Oldest image of an Old Town model

I dont know, looks old, very, very cool!!!!!!!!

 

Have you ever seen a seat like that on an Old Town (or remnants or other indications of such a seat)?

 

Benson:
Very interesting photo and thought. Indeed, the trade name lettering along the side looks just as it appears on a number of early models that I have seen. However, it would not at all surprise me to see the same thing on a full-size OT used for 'sign canoe' or 'display' purposes, particularly when I recall finding build cards dated from 1912 or so onward that stated canoes from 10' on up were shipped for that purpose with "lettering" along their sides. Anyway, neat evidence for potentially suggesting, once again, that the smaller models were being built and circulated well before they were recorded as such in the build records - at least, insofar as I was able to find.

and, Kathy, as to similar seats, I believe the answer must be yes. Have a look at the two photos below. One shows the Alfred Wickett model, purportedly from 1893, but with many OT characteristics (some think it could be dated closer to his time at OT). The other photo shows a seat from the early Old Town model that R C Cross purchased from Robert Ross a few years ago. In both cases, there is a simple woven pattern to the caning. Looks pretty similar to me.

Roger

 

I noticed in Benson's image the two canoe decks differ in design.

 

The detail of the seats would appear to confirm that the photo posted by Benson is of a model canoe. There are 9 cane strands running fore and aft in the bow seat of Benson's photo. There are 7 strands in the photo of Roger's Wickett model and 8 strands in the early green Old Town. In comparison there are 14 strands in a 5 foot Kennebec model. In a full sized canoe even with wider gauge cane material surely there would be quite a few more fore and aft strands to fill up the wider seat. Has that simple over and under 90 degree pattern been observed as original in an old full sized canoe as Kathy asked?

R.C.

 

I think Robert is right; the decks have a slightly different appearance. So, too, do the rail ends in the lower depiction of the canoe; at the bow, they extend past the stems, but that does not seem to be the case at the stern. Which makes me think that we have to take these images as illustrations only, with certain inexactness or interpretation by the artist being possible. Did that person simplify the deck cutout at one end, or shorten the overhang of the rails at the other as part of 'artistic license'? Another area which comes to mind is the distance between ribs - very wide near the ends in comparison to those between the seats.
Roger

 

Little did the builder or illustrator of this image know how much puzzlement and discussion he (she)would cause about 100 yrs. later.

The over-hangs of the rails on the early green model are less than 1/8th of an inch at the stern and about 5/16 inch at the bow. Intentional or accidental?

R.C.