the canoe is a canadian icon.
bound intimately to the landscape of this country,
it is a key element in our history
past and present.
the town i live in
and so
in this town
you'll find
canoes from the arctic,
the pacific,
the atlantic and
the eastern woodlands
are all on display.
the extraordinary craftsmanship
that each contains leaves you breathless.
each came from nature
and will eventually return to nature.
25 comments:
Who would have thought? An entire canoe museum? Interesting. They sure make for some striking photographs.
The way parts of England keep flooding, I think we should begin to learn the craft - fast! :)
hello jenny stevning - strange eh?! it's not that i love museums as much as i love the detail that the builders of these canoes put into them with their eyes, their hears and their hands. everything made from nature. have a lovely day. i'm off to work at the university today! yayyyy! steven
jinksy - isn't it so sad. i feel so sorry for all those people who have lost homes and businesses. whose lives have been disrupted to badly. it'll all come back in some way sometime. steven
Excellent photographs (as usual) Steven. Sometimes the true beauty of an object is in the details.
barry i love that these men and women were able to take thse seemingly solid materials and soften and form and colour them to make something much more than just a watercraft but a work of art. thanks for this nice comment. steven
Fine craftmanship, indeed, Steven. And incorporating beauty into what was then a practical object is especially noteworthy. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures!
I think it's a shame we've become a throw away society. Guess that's why I appreciate antiques. I enjoy the detail and time it took to make them.
This was very interesting!
I love canoes. I love canoeing. Dancing with the river.
WOW beautiful! I look at our fiberglass canoe in the yard and wonder how it came to be, all plastic and slick- it is not a pleasant canoe and does not roll with the river- the REAL deal is so esthetic- so one with the all...they deserve their own museum. Wonder if they would welcome our plasticky one for contrast???
Steven I had never thought of it like that - so thank you for bringing it to my attention. Of course, when you think about it, Canada is such a land of lakes and rivers that the canoe must have been such an important means of transport in days gone by. Some of the ones you show in your photographs looks such wonderful workmanship.
hi golden west - it's a tool right?! a means of getting from one place to another safely and dry. making it beautiful is an andded bonus. but they chose to. there's s learning in that!!! steven
hello hope - i love anything well designed and well-made. that so much of that is made from wood is a function of my upbringing in a very wood filled environment. i admire these mena and women for their craft. steven
ellen - i'm right there!!! that's canoeing or kayaking at its very best. a dance. steven
well linda sue there is an example of precisely what you describe on display at the museum because that's what most people associate with canoe when they tink of their own experience. so don't knock it!! it takes you out, keeps you dry and lets you connect to the outside world. there are more beautiful canoes for sure but then there are more beautiful everythings aren't there!!!! steven
hello weaver - it was a primary means by which the interior was accessed by first nations people and the explorers who followed. the rivers were the roads. the canoe made this country what it is. i'm glad that you enjoyed the craftsmanship as well as i did!!! have a lovely evening in the dales. steven
I really enjoyed looking at the waka (Maori canoe) in Waitangi this year, been there three times now and I am still in awe of the work and craftsmanship that went into the vessels.
I do recognize our Birch Bark Canoe. I have never made one but have family who has. We also made hide boats shaped round though I have no idea how you rowed one across a stream. I saw we, but mean Native Americans as opposed to Canadians and their crafts might be altogether different.
I appreciate your comment on my post this Turkey Day. And I hasten to add that I say way too much sometimes but when I say it I have the feeling it should be said.
I was honored somewhat today. I think on Pick a Peck of Pixels, on Sunday you can see it. I have a post ready for that day about it.
Thanks again.
hello rachel - the first peoples had a deep sense and commitment to not disturbing the extant beauty and then enhancing whatever they took from nature. i love this piece of their worldview. i know there are a lot of people who live this way now. i would wish i was one. i do what i can within what i know! have a lovely evening tomorrow. steven
abe thanks for these comments. i love that you say "way too much" because you get to cover a lot of "sacred ground" quickly and open up all sorts of thinking that rumbles around inside lots of people's heads and doesn't get out!!!! you're a good man abe! steven
Just like us X:-)
such beautiful craft, art, and functionality. What is this town where you live? It sounds perfectly wonderful. Did they also make kayaks?
Breathtaking, beautiful post.
Ray Mears has educated me about them!
hi kathleen, peterborough is just north of lake ontario. find the middle of the lake and go north. in peterborough there is a company that makes kayaks but not out of natural materials. in the post there are two links embedded in the text that tell you more about canoe building in peterborough and the museum itself. you can find the links by their different colour! steven
titus thankyou. do you mean people can see beyond ray mears and learn from what he's doing?!!! have a lovely day. steven
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