Collections

Miss Spokane Costume Moccasins

Miss Spokane Costume Moccasins - Moccasin
Accession #: 2962.25C
Title: Miss Spokane Costume Moccasins
Object Type: Moccasin
Participants:
Miss Spokane (user)
Physical Description: Felt moccasins with floral leaf and star pattern in red/white/yellow/green/grey beads. Moccasins are part of original Miss Spokane costume.
Description: Friends entered Marguerite Motie in a 1912 Spokane Advertising Club contest for an attractive young woman to promote the city. The 17-year-old found herself acting as Miss Spokane for over 20 years. Dressed as a stereotypical Indian princess, Miss Spokane acted as hostess and official representative of the region, and symbolized the bountiful and burgeoning city of Spokane. Even after Motie married her high school sweetheart, Walter Shiel, and moved to Seattle, she returned for appearances until a new Miss Spokane was chosen in the late 1930s. By 1977 the Miss Spokane program had ended. Originators chose to dress Miss Spokane in Native American attire to represent the region's native history and culture. Several Miss Spokanes were adopted into local tribes, whose members helped create authentic ceremonial gowns. Miss Motie's mother designed the Miss Spokane costume in muslin. Local furrier Bodnick & Jacobs made it out of leather, and Mrs. Motie beaded the dress.
Category: History
Related Objects:
2962.25 (Bodnick & Jacobs Furriers, Ensemble, Miss Spokane Costume, 1912)
Subjects/Topics/Concepts:
Footwear (Personal Artifact->Clothing), Women (Women)
Dimensions:
Object L x W 10 x 4 "
Materials/Techniques:
beadwork (Material)
felt (Material)
Credit Line: Museum Transfer, Fort Wright Historical Museum, 1983

To order a reproduction, inquire about permissions, or for information about prices see:
https://www.northwestmuseum.org/collections