Posted 11 years ago
bushrat
(39 items)
A wonderful, very recent acquisition to my collection of rare and early North American canoe manufacturer display models. This example by the Chestnut Canoe Co. was made sometime before the great fire which destroyed the original factory. At 7' in length, it is likely a half-scale version of the full size "Peach" style, popular at the time, and is rather larger than most other display models distributed by their competitors. It is one of only two Chestnut factory samples from Fredericton, NB, still known to exist at this time (if anyone knows of others, please advise). A very fortunate find, which took several years of patient convincing before I was able to persuade the previous owners to allow me to bring it home. To them go my thanks and appreciation for keeping it in such amazing original condition over the years, with only a few 'character marks' to attest to its actual age. Lovely, 100-year old bright yellow paint along with great early decals on each deck and a near-mint interior. Can't get much nicer, but sure does take up a good bit of space!!!
What a wonderful find. But as you point out BIG. If you have trouble finding a spot for it I could probably make a spot, to store it for you, at my place. :-)
LOL Bootson. I always warn folks who want to buy/display a canoe or kayak model for their collection to think in terms of a 30" cut-off limit. It's fairly easy to find a shelf, desk or small table on which to display a model less than 2-1/2 ft. long. They can be moved, dusted, whatever. Once you get above that limit, you really need to give the larger pieces a 'dedicated' space which they 'own', and don't get moved, dusted or even touched (maybe once a year, if necessary). I hang my bigger pieces high on walls, or dropped down with wires from ceilings. They live there happily while I and my guests sit back and enjoy, without close contact. Buying bigger items requires planning ahead, as well as usually taking more time to find them new homes when it's time to move on. Thanks for the kind thought.
As a side note, I did pick up a "decorator" canoe model like the first one in your post about fakes. Its 28" and looks brand new. I only paid $10 for it at a garage sale and I'll probably trade it to a person I know that has a store specializing in "cabin decor" and antiques.
It has taken a long time, 2022, but I have finally gotten around to writing my manuscript on early N. American "display" sample canoes. They really deserve to be described as display pieces because they were never widely handed out to sales personnel. Only about 300 in total were ever made before WWII by all the canoe makers added together. Old Town made the most (about 130), Kennebec the second largest (60). Many others made none, or only a handful. Just one sample by Rushton is known, and one by J R Robertson. Canadian factories likely made less than 2 dozen, altogether. So, they're very rare and, consequently, pretty expensive to buy. Don't get fooled by cheap fakes. Look for my book or articles I have written; it will show you the real thing, with lots of great photos, as well.