Photograph, Albumen: Timber Raft and Cook House on the Ottawa River
Entry/Object ID
P749
Description
One black and white albumen photograph mounted on grey cardboard. Photo depicts a group of men seated and standing on a large raft made of squared timber. An open-sided shelter is built towards the centre of the raft - it is covering the cooking area. Some enclosed cabins can be seen off to the side. Raft belonged to J.R. Booth Company.
Until 1850, the only timber taken down the Ottawa river was square timber. It was floated in rafts down to Quebec City, to be exported to the British market [Blyth 1925]. Squared pine timber rafts were comprised of cribs small enough to pass down the timber slides built at the Chaudiere falls in Bytown. The rafts were broken up and reassembled at each such passage, and the men ate and slept on the rafts [Taylor 1986]. The raftsmen steered with long oars [Adams 1981].
