Williams Family of Carvers
Nuu-chah-nulth artisan Sam Williams was born about 1880 on Vancouver Island part of the Ditidaht Nation of British Columbia, Canada. He moved his family to the Duwamish River flats south of Seattle around the turn of the 20th century. Sam began selling his carvings to JE Standley of Seattle’s Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and a lifelong relationship developed between the curio shop proprietor and the Williams family.
Sam carved in a style that was all his own. Though he was influenced by the traditional totem poles he saw around him in early life, once he landed in Seattle his carving took on a bold, personal cast that made his work like no other. His wife Nellie did most of the painting, brushing on bright-colored enamels that complemented the strong shapes of her husband’s sculptures and helped preserve them from the elements.
Sam did create miniature totem poles of the kind that is favored by his descendants today, but he preferred large ones. He based the size of his work on the salvage logs that washed up on the tidal flats from the many floating log booms created by the Seattle area timber industry.
Robert L. Ripley (Ripley’s Believe It Or Not fame) purchased one of Sam’s early large poles during a visit in 1936. The pole Ripley chose was a truly exceptional example over three stories tall. Ripley also purchased an impressive 10-foot-high Potlatch Man carved by Sam. Both were destined for Ripley’s estate in New York, but the Potlatch Man made a side trip to the New York World’s Fair, where Ripley put it on display in 1939.
Sam’s four sons helped him in his work beginning what became a longstanding family tradition of carvers in Seattle as well as in British Columbia, Canada. A Williams’ totem pole is usually characterized by bright colors of green, yellow, red, brown, white and black, cut-through design work and are alive with carved figures of thunderbirds, frogs, killer whales and salmon. The designs of the poles have been passed on through the family.
Ray, Sam’s son, taught his children and today Harvey, Rick, Eric, Rita and Nancy and their children are continuing the family tradition into the 21st Century. Arctic Spirit Gallery carries a wonderful selection of poles from various members of the Williams Family of Carvers.