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Toward a Material History of Watercraft

This article explores the application of material culture theory and methodology to the study of historic small craft. Following a literature review of selected works of watercraft history and the fundamental characteristics of a material culture approach, two examples are given. Both are drawn from the late nineteenth century, a time when recreational boating began to be a major social and economic phenomenon in North America. The growth in popularity of the canoe as a vehicle of leisure instead of work took place within this context. Theoretical categories of workmanship are first applied to the development of Canadian canoe building techniques. Following this, two sailing canoes, designed and constructed some 30 years apart, are analysed in detail to show how they are differing responses to the same abstract design question of how to fit a canoe to sail. Finally, the meaning of recreational boats as objects of social consumption and production is considered.

Resume

Cet article examine la theorie et la methodolo-gie dela culture materielle appliquees a l'etude de petites embarcations historiques. Apres avoir fait un examen de documents choisis sur l'histoire des embarcations et les caracteristiques fondamentales d'une approche inspiree de la culture materielle, l'auteur donne deux exemples, tous deux tires de la fin du XIXe siecle, une epoque a laquelle la navigation de plaisance est devenue un phenomene social et economique important en Amerique du Nord. La popularite croissante du canot comme objet de loisir plutot que de travail s'inscrivait dans ce contexte. L'auteur explique d'abord les theories sous-jacentes des techniques de construction du canot canadien. Ensuite, il analyse en detail deux canots a voile, concus et construits a quelque trente ans d'intervalle, pour montrer comment ils rejoignent par des chemins differents la notion de la voile fixee a un canot. Enfin, l'auteur etudie la signification des embarcations de plaisance en tantqu'objets de consommation et de production sociales.