906) by Quatsino Hansen at Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Vancouver, BC.Tlingit totem poles at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.Modern Tlingit totem poles (1990s) by James Lewis & Wayne Carlick at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.
Modern Tlingit totem poles by James Lewis & Wayne Carlick at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.Modern Tlingit totem poles by James Lewis & Wayne Carlick at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.Details of Alaskan Totem Pole in Tacoma city park. Tacoma, WA.Totem poles by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park of Pioneer Square historic district. Seattle, WA.
Modern Tlingit totem poles (1990s) by James Lewis & Wayne Carlick at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.Modern Tlingit totem poles (1990s) by James Lewis & Wayne Carlick at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Vancouver, BC.Details of Alaskan Totem Pole (1903) in Tacoma city park. Tacoma, WA.Totem poles (1980s) by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park of Pioneer Square historic district. Seattle, WA.
Detail of totem pole by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.Man riding tail of a whale totem pole by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.Bear totem pole by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.Fearsome Tsonogua pole by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.
Detail of totem pole (1980s) by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.Man riding tail of a whale totem pole (1980s) by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.Bear totem pole (1980s) by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.Fearsome Tsonogua pole (1980s) by Duane Pasco in Occidental Park. Seattle, WA.
Northwest coast native totems outside Thomas Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture at University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Detail of Single Fin at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Replica of Dzunuk'wa Figure at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Replica of Tlingit Mortuary Pole at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.
Northwest coast native totems outside Thomas Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture at University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Detail of Single Fin (1985 replica of c1880 Howkan Whale Monument) at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Replica of Dzunuk'wa Figure (19th C & 1970) at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Replica of Tlingit Mortuary Pole (19th C & 1972) at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.
Replicas of Tsimshian Memorial Pole & Haida House Frontal Pole at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Stanford University totem pole by Don Yeomans of Prince Rupert, BC. Palo Alto, CA.Stanford University totem pole detail face. Palo Alto, CA.Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art totem. Indianapolis, IN.
Replicas of Tsimshian Memorial Pole (1880 & 1969) & Haida House Frontal Pole (c1870 & 1971) at Burke Museum of University of Washington. Seattle, WA.Stanford University totem pole by Don Yeomans of Prince Rupert, BC. Palo Alto, CA.Stanford University totem pole detail face. Palo Alto, CA.Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art totem pole. Indianapolis, IN.
Northwest coast totem poles at Brooklyn Museum. New York, NY.Yeltatzie clan totem pole at Eiteljorg Museum. Indianapolis, IN.Detail of Yeltatzie clan totem pole at Eiteljorg Museum. Indianapolis, IN.Detail of Yeltatzie clan totem pole at Eiteljorg Museum. Indianapolis, IN.
Northwest coast totem poles at Brooklyn Museum. New York, NY.Yeltatzie clan totem pole at Eiteljorg Museum. Indianapolis, IN.Detail of Yeltatzie clan totem pole at Eiteljorg Museum. Indianapolis, IN.Detail of Yeltatzie clan totem pole at Eiteljorg Museum. Indianapolis, IN.
Westcoast native carving collection including house & effigy poles at Peabody Museum. Cambridge, MA.Northwest coast effigy pole at Peabody Museum. Cambridge, MA.

Westcoast native carving collection including house & effigy poles at Peabody Museum. Cambridge, MA.Northwest coast effigy pole at Peabody Museum. Cambridge, MA.

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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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