Antique Canoe Carpet - Rare & Unusual - From Rangeley, Maine

We acquired two of these rare and unusual canoe carpets from an estate sale in Rangeley, Maine last summer. This green one measures 27 inches wide by 14 ft 8 inches long. Still has the original hand stitched border on the oval ends. Nice color and very little wear. We would date it from the early 1900's when Rangeley, Maine was a summer destination for the wealthy east coast city folks who would travel by train to spend several weeks at one of the many lakeside resorts.

The Rangeley boat or wood- canvas canoe was the watercraft of choice during this period both for fishing and for sight seeing excursions on the lakes. We can visualize a carpet such as this placed on the floor of a canoe while entertaining the ladies with their fancy dresses and parasols on a summer lake excursion.