Peabody Essex Museum

Rob Stevens

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
Late breaking news,
Bob Benedict, a longtime WCHA member in Mass. thought it would be a good opportunity with the Assembly being so close to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass to offer to send a delegation of folks knowledgeable about birchbark canoes to evaluate and document the 4 historic canoes in their Native American collection. Apparently they are significant, but have never been exhibited. It's not clear how much is known about their identification and/or provenance.

We are trying to arrange a time that these canoes be made available to view and assess coinciding with the first day of Assembly (10AM-Noon?) on Wednesday, July 14th.

Ted Behne is contacting the birchbark "literati" about their interest and availability to contribute the discussion and documentation.

We see this as an opportunity for the WCHA to raise it's profile and the PEM may learn more about these artifacts.

Anyone else interested in participating?
 
I'm no expert -- just a fan -- but if I could be useful holding the dumb end of the tape measure, I'd appreciate the opportunity to help out and learn what I could.
 
Love to go & help out...

I'm in Boston. I would love to go and help out.

Please let me know more about the event.

Gregg
The Canoe Kid
 
Details have been firmed up as follows;
Whoever is interested will be permitted 2 hours to view and photograph the 4 full sized birchbark canoes, starting at 11AM, Wednesday, July 14th.
I suggest we meet there at 10:45. The Collections Manager will escort us to where the canoes are stored nearby adjacent to the main museum.
Check the website for directions depending on which direction you are coming from. Parking is available at the museum.

Peabody Essex Museum
www.pem.org
161 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970, United States
(978) 745-9500

I will be coming down from Franklin Pierce University, so anyone who will be at the Assembly site early can carpool to the Peabody Essex Museum with me. Apparently it takes about an hour and a half to drive from FPU to the PEM.

Please let me know in advance if you're interested in either viewing the canoes or catching a ride with me.
 
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There are 6 full sized birchbark canoes that we can view at the Peabody Essex Museum.

Info as follows;
E14268
Maliseet, Penobscot River
Before 1826

Context:
*EIMS records show it in collection as of 1826
*Said to be possibly the oldest known birch bark canoe surviving today.
*Cited in three published works:

Hadlock, Wendell's S. and Ernest S. Dodge. "A Canoe from the Penobscot
River. " in American Neptune,
VOL. VIII. NO. 4, 1948, pp. 289 - 301

Adney, Edwin T. and Howard I. Chapelle. The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of
North America.

Roberts, Kenneth G. and Philip Shackleton. The Canoe: It's History from
Panama to the Arctic.
--------------------------------------------

E67588
Maine
1895

Also published in Adney and Roberts.
----------------------------------------------

E48607
Cree

Also published in Adney and Roberts.
------------------------------------------------

E37245
Algonquin
Canada, Manawaki

Also published in Adney and Roberts.
----------------------------------------------

E19268
Passamaquoddy
N.E. Labrador

Also published in Roberts.
------------------------------------------------

E14268
Penobscot River Region
Passamaquoddy

Mid to late 19th century.

Also published in Roberts.
 
Pem

I would love to join you guys, are you meeting at the front door of the PEM at 10:45?

Greg O'Brien
 
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