Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Elspeth Soper's Blog: Visit to British Museum

A while back, I responded to a forum post over at SongofthePaddle.co.uk. The poster wanted feedback regarding constructing their own canvas canoe using traditional native methods of construction. I recommended the poster obtain a copy of Garth Taylor's 1980 book Canoe construction in a Cree cultural tradition. It visually documents the building of a traditional Eastern Cree canoe made using canvas as a substitute for birch bark - see my original write-up about it here.


The poster, Elspeth Soper, has a blog documenting the early attempts at construction and includes some of the frustrations with broken gunnels. A recent post showcases a research visit to the British Museum which granted an exclusive tour of the full sized and model bark canoes in their possession. One of models has a decorated Cree paddle with the historical hash marks and dot decoration featured in Garth Taylor's book.

British Museum Model Cree Canoe & Paddle


Lots of more pics of the bark canoes in their collection can be found at the full post here




1 comment:

Elspeth Soper said...

Hi Murat,I'm just looking at your wonderful blog for the first time in ages and am delighted and honoured that you have posted one of my blogs! Those canoe models in the British Museum store are fantastic and anyone can make an appointment to go and see them. Of course you have to be on this side of the Atlantic! I am very inspired by your poling blogs. I would like to make a pole - if and when we ever finish the canoe!
All the best,
Elspeth

Post a Comment


Newer Posts Older Posts Home Page