The Cisco's Guarantee
Cisco's is committed to building a long term rewarding relationship with all of our clients. When you purchase from Cisco's you can do so with complete confidence on all items purchased.
ITEM NUMBER: AM1758
Lummi Joseph “Joe” Hillaire Multifigure Pole Made at Seattle World’s Fair
$50,000
Description
Details
Dimensions
Joseph “Joe” Hillaire (Lummi, 1894-1967) Large Multifigure Pole Made at Seattle World’s Fair (1962)
This large model pole by legendary Lummi carver Joe Hillaire is an important piece of Northwest Coast art and Seattle history. This huge model, which stands a staggering seven feet and nine inches tall, was made by Hillaire during his time as a demonstration carver at the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962.
The pole comes with a handwritten note that reads:
This totem pole was made by Joseph Hilare [sic], a
Lummi Indian famous for
his totem poles
This pole was one of the
poles displayed at the
Seattle World Fair in 1962
Dr. JH Hall purchased the
pole from Joseph Hilare [sic] shortly
after this. He died shortly
later
Mr Hilair [sic] said the pole
represented an old legend
“An old man on a rock
c̄ [sic] a Snipe + an indian on top
a serpent comes up +
the eagle watch [sic] over all [sic].”
Archival research corroborates the claim in the note that this pole was made during the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. In fact, this pole can be seen, in the process of completion, at the World’s Fair where Hillaire was carving totems in a photo in the University of Washington Library Archives. [1]
The photo shows a crowd of Indigenous people, some in Plains or Plateau regalia, seated in front of the carving trailer with then-US Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall (1920-2010), listening to Joe Hillaire speak (in button robe, holding drum). Behind Udall and the gentleman in Plains regalia is an open swinging door that reads “Indian Totem Pole Carvers / Seattle World’s Fair” with several totem poles hanging on the front of the structure.
This pole is shown, unfinished, just behind the headdress of the seated gentleman next to Udall. Although the pole has not yet been painted or had the wings added, the Eagle, Serpent, Spirit Dancer, and top half of the Woodcock are plainly discernible. Additional research revealed that Udall visited Hillaire and the World’s Fair on March 30, 1962, so we can get very precise with the creation date of this pole to sometime during March or April 1962.
Hillaire was one of the few named Coast Salish carvers who was producing artwork in the first half of the 20th century. A Lummi artist from the Northwest corner of Washington State, Hillaire was a very public facing artist and educator who produced totem poles and canoes while engaging with and teaching the public about Indigenous cultures and ways of life.
He is perhaps best-known today for his time demonstrating carving at the 1962 World’s Fair and for the monumental poles that he created for Suquamish, Washington, and Kobe, Japan, while there. This pole’s connection to that time and event make it an important historical document. Much of this specific history and Hillaire’s life have been documented and published by his daughter, Pauline Hillaire, in the 2013 book “A Totem Pole History: The Work of Lummi Carver Joe Hillaire,” which will be included with the pole.
1. “Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall watching Native American totem pole carver Joseph Hillaire speak at the Century 21 World's Fair Exposition, Seattle, Washington, 1962.” 1962. University Libraries at the University of Washington. https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/social/id/5838/rec/17. Accessed October 29, 2026.
This is a large or fragile item, so shipping will not calculate on our website. Please contact the Gallery at (208) 769-7575; info@ciscosgallery.com to get a shipping quote, or to purchase.
This large model pole by legendary Lummi carver Joe Hillaire is an important piece of Northwest Coast art and Seattle history. This huge model, which stands a staggering seven feet and nine inches tall, was made by Hillaire during his time as a demonstration carver at the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962.
The pole comes with a handwritten note that reads:
This totem pole was made by Joseph Hilare [sic], a
Lummi Indian famous for
his totem poles
This pole was one of the
poles displayed at the
Seattle World Fair in 1962
Dr. JH Hall purchased the
pole from Joseph Hilare [sic] shortly
after this. He died shortly
later
Mr Hilair [sic] said the pole
represented an old legend
“An old man on a rock
c̄ [sic] a Snipe + an indian on top
a serpent comes up +
the eagle watch [sic] over all [sic].”
Archival research corroborates the claim in the note that this pole was made during the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. In fact, this pole can be seen, in the process of completion, at the World’s Fair where Hillaire was carving totems in a photo in the University of Washington Library Archives. [1]
The photo shows a crowd of Indigenous people, some in Plains or Plateau regalia, seated in front of the carving trailer with then-US Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall (1920-2010), listening to Joe Hillaire speak (in button robe, holding drum). Behind Udall and the gentleman in Plains regalia is an open swinging door that reads “Indian Totem Pole Carvers / Seattle World’s Fair” with several totem poles hanging on the front of the structure.
This pole is shown, unfinished, just behind the headdress of the seated gentleman next to Udall. Although the pole has not yet been painted or had the wings added, the Eagle, Serpent, Spirit Dancer, and top half of the Woodcock are plainly discernible. Additional research revealed that Udall visited Hillaire and the World’s Fair on March 30, 1962, so we can get very precise with the creation date of this pole to sometime during March or April 1962.
Hillaire was one of the few named Coast Salish carvers who was producing artwork in the first half of the 20th century. A Lummi artist from the Northwest corner of Washington State, Hillaire was a very public facing artist and educator who produced totem poles and canoes while engaging with and teaching the public about Indigenous cultures and ways of life.
He is perhaps best-known today for his time demonstrating carving at the 1962 World’s Fair and for the monumental poles that he created for Suquamish, Washington, and Kobe, Japan, while there. This pole’s connection to that time and event make it an important historical document. Much of this specific history and Hillaire’s life have been documented and published by his daughter, Pauline Hillaire, in the 2013 book “A Totem Pole History: The Work of Lummi Carver Joe Hillaire,” which will be included with the pole.
1. “Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall watching Native American totem pole carver Joseph Hillaire speak at the Century 21 World's Fair Exposition, Seattle, Washington, 1962.” 1962. University Libraries at the University of Washington. https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/social/id/5838/rec/17. Accessed October 29, 2026.
This is a large or fragile item, so shipping will not calculate on our website. Please contact the Gallery at (208) 769-7575; info@ciscosgallery.com to get a shipping quote, or to purchase.
PERIOD: Mid 20th CenturyORIGIN: Unknown, Native American
SIZE: 7'6"H x 35" wingspan
