A B.N.Morris, I think.

[Tim C]

Pick up this canoe last week in Minneapolis. Advertised as a B.N. Morris and also has "Rebuilt by Joe T. Seliga, 1941" written in pencil on the planking. I have another Morris and the notching of the stem for the cant ribs is quite different along with the presence of half ribs. The recurve at the bow and stern is also not as great as what I have seen. Other signs seem correct: The tumblehome, closed gunwales, and shape of the stem. Any thoughts from the collective wisdom of this group would be very welcome.

The owner had stored it for 30 years. His father convinced him not to put fiberglass on it but to do some research first. He at one time also thought of cutting it in half and making bookshelves but thought of his father's advice and held off.

When I get to it this will be my fourth restoration. It will join the other Morris, two Old Towns, and one of unknown origin.



Thanks in advance for any comments.
Tim

 

[Rob Stevens]

Half ribs at the feet of the paddlers only. First time I've seen that.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hello Tim,

Yes, your canoe is a Morris. I'll poke through my communications with the sellers to see what information I gave them. Dan Lindberg looked at the canoe and I got some information from him too.

The half-ribs beneath the seats may be added. I haven't seen that on any canoe. We have a Morris with half-ribs that climb halfway up the sides, so I believe Morris did some experimentation with half-ribs, and wouldn't be surprised at anything I saw. Most builders would provide whatever the customer wanted.

Double-check for me whether there are two tack holes on the left inwale, above the first full rib, or if there's nothing there. This canoe reportedly has only two pairs of cant ribs, which puts it pre-1905 (according to current dating theories), and if there's evidence of tack holes on the inwale, the date would be narrowed to 1900-1905. No evidence of tack holes may mean it's pre-1900.

Do I have the serial number of your other Morris? Morris canoes from the teens may have "special ends", which are stems with more "torpedo", and that might explain the difference in recurve between this canoe and other Morris canoes you've seen. There is a theory that Morris canoes developed more recurve over the years and the ones with less recurve are earlier... but the difference could also be explained by the addition of the option of "special ends".

If we can get a slew of Morris canoes to show up at an Assembly, I'd love to compare them.... would be nice to take the lines off Morris canoes that are arranged chronologically, and see what the changes are. We have a 1915 Morris with essentially the same profile as our 1905 Morris. Our 1917 Morris has more recurve because it has special ends... and that may be what's happening when we see this difference over the years.

Anyway... I'll look for the information I sent the seller. If you haven't watched the delightful ;P Morris videos yet, I will inflict the link on you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAz-rspieqE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN462MWTABc

Kathy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

I read through my communication with the seller and it mostly consisted of me, telling him about Morris canoes... and the information I just posted here about the canoe possibly being built before 1905, and asking that he look for tack holes. So... now that you have the canoe, we can continue to figure it out!

Kathy

 

[Tim C]

Thanks for your information Kathy.

You do have my other Morris in your data base. It has a tag with the number 5244. What you don't have is the number of cant ribs, which is three.

I have the latest purchase stored in a garage, not at my house, and won't get there until this weekend. I can inspect it at that time for the tack holes that would have held a brass tag in place.

Tim

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Thanks, Tim-- yes, I have your other Morris and added the cant rib information. 5244 would be circa 1907, according to current theory... and the cant rib count fits the pattern we are seeing (increase from 2 pairs to 3 in about 1905).

Thanks for any additional information.

Kathy

 

[cedarboater]

Is the shape of the inner stem shown in the picture you posted a "normal shape" for a Morris canoe?
I like the way it is shaped wider between the ribs, and splayed over the first full rib.
I have a Morris form but little else as to the details of how a Morris is built, any advise/details I can pick up will help. I also love the heart shaped deck, I understand that this is a common theme?
Randy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hi Randy--

The two videos (links posted above, in my first reply) on the Morris say just about all that I know about Morris canoes... others, who have actually built them or restored them could probably add more. I think the main thing I learned since making the videos is the actual date of the Morris fire-- December 15, 1919-- and that's just an historical factoid.

The Morris splayed stem is seen on all canoes that are known to have been built by B.N. Morris. Generally speaking, the splayed stem is what tells "us" a canoe is a Morris, because he didn't tack on a metal plate with his name. Morris thwarts and seat frames, and the general profile, can say "Morris", but don't scream as loudly as a cedar stem that splays to about 3 inches.

I think those building Morris reproductions these days may use a narrow hardwood stem, but I'm not sure about this being a universal truth.

Many Morris canoes that have the short deck will have a heart-shaped deck, but about 1912 a deck with the slight concave curve began to be used, and by the late teens it appears to have replaced the heart deck. The curved deck appears first on the Veazie brand canoes (essentially Morris's second grade canoe), which originally had an extra circular cutout in the center, giving it the "keyhole" appearance. Morris stopped using the extra cutout at some point prior to 1912, when both the regular B.N. Morris and the Morris Veazie canoes appear with this style deck. The heart had a tendency to crack up the center, and the curve may have seemed more practical. The curved deck is seen in the later Morris catalogs as a replacement part. The Morris heart deck is beautifully made and seems more "romantic", and therefore very appropriate for canoes made in the time of courtship via canoe.

Here's a link to the Morris deck styles:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=3972

Kathy