Beaded vest donated to Goodwill

Beaded Indian vest donated to Goodwill is a treasure

A Native American vest donated to Goodwill was passed on by sharp-eyed staff to Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, where it is now in the museum’s permanent collection.

By Lynda V. MapesYou just never know what you might find at your local Goodwill store: something old, something new—and sometimes, treasures worthy of a museum collection.

So it was with a beaded American Indian vest dropped off at the Dearborn Goodwill at South Lane Street in Seattle. Sharp-eyed staff thought it might be something special, and an independent appraiser estimated its value for Goodwill at $5,000.

Now the early 20th-century Plains Indian-style beaded vest has just been accepted by Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture for its permanent collection.

“It is just gorgeous and we are thrilled to have it,” said Julie Stein, director of the museum.

Goodwill donated the vest to the museum so that it could benefit the entire community, said Katherine Boury, communications manager for Seattle Goodwill.Comment:  For more on Indians and Goodwill, see First Goodwill Store on the Rez.

Below:  "Justin McCarthy, of the Burke museum, adjusts the display of the American Indian beaded vest that was given to the museum by Goodwill." (Mark Harrison/Seattle Times)