Steve Hubert is both a generalist and a specialist, with a broad as well as a deep knowledge on a range of subjects.
Collector, historian, Metis re-enactor: you name it, he's got the skinny on it. The Williamsburg resident's passions and interests revolve around a unifying theme of history. He has been a member of the Grand Traverse Metis since the 1970s, is an expert in antique cars and also has an extensive collection of trade beads that span centuries and continents.
"He kind of rules the pack," said Tonja Carlson, a member of the founding family of the Grand Traverse Metis. "[Steve] definitely keeps us all on our toes as to whether or not we're getting the right information."
Carlson, noting that his extensive and varied library includes thousands of volumes — many out of print or hard to find — added that Hubert is the 'go to' guy when someone in the group has a question.
"He's got a lot of knowledge as to what's myths and what's not myths, what's proved and what's not proved," she added. "He knows where to find a lot of information if we have something to look up."
Hubert has been amassing his bead collection for 50 years and a living room wall boasts an extensive display. This visible portion of his inventory is a visual lesson in the history of adornment and wealth in eras before currency.
Hubert's collection includes items made of iron, crystal, glass, animal parts and amber. From Prussian Blues skunk beads to Hudson Bay trade beads, also known as yellow hearts. He also has a necklace of copal amber and another from Australia made by Aborigines of nuts from a Eucalyptus tree. In every case, Hubert knows the history behind each item: who made it, how it traveled, who coveted it and its value then and now.
"They wore their wealth and position," said Hubert of past cultures. "The poor wouldn't have strings of beads, they'd have a bead."
Beads were also used as an inducement or as a gift or currency. In many cultures, people were buried with whatever beads they had collected in their lifetime.
Beads also satisfied the simple human desire for adornment and beauty, motivations that continue today.
"People didn't throw beads away and they didn't deteriorate," Hubert said. "Everybody likes beads but most people are not into historical beads because they are hard to find. Sometimes the history is lost but the beads never are."
His crown jewels are rare and valuable chevron beads made by skilled artisans from an island in Venice, Italy. He estimates that he has a necklace that is the best collection of them in the world, showcasing the painstaking artistry and talent required to make the seven-layered glass beads. Hubert compiled the beads on this necklace over many years.
"They'd roll up glass and stretch it so the proportions would stay the same," said Hubert. "This company developed the way of doing that and it was probably the most closely guarded industrial secret of the day."
All of his interests stem from his fascination with history, with beads a tangible link to the desires and dreams of cultures around the world.
"As a youth I was mechanically inclined and I collected antique cars," said Hubert, who still has five or six of these vehicles and is an expert of the history of Ford, the company and Henry. "That's how this all started, I really enjoyed being able to dig it out of a field and put it together and drive it away."
From there, his interest traveled through guns and eventually settled on beads.
"I loved the beads," Hubert said. "I use these, not all of them. I've got beads all over."