Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Rangeley Heritage Museum Canoe and Paddles

The Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum has a full sized bark canoe and some paddles as part of a suspended display. Like most places during these trying times, the museum is currently closed to the public. However, I was able to find a photo on TripAdvisor uploaded by the museum staff.


The paddles resemble the c1849 Passamaquoddy Ocean style paddle noted by Adney in Fig 72.



Fig 72: Adney and Chappelle
Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America


Adney noted the original was carved in cedar. I myself tried this design out of a plank of yellow poplar years ago. You can read that paddle carving journey (in 4 parts) starting here. Despite being shut down for the Covid19 pandemic, the curator of the museum was able to get back in touch with me regarding the origins of the paddles and the canoe. They were built by famed builder Henri Vallaincourt of Greenville, New Hampshire.








Thursday, June 4, 2020

Historic Paddle Image: Northeast Carry Camp

Here's another image (originally a stereoview) from A. L. Hinds of Benton, Maine. It is a Penobscot camp labelled as being near the North East Carry in Maine's famed Moosehead Lake region.

Source Links: Found originally on Worthpoint.com but also listed on Ruby Lane

White tourists are posing with members of the camp. Full sized paddles and large rolls of birchbark, likely for canoe construction, appear resting against the shelter on the far left. In the center frame, a guide holds up his paddle in and inverted manner providing a fantastic frontal view of the shape.

A further identical copy with zoomable features is found at the UMaine's Digital Commons library. The details in the description mention the image is from a set entitled  "Scenery in Northern Maine, Moosehead Lake series". This is image number 10, captioned "Indian Camp, (North East Carry)."






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