The Adirondack Guideboat

By 1880, the Adirondack Guideboat had evolved to the form still in use today. As the ultimate lightweight transport boat, they were built to carry the guide, his party, and all the necessary gear for their wilderness experience. They needed to be fast and quiet, yet light enough to be easily carried from lake to lake over rough portage trails using the shoulder yoke.

The boats were built by the guides themselves, who understood which woods would serve the best purpose, usually spruce ribs and pine bottom boards forming the skeleton that was sheathed in cedar with cherry gunwales, and all fastened with thousands of small copper tacks and screws.

Our 24” model – scale of 1½” to the foot – incorporates the same materials and techniques and is a replica of a 1905 Guideboat from the Grant Boatworks of Boonville, NY. Includes oars with brass oarlocks, seats, a paddle and yoke, housed in a glass display case.

New Online Shopping!!!

www.theadirondackstore.com 

We've been working feverishly to revamp your online experience and we are up and running!  Check back often, we are adding products every week to include more of your favorites from the store.  Any ideas?  Please feel free to mention them in the comment section here, give us a call or send us a email.  We love to hear from you!

Antlers in history

Antlers sprout majestically from the heads of many species of deer. They adorn these animals with two purposes, to impress the ladies and to use in battle for that lady’s companionship. Once the battle has been raged and the lady won over, the antlers simply fall off. The following spring, new antlers will begin their rapid ascent skyward in hopes of becoming bigger and stronger than the last. For centuries the shed antlers have been gathered and used by humans for their own fanfare. Yes, they had utilitarian origins at first; spades, knives, bow handles. Eventually these pursuits fell back upon their original intent; pageantry. Necklaces, breastplates, earrings, and chandeliers have all been masterfully honed out of nature’s very own extravagance.

Centuries ago the advent of “hunting for sport” lead the way for the nobility of Europe to explore new ideas in décor. The large dark castles provided the perfect backdrop for the many trophies of the “hunt”. Antlers were intertwined into a large ring and mounted with candleholders. Chains were attached to allow for the chandelier to be raised and lowered for lighting.

More recently in the 1920’s, the builders of the “Great Camps” in the Adirondacks gave rebirth to the natural lighting of the castles of Europe. Antlers soon graced the ceilings of many of the magnificent buildings in the park.

Today antler chandeliers and products have found their way into a variety of homes and décor’s. They possess an elegance and flowing nature that lends itself to many settings.  Stop by our store or website and see for yourself how a little touch of the nature's elegance can add inspiration and renewal in your home.

Opening Ceremony 1980

The Olympics have inspired us to crank up our first blog. The Vancouver games happen to coincide with the 30th anniversary of our 1980 games, so the Olympic spirit is stronger than ever! A beautiful moment in time. Our region took great pride in hosting the Olympics for the second time. Can anyone name the one other place this happened?  Here's a collection of great old Lake Placid winter posters, Olympic and otherwise, that we've hung on to over the years. Here's some trivia: although we refer to the "Winter Olympics", the official term is not the Winter Olympic Games, but the Olympic Winter Games. NBC often gets it wrong!  

30 year anniversary of the Lake Placid Winter Olympics

In 1980 Lake Placid printed the poster on the left for their upcoming Olympic games.  It was soon discovered that nothing is supposed to be touching the Olympic Rings and the poster had to be redesigned and reissued, making the first issue highly collectable.

     

            

1980 Olympic posters from Lake Placid, NY

         

         

         

Lake Placid athletic posters of the past

Olympic Spirit