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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.
Stability wasn't the only concern for inventors and shade-tree tinkerers. Portability, which did not seem to be a problem for native American builders, couldn’t be left alone by the mid-and-late 1800s. V. Colvin patented a canoe that rolled into a giant tube in 1874.
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