Psyche: "oldest extant Chestnut canoe"

Murat V

LOVES Wooden Canoes
Wondering if anyone has additional info on the canoe mentioned in Solway's book as being the "oldest extant Chestnut canoe"...

Psyche Capture.JPG


He mentions it made a few appearances at a few Assemblies. Don't suppose anyway has additional photos of it?

At the time of the publication (1997), he also mentions it was the only closed-gunnel Chestnut he'd seen. What strikes me as odd is the claim that the letter from Maggie Jean Chestnut cited the build date as 1899 and that "the well known Chestnut emblem" was used albeit with "one less point on the leaf". Confusing because Chestnut Canoe Co wasn't incorporated until 1907 with the leafy decal coming out later according to Roger MacGregor. Until mid-1908, all the early advertisements were labelled as "R.Chestnut & Sons" with the 1908 Catalogue first mentioning "Chestnut Canoe Company Limited" as the business entity. The "well known Chestnut emblem" as described by Solway would not have been around in 1899. A version of the leafy decal does appear on the back of the 1913 Catalog and many subsequent others.
 
Yes that is full of errors. Solways book, while well intentioned, was in no way as accurate as Rogers book. When we meet up i can show you my early cruiser Guides Special, with half ribs which places it before 1908 iirc when the Guides Special began to be built close ribbed rather than with half ribs, the only instance im aware of when they used them so early on, no doubt a result of American influence in canoe construction. It would for sure have had the earlier decal.
 
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