Featured Snowshoes show and tell

More flotsam from my grandparents. They died in the early sixties, and these were old then. They've been kicking around ever since... antique, I believe. I've just got around to photographing them. These are adult sized, about 37" long, and gut strung. They weigh about 1 lbs each.

 

I wish I would have copied the pic from a craigslist garage listing a couple weeks ago. They had a whole collection with oddballs I've never seen before. Some were probably 24 inches wide.

 

They certainly haven't been used in my lifetime. I expect they're very brittle, but I don't see any breaks or losses.

 

Highly collectable bear paws........

 

Nice classic pair....still with the outer wool....
I'll be they work as well as the day they were made !

 

Grenfel.....now that's a name that I haven't heard or thought of for a very long time.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Grenfell-H...m=292493410852&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

 

& that's why I don't have a Grenfel rug.....but their story is very woven.....into the Cabadian fabric.!

 

Loved your photo of him with the snowshoes.

I don't have anything Grenfel either. I only have a Grenfel style mat.

 

Identical to mine, except I have no bindings!! These belonged to my grandfather who passed away at 92 in the early 1960s. He was from St. Paul, MN. Mine have no markings on them. Clearly made by the same maker, whoever it was!

 

We have an almost identical pair that we bought in a consignment shop about 30 years ago in Sterling, MA....near where we live... the funny thing is, the writing on them said they belonged to an older woman who lived in Franconia, NH.....where our townhouse is that we've had for 34 years....we brought them up and hung them on the wall up there once we saw the connection!!!! Very cool!!!! Ya just never know!!!

 

1979 Cree Beaver Tail....I get it mixed up with the Bear Paw......so shoot me !

 

Oh! I never considered that they could be Native American-made! Ours look like the Hurons'.

 

Both 1st Nations & whites have a long history of making snow shoes......& both still do.