Canoes with Provenance
Hi,
I purchased two Rushton canoes from Susan Pruyn King in January of 2005. At the time I did not know that much about the Adirondack Great Camps. After I made the purchase, Mrs. King gave me the attached letter and copies of the attached photos.
Mrs. King's grandfather was Robert C. Pruyn a successful Albany banker who built Santanoni, a 12,500 acre Great Came, near Newcome, NY. between 1892 and 1893.
The two canoes are a 15' canvas Indian without a serial number and the second is a 17' Indian Girl ser# 132. I believe this canoe could have been built in the first year of production in 1901. Mrs. King's letter states she thought the canoe was purchased when the camp was first built, but we know the Indian Girl was not made until 1901. I'm not as sure about the canvas Indian.
When I arrived home I purchased the book "Santanoni, From Japanese Temple to Life at an Adirondack Great Camp". The book contains over 200 pages of wonderful pictures and information about the family, the camp, and camp life in the Adirondacks. You discover the Japanese influence on the camp comes from the fact that Robert C. Pruyn served as secretary to his father Robert H. Pruyn, when his father was appointed Minister to Japan by President Lincoln in 1861. Theodore Roosevelt and James Fennimore Cooper, Jr. were among the many distinguished visitors who regularly visited Santanoni.
The daily logs and registers are at the Adirondack Museum and do show that Gov. Roosevelt made visits, but it does not show the Teddy visited after becoming president.
The picture attached show the Cooper family members canoeing in the two canoe I now have. Mrs. King's letter mentions the twin masted cedar sailing canoe that does appear on one of the pictures. That also went to the Museum.
I like to think that it is possible that Teddy may have paddled one of those two canoes.
Thanks,
Paul