Book about Peterborough canoes

[The Canoe Kid]

Does anyone out there know where I can find a book about the history and models of the Peterborough Canoe company?

Thanks

The Canoe Kid

 

[Dan Miller]

The short answer is there isn't much. The history of Peterbourough Canoe Co. is briefly discussed in Roger MacGregor's book "When the Chestnut was in Flower", but for the most part it was glossed over, despite the ties between the two companies from 1923 onward. There is a booklet called "John Stephenson and the Famous Peterborough Canoes" that was published by the Peterborough Historical Society, but it discusses the early history and development of cedar strip and cedar rib canoes.

There are reprints of catalogs available - the 1929 catalog was reprinted by Roger MacGregor, and 22 Peterborough catalogs can be found on the Canadian Wood Canoe and Boat Company Catalog Collection CD-ROM. Both of these are available from WCHA at http://merchandise.wcha.org

Finally, the Wood Canoe Identification Guide (http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/id/index.html) provides information on Peterborough canoe models.

 

[Michael Grace]

For a few more references, see:

The Canoe: A Living Tradition by J. Jennings, c. 2002 Firefly Books

The Invention of the Board Canoe: The Peterborough Stories from their Sources by K. Brown. c. 2001 Canadian Canoe Museum (this is the foundation history of modern canoe building in Canada)

The Peterborough Canoe Story, D. Cameron, unpubl. paper from the Peterborough Historical Society (if you can find this one)

Canoecraft by T. Moores and M. Mohr, c. 1983, Camden House (this is a book about building strippers but has some nice historical info)

 

[Paul Miller]

Michael,

Do you know where one could get a copy of any of the books you mention? especially "The Invention of the Board Canoe"?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Dick Persson]

Hello Paul,

The book "The Invention of the Board Canoe" is published and sold by the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Cheers
Dick Persson
Headwater Wooden Boat Shop