Historic Paddle Art - Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait

Here's a scene by Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819 – 1905), an American painter and lithographer of English birth. He established himself as a realistic painter of animals and images of Western hunters and trappers. Unlike many contemporaries, he travelled extensively in wilderness areas and later established a summer studio at a camp in the Adirondacks



American Hunting Scenes: "An Early Start"
Arthur F. Tait
1863
The paddle has a defined ridgeline and basic T grip. Also seems pretty short from the scale of the photo. The blade is clearly painted and there seems to be some banding decoration (or maybe paddle whipping) around the shaft.



Paddle Closeup