Antique South American Indian Balsa Wood Dug Out Canoe

Here is the story as my brother and I understand it. This is the story our father and mother often repeated over nearly 50 years. My father bought this canoe around 1969 in the Newburg, New York area from an antique dealer who was handling the disposal of the antiques and artifacts from a wealthy mansion in Westchester County. The mansion and estate was bought by or donated to the State of New York, which converted it into a park. The mansion might have been Rockwood Hall but there were many properties of this nature in Westchester County.

Supposedly, the estate owner went on as expedition to South America between 1890 and 1929 with a group of scientists, and other wealth philanthropists. This canoe was one of the artifacts brought back most likely from Ecuador, where balsa wood is common, but possibly western Brazil or Peru. My father was an Industrial Arts school teacher, and identified a picture in a National Geographic issue which he believed was the group and the canoe was in the picture. I have not been able to confirm the National Geographic issue. My father had a copy, and was mad at my mother for many years for misplacing the issue.

The canoe is in a number of pictures from the Antique Boat Show in Clayton, NY, hanging on the chain link fence next to the town dock (prior to the formation of the museum and the acquisition of the lumber yard) in the early 1970s. I believe this was the fourth or fifth year of the boat show, as I know what years my family was present, and where we setup land displays. The canoe is made of balsa wood. It is 14 feet long, 16 inches wide and weighs 25 pounds. It is carved from a single tree.

There are burn markings on the outside which we believe identified the owner or tribe. Also, It is our believe that the operator did not sit in the canoe but stood up and balanced. There are approximately 16 small braces which are lashed to the hull via holes. Also with it is a 2 inch contoured slab. What this is for is not entirely clear … a brace, a paddle, a seat, or a platform...?

In addition to the canoe, I will supply electronic copies of any photos or documents that I find.Dad also owned multiple other canoes including several rare Old Towns, a Chestnut, an early Racene, a North American Indian birch bark canoe, and others.I have no idea how to ship this but will work with the buyer as necessary. It can be picked up or possibly delivered in the Mid Atlantic or New York State. Ask and we will see what can be arranged.