Royal Ontario Museum Group Tour

Royal Ontario Museum group tour

Toronto, ON

On Wednesday, March 29th, some members of the Northern Lakes Chapter were treated with rare visit to the storage facilities of the the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. We were able to get a close-up glimpse of canoe-related items which are not normally on public display. 

Our visit began with Carol Baum, Curatorial Technician of Canadiana, who took out some vivid paintings featuring scenes of Voyageur canoe brigades. These included the c.1891 painting by Francis Anne Hopkins (1838-1919), The Explorer's Camp as well as Tracking the Rapids. 

The group was also able to closely examine the fine watercolour works of William Armstrong (1822 – 1914) including the c.1872 piece, Campsite with Beached Canoe and his equally impressive Canoe Launching at Fort William, Ontario.  Another interesting piece was a graphite sketch and painting entitled Birchbark Canoe; Forest Landscape near Eastport by Harry Fenn (1837-1911). It showcased some of the construction features of the Wabanaki style canoes of Maine.

After this short stop, Curatorial Technician of Ethnology, Tracey Forster, prepared a wonderful spread of canoe-related items for us to examine and discuss. These included over dozen full-sized canoe paddles of various indigenous and commercial designs as well as several miniature bark canoe models made with different construction techniques.

A surviving Walter Dean canoe paddle with a very interesting grain pattern triggered some discussion about the possible wood species. The existing decal on the shaft lists Dean's Queen Street factory address, which dates this paddle to before 1911 when this location was expropriated by the city and he was forced to find a new home for his business. 

Also in the collection was a set of three Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) paddles from the Six Nations of the Grand River that once belonged to the estate of famed Mohawk Poetess, Pauline Johnson. These paddles were featured in an article, "The Paddling Legacy of E. Pauline Johnson" in the April 2019 Issue of Wooden Canoe journal.

As a special treat, the group was also able to examine the museum's fine collection of crooked knives from across the country. Many of the blades were made of reclaimed steel, including files and straight razors with intricate handles that showcased the mastery of the craftspeople who made them.

After this group tour of the storage area, we enjoyed a complimentary tour of the First Peoples Gallery which includes four birchbark canoes on display. 

Plans are in the works for another potential group tour, this time of the City of Toronto Archives collection which also houses full-sized canoes, rare canoe photographs and other memorabilia. More details will be posted on our Upcoming Events page. This will likely take place in the fall.