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This is the story of the canoe, that singular American artifact so little changed over time. Featured here are canoes old and new, from birch bark to dugout to carbon fiber; the people who made them; and the adventures they shared. With features of technology, industry, art, and survival, the canoe carries us deep into the natural and cultural history of North America.
The process of making hats from the pelts of beavers is partially illustrated in this 1858 artwork from Charles Knight, produced by the London Printing and Publishing Company.
H. A. Ogden, “At the Portage” from George Monro Grant, ed., Picturesque Canada (New York: Belden Brothers, 1882). Hudson’s Bay Company employees are shown in this engraving from the late nineteenth century. The sheer size of the 90-pound packs, boxes, and barrels to be transported in the canoes can be appreciated.
Music played an important role in the daily life of the voyageurs, from songs to help keep time while paddling to entertaining each other at the end of a long workday.
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