Unknown maker canoe backrests

[Michael Grace]

I have a few unusual (to me) backrests and I'd like to know who made them. They could be one-offs from good home woodworkers, but they are crafted so well that they may be from commercial builders. I wonder if anyone out there has seen anything like them before. The first one shown here is made of a single piece of spruce or similar, backed up by two horizontal braces of oak or ash. It is 18.5" tall by 11.5" wide, and is curved laterally - concave front and convex behind. No hint of a maker's label. Any ideas?

 

[Michael Grace]

Here's the second one. It is made of something a wood that looks like maybe chestnut(?). It is 10" wide x 18" high, a simple one-piece board that appears to have been steam-bent so that it's concave side-to-side on the front. This one appears to have the ghost of a decal on the back, and the shape and size look like Peterborough. There were once (before I got it) rectangular hinges attached to the back, so this is probably the top half of a folding seat. The hole at the top appears to have been drilled by a previous owner for hanging. I thought I remembered something like this from an old Peterborough catalog, but I can't seem to find it again.

 

[Michael Grace]

Backrest #3

Okay, here's the third one. Alternating strips of spruce/mahogany supported by white oak cross pieces. 18.5" tall x 14" wide.

 

[Craig Johnson]

Are you just dribbling these out one day at a time to keep us entertained during our self isolation? Oh and I have no idea whatsoever but I like the idea of making the curved single board back rest.

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Craig,

Actually I did think of that (dribbling them out for entartainment's sake) after simply wanting to start a fun conversation during these isolation days. But the truth is that I just didnn't have photos of them, and so I just stop work whenever I think about it and dig another one out. I've got only two other unknowns; I'll try to get some pics of them tomorrow.

 

[Norm Hein]

Actually I did think of that (dribbling them out for entartainment's sake) after simply wanting to start a fun conversation during these isolation days.

I wish everyone would do so, even if its just to show your shop, tools, projects, collections (not you Michael it would shut down the whole internet trying to up load your collection) even if it was posted a while ago post it again. It sure helps pass the time. I plan to start stripping my PennYan Carry tomorrow and I'll post some stuff.
Norm

 

[Benson Gray]

Well, a quick look at Dan's Decals and Deckplates summary at http://dragonflycanoe.com/decals indicates a broad variety of oval decal possibilities. I've also been through many canoe company catalogs from both North America but haven't yet seen any backrests similar to these. The Boat Novelty Company one at https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/library/19A50C1E-198A-4EEC-9D0D-467435339501 seemed promising but showed nothing close. Backrests are frequently listed in canoe catalogs but not always pictured so it may be difficult to confirm a match. These were typically made from scrap so the dimensions, woods, and styles of construction varied tremendously. Sorry,

Benson

 

[Rob Stevens]

Here is one made by the late Ralph Kohn of flame birch. Traded him for a custom knife.

 

[Michael Grace]

Thank you for your thoughts, Benson. I figured this would be a tough one for the reasons you mention, but hope springs eternal. I'll post the last two now. And Rob, that Ralph Kohn folding chair is very pretty. The wood is stunning! And still missing Ralph. He was a great guy.

 

[Michael Grace]

Backrest #4

This one is probably my favorite of the lot. It's both simple and elegant. 19.5" tall x 12.75" wide. Flat panels of butternut (?) held together by oak back slats.

 

[Michael Grace]

Backrest #5

This one is a slat-type backrest like those used by several other companies, but distinctly different in shape. The material may be birch. It's very light in color and weight It is 19.25" high x 25" wide. The "ears" at the top left and right are slightly chipped off; I think the original shape would have been a smoother curve there.

 

[Norm Hein]

So Michael, These are backrests that a for sitting in the bottom of the canoe leaning back on the seat rail or thwart, correct?

 

[Michael Grace]

Yes, Norm, for leaning against a thwart. At least that's what I think, but some of these could have been made for purposes other than serving as canoe backrests. The backrests I see most commonly here in the US are the wide slat-type backrests from Old Town, but a variety of types are shown in catalogs of different makers and some canoe manufacturers offered more than one type (Morris, Kennebec and Willits attached here to show some similarities and some of the variety; most are wood, some caned, and Willits switched from wooden slat-type backrest to a flexible upholstered backrest). Many canoe companies may have farmed out some of this work, bought from outside suppliers, and/or provided their own products to other companies. Plus there were aftermarket suppliers and many canoe owners made their own accessories. So it can be hard to know for sure where accessories like these came from, particularly when they are a type we've never seen before.

Looking forward to seeing photos of your Penn Yan under restoration!