The Scribe Volume 19 Issue 1: Victoria’s Curio Dealers

Victoria’s Curio Dealers

Victoria was a major hub in the 19th century for the trade of First Nations artifacts from the bands living in British Columbia. Throughout Europe there was an increasing fascination with First Nations culture and artifacts and with this interest came demand.  The Jewish merchants of B.C. played a key role in facilitating this trade, often acting as the point-of-contact between First Nations groups and their prospective Western markets.