De Pan

Birchbark Canoe Shoes

Another pic from the William Ganong Collection at the New Brunswick Museum - this one featuring some Wolastoqew (Maliseet) canoes by the shore.


Wolastoqew Canoes Prepared for Shallow Water, New Brunswick
c 1920
NBM Collection (X12271)
The overturned canoe in the foreground has planks of split cedar tied to the hull, something I remembered reading about in Adney's book. These were used to protect the bottom of the hull when going over the rocky, shallow rivers so common in the NorthEast.


Adney's sketch of Canoe "Shoes"
The canoe in the background has a slender looking paddle leaning against it. Here's the best I could do with the original photo's resolution limits.


Paddle Closeup
It's roll top, long slender grip and delicate lines are very reminscient of the c1840 Woodlands Maple Paddle featured earlier