![]() As synthetic materials appeared throughout the 20th century, canoes followed suit to fiberglass, aluminum, Kevlar, and Royalex constructions. The late-19th and early 20th centuries saw all-wood give way in popularity to cheaper construction methods, including stretching a waterproofed canvas shell over a more simplistic wood frame. In the 19th century, new construction techniques and bark scarcity spurred North American makers in New York and Maine to popularize Canadian techniques, including vessels made from longitudinal wood strips. Ironically, their history and build closely mimics manufacturing trends through the years. The success of canoes in the Americas and abroad meant longevity, and though canoes faded from frequent transportation use during the industrial revolution, they remained popular for recreation and sport.Ĭanoes invoked a sense of freedom and nostalgia, and were seen as vessels to escape the modern industrial world and get back to nature. Europeans recognized the agility, stability, and ease of canoes when they traversed shallow waterways and heavily used them in exploration of the American continent and for pleasure back home. Canoes originated with indigenous peoples around the world, including the traditionally bark canoes that tribes in the Americas built and stretched over wood frames.
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