The Art of Paddling: An Illustrated History: Volume 2 - From 1800 to 1954. Wooden and Folding Canoes

The canoe is the oldest boat and its origins are lost in time. Thousands and thousands of years ago the canoe became a privileged means of hunting and fishing, for the transport of people and goods, for the exploration and colonization of even distant lands. The work is divided into four chronological volumes and is also suitable for consultation, letting oneself be guided by the numerous images and anecdotes: VOLUME 1. The Canoe in Antiquity VOLUME 2. From 1800 to 1954. Wooden and Folding Canoes VOLUME 3. From Fiberglass to Polyethylene. Extreme Feats VOLUME 4. Rafting and Inflatable Canoes. Competitive Canoe and Champions The work develops the history of canoeing from antiquity to the present day (in particular, up to the 2024 Paris Olympics). The second volume tells the history of canoeing since 1800, when the availability of free time, initially a privilege of the wealthier social classes, allowed canoeing to be practiced on a recreational, tourist, exploratory and sporting level. The canoe pioneers descended rivers and carried out coastal cruises, facing and overcoming completely new difficulties with courage and enthusiasm. The design of new hulls, the development of techniques and experience made it possible to attempt the descent of increasingly impetuous sections of rivers, as well as sea crossings, including ocean crossings. In the meantime, the most passionate people formed the first canoe clubs, the first flat water and white water races were organized and federations were founded: in 1880 the American Canoe Association (ACA), in 1900 the Canadian Canoe Association (CCA) and in 1924 the Internationale Repräsentantenschaft Kanusport (IRK), which began to organize international competitions, until canoeing entered the Olympic disciplines in 1936 in Berlin. The book presents the numerous yards which, with the growth of interest in canoeing, were able to propose innovative models in wood or foldable ones in wood and canvas, to meet the needs of increasingly sophisticated and rapidly evolving canoeing. This volume, like the other three that make up the work, presents characters, curiosities, anecdotes, inventions, feats, exploits and much more, which gave impetus to this incredible story, without neglecting what happened in terms of economic, technological, social and lifestyles, which pushed and profoundly conditioned the development and diffusion of the canoe. Revised edition by the author of October 31, 2025.