I know this is a long shot but I recently came across these black and white photos in a file and was hoping someone would recognize him. There is no information on the photos. It appears he is taking photos of the same canoe that we recently inherited and was hoping he could shed some light on it.
Does Anyone Recognize This Person?
- Thread starter bmeisner
- Start date
My guess would be Ralph Frese. See the link below for more details.
Benson
patch.com
Benson
Ralph Frese, Chicago Canoeing Guru, Passes On
Known by the beloved term "Mr. Canoe," Frese, of Niles, pioneered and popularized paddling sports on Chicago rivers starting in the 1950s. He's a champion among environmentalists and paddling sports advocates, reflected in many awards.
patch.com
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
Yes, that is Ralph, owner of the Chicagoland Canoe Base (he passed away a few years ago). One of his Montreal canoe replicas
out on Lake Michigan.
Todd, that is a very interesting photo for a number of reasons. Could I ask where you found it.
I agree with everyone else that that is Ralph Frese, who I met in the '80s.
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
I saw it somewhere on the internet and saved it. It looked like one that Ralph had hanging on the wall of his office at the Chicagoland Canoe Base when I was in there once. Ralph fact checked the stuff in my book about sailing Voyageur canoes for me when I was writing it.
See the link below for more about Todd's excellent book.
Benson
Canoe Rig: The Essence and the Art: Sailpower for Antique and Traditional Canoes: Todd Bradshaw: 9780937822579: Amazon.com: Books
Canoe Rig: The Essence and the Art: Sailpower for Antique and Traditional Canoes [Todd Bradshaw] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Canoe Rig: The Essence and the Art: Sailpower for Antique and Traditional Canoes
www.amazon.com
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
The book was kind of a chance happening. I had been working flying, repairing and inspecting hot air balloons in central Illinois, when a friend who owned a sailboat shop asked me if I could fix a sail for one of his customers. As it turned out, there was a lot less in the way of government regulation and legal liability working on sails than balloons, so I eventually switched. I had been a dealer for canoes, kayaks and sailboats for decades, so I was no stranger to canoeing, and when my wife and I moved up to Madison there was enough sail repair business to keep me busy.
One day I got a call from a gentleman who asked if I could replicate the sails on an old Peterborough sailing canoe. I said "probably" and we proceeded to design a pair of sails built from modern sailcloth, but with construction details that would mimic the look of the old cotton originals. When the word got out that someone was willing and able to make sails for old canoes which looked like they belonged there I started to get a lot of inquiries, so I printed up a little catalog, showing the type of things I built. The editors of WoodenBoat Magazine happened to get one of my catalogs and contacted me, wondering if I wanted to expand the concept into a book. Close to 350 pages, 200 illustrations and four or five years fighting with copy editors later, "Canoe Rig" was born. It got me enough canoe and dinghy sail business that I could specialize in just building fancy, small traditional looking sails for the next 20 years or so. I've been retired from sailmaking for a few years now (my knees will no longer tolerate long periods crawling around on a hardwood floor building sails) but it is nice to know that the book is still out there and helping people who want to sail their canoes.
a couple of sample pages:
One day I got a call from a gentleman who asked if I could replicate the sails on an old Peterborough sailing canoe. I said "probably" and we proceeded to design a pair of sails built from modern sailcloth, but with construction details that would mimic the look of the old cotton originals. When the word got out that someone was willing and able to make sails for old canoes which looked like they belonged there I started to get a lot of inquiries, so I printed up a little catalog, showing the type of things I built. The editors of WoodenBoat Magazine happened to get one of my catalogs and contacted me, wondering if I wanted to expand the concept into a book. Close to 350 pages, 200 illustrations and four or five years fighting with copy editors later, "Canoe Rig" was born. It got me enough canoe and dinghy sail business that I could specialize in just building fancy, small traditional looking sails for the next 20 years or so. I've been retired from sailmaking for a few years now (my knees will no longer tolerate long periods crawling around on a hardwood floor building sails) but it is nice to know that the book is still out there and helping people who want to sail their canoes.
a couple of sample pages:
Walter Gotham
double-paddler
I purchased Todd's book and read it cover to cover over the winter for help in working out the details on my first sailing canoe. I still refer to it all the time, it really has a wealth of information and generously shared knowledge.
