crockett said:
Sizes also changed in time- the tiny seed beads are of a later date.
This is one of those myth conceptions that just won't die. While it's true that seed beads became more popular after 1840, the facts show via trade lists as well as archeological evidence that small beads were known and used prior to the later periods, on some pieces in particular some by the Crow and Comanche, use a mix of sizes.
Below is some info including dug beads from 1800 measuring as small as 20/0.
My own interest lies with the beads sewn on as decoration - i.e seed and pound (often/mistakenly called pony beads - a 20th Century historians description):
Info on these types:
1) A treatise on seed beads in the "Northwest" (they were used earlier than most think - all depends on time and place - the Metis were using them in the Great Lakes area by the late 1700's): http://www.northwestjournal.ca/IV2.htm
2) Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly Vol 34, #4, Winter 1998 a sample pic of some excavated beads from the cover:
3) Book of Buckskinning 8: Beadwork in the American West pre-1850 by Allen Chronister
4) Original Fur Trade lists - include "white" hearts, pound, seed, and more styles in several colors. Pound/seed: in white and blue - varying shades from sky, to grey, to navy being the most common in the earliest days: http://www.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/bizrecs.html
some examples from the lists:
a) Trade List of John McKnight: 1822
20 bunches blue beads
17100 black wampum
11400 white do
3 1/2 lbs. blue beads
b) Fort Hall: 1834-39
10 bunches 2nd sized B. (blue?) beads 0.2 $2.0000
10 bunches 2nd sized green beads 0.2 $2.0000
4 bunches 2nd sized topaz beads 0.2 $0.8000
4 bunches 2nd sized black beads 0.2 $0.8000
6 bunches white 2nd sized beads 0.2 $1.2000
3 bunches large sized B. beads 0.2 $0.6000
2 bunches large sized topaz. beads 0.2 $0.4000
3 bunches large sized B. beads 0.2 $0.6000
2 bunches large sized topaz. beads 0.2 $0.4000
3 fathoms large white beads 0.055 $0.1650
21 fathoms large blue beads 5 1/2 cents
4 1/2 fathoms large blue beads 5 1/2 cents
18 fathoms large blue beads 5 1/2 cents
21 fathoms large white beads 5 1/2 cents
3 fathoms large blue beads 5 1/2 cents
37 1/2 bunches 2nd sized blue beads 20 cents
10 bunches 2nd sized green beads 20 cents
20 glass white 20 cents
25 glass beads cream 10 cents
3 fathoms large topaz 5 1/2 cents
8 lbs yellow seed beads 30 cents
25 bunches 2nd sized blk beads 20 cents
30 fathoms large uncut green 5 1/2 cents
19 3/4 lb white seed beads 27 cents
56 bunches white & claret s. beads 18 3/4 cents
26 bunches white round beads 11 cents
66 bunches white blue beads 11 cents
c) AMF - Upper Missouri Outfit: 1835
1115 1/2 lb blue pound beads
758 lb chalk white beads
80 lb black white beads
205 lb yellow - 285 pound
256 lb ruby white beads
150 lb deep blue pound beads in bunches of 2 lb each
358 lb black pound beads
415 lb. Chalk white pound beads
d} RMO: 1836
160 dz dark Blue Cut Glass beads
50 " White "
24 " Brown "
13 " Amber " 87 doz cut glass beads
10 " Light blue "
40 Yellow "
60 " Green " 110dos do. do.
125 Bunches Blue Snake Beads
75 " Amber & green " " 200 snake beads
25 " Mock Garnets
60 " Seed Beads assorted
127 @ White pound
50 " Blue "
50 " Black "
30 Bunches White Barley Corn
24 " " Agate Beads
24 " Blue " "
8500 White Wampum
5450 gross Blk "
40 Wampum Hairpipes
Note that by the late 1830's the number of colors and styles had increased. Also note the continued use of wampum, both for beads and hair pipes. Whether the wampum is the "real McCoy" or the glass imitation type it is not clear - most likely the latter? According to R. F. Kurz who worked as clerk at Ft. Union circa 1851, beadwork had almost completely supplanted quillwork, which had still been quite common in the mid-1830's (see Bodmer and Catlin for examples of western quillwork mixed with beadwork.)
5) the book "Arts of Diplomacy: Lewis & Clark's Indian Collection" shows some excellent examples of pr-1840 beadwork
FWIW - pound beads go way back:
these are from the wreck of LaSalle's ship off Texas in the late 1600's:
and here's a selection of pound beads from the Great Lakes area (circa late 1700's) it's included in the book "Where Two Worlds Meet":
