B.N. Morris Catalogue

[Mihun09]

Yesterday I received in the mail from Robin, a WCHA reproduction of a Morris canoe catalogue. The actual reproduction is already 33 years old but is based upon a 1908 Morris catalogue. Very interesting to see what was offered and the prices at the time. Thank you so much Robin for this unique material.

Having perused it we have determined our Morris is a Model C, type 1. It featured the closed gunwales in spruce, with mahogany seat frames, thwarts and decks. To purchase this canoe new in 1908 would set you back $40.50. with the flagstaff sockets.

I have photographed some of the pages, (ok, most of them) and edited to hopefully make them readable should you choose to do so. It is interesting to find out the fire that destroyed his factory in 1920 was arson. I feel, although a reproduction, this is historically significant and may be interesting to many of you here at CT.

 

[Mihun09]

Ok, that worked well, so onward we go...

 

[Mihun09]

One photo at a time...

 

[Mihun09]

Photo's in and of the factory...

 

[Robin]

Glad you finally got it, it was hidden away and when I found it, I thought you might like it, at least give you something to motivate you with that old Morris of yours.

 

[Mihun09]

The Jack's Special first, over the Winter, then maybe back onto the Morris next Spring. Considering we cannot get original white spruce for inwales, we are going with Honduran Mahogany which we can get and we know Morris used at the time as well.

 

[Howie Jehan]

Hi there... I have two Morris canoes that I'll be restoring, and I'm curious as to what models they are - neither have ID tags. Well actually, one's a Morris, the other a Veazie, both 16'. In your post above you show the specs for Models C & D but not for A & B. Any chance you post pics of these pages as well?

 

[Boreal Birch]

Thank you for posting this catalog, very interesting to me. Joe Seliga, the man that made my canoe, along with many others got his start in canoe building by repairing his father's 18 foot Morris D model, that his father had wrecked in a rapids if the Nina Moose River on a early spring Lake trout fishing trip. Joe told me that the Morris Canoes were his inspiration for his canoes along with some traits from Old Town Canoe Co.
Jerry Stelmok wrote a really good book about Joe & his canoes. The title of the book is: THE ART OF THE CANOE WITH JOE SELIGA. The nature writer Sigrud F. Olson wrote about his Morris canoe in one of his books. One of his canoes hangs from the ceiling in his Listening Point cabin, another hangs somewhere in Northland College in Ashland Wisconsin I do not know which is the Morris. The first time I met Sig in November of 1969 he had a lightweight aluminum Grumman 17 footer lashed to the crossbars of his family sedan, just like the rest of us poor people in those days.

 

[Iskweo]

We have not gotten to the Morris yet. There have been Tremblays and Hurons and frieghters and a Jacks, a Langford and lord knows what other repair work that was done too since those days. The list is getting shorter though and I can envision the Penobscott getting its share this winter.

Morrises are lovely canoes and I may want to build a stripper version some time. I got Karin a set of plans last christmas.

 

[Mihun09]

Hi there... I have two Morris canoes that I'll be restoring, and I'm curious as to what models they are - neither have ID tags. Well actually, one's a Morris, the other a Veazie, both 16'. In your post above you show the specs for Models C & D but not for A & B. Any chance you post pics of these pages as well?

I'm home from holidays now so will have a look in the catalogue for you.Our Morris is from the 1905-1909 years just due to the ID tag was on the inwale, which just showed the shape in the paint.

 

[Mihun09]

The missing pages...

 

[ppine]

The Golden Age.