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The Illustrated Voyageur: Paintings and Companion Stories
Original artwork depicts the rugged, raucous voyageurs of the North West Company and how they lived and worked. In this historical book, Sivertson brings alive the remarkable day-to-day wilderness existence of these sturdy adventures. 31 paintings and companion stories. Winner of several National Awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Award!
- GenresHistory
72 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 4, 2020
If you thought you were hard core, you aren't. Being a voyageur was a very, very tough life. A quick read of this little gem of a book will show you that. But at least they lived that life in one of the most beautiful places in the world. This is one of my best little library finds in the last five years.
I've always been captived by the north woods. Growing up in Maryland, my chances to see them were few and far between. But there were some. We did a big west trip when I was in middle school, but the best chances were summer trips in high school up to the Rideau Canal system in Ontario to go houseboating with my grandparents. They had both grown up vacationing in the north woods, so that was part of how it rubbed off on me too. More recently, I've had the chance to go fishing in northwestern Ontario with my wife's family in barebones cabins where the only way in is a seaplane.
I think the north woods to me represents a sense of space unclogged by humanity, so therefore a sense of freedom. And while of course you have to put up with the hordes of mosquitos and black flies, the summers in the north woods have ideal weather and longer days.
So if you're anything like me, you should pick up this book. It is the story, accompanied by the author's own beautiful paintings, of the fur trading routes connecting the St Lawrence to the Great Lakes to the northern rivers of Canada. There was a relatively small period of time when this thrived, and it thrived due to a very interesting cultural mix of French Canadian voyageurs, Scotsmen and other people of British extraction, and the various First Nations peoples there (and of course their mixed children). They often got along pretty well. I think when it's as hard to survive as it is up there, you realize you need all the help you can get.
The author really is the expert on this. He's done tons of primary source research, grew up in the area (Isle Royale mostly), and has gone to all the places he describes and paints in the book. So he's really giving us his best impression of what it really would have been like to be there at that time. It's very well done, and was a perfect summer read for me.
I've always been captived by the north woods. Growing up in Maryland, my chances to see them were few and far between. But there were some. We did a big west trip when I was in middle school, but the best chances were summer trips in high school up to the Rideau Canal system in Ontario to go houseboating with my grandparents. They had both grown up vacationing in the north woods, so that was part of how it rubbed off on me too. More recently, I've had the chance to go fishing in northwestern Ontario with my wife's family in barebones cabins where the only way in is a seaplane.
I think the north woods to me represents a sense of space unclogged by humanity, so therefore a sense of freedom. And while of course you have to put up with the hordes of mosquitos and black flies, the summers in the north woods have ideal weather and longer days.
So if you're anything like me, you should pick up this book. It is the story, accompanied by the author's own beautiful paintings, of the fur trading routes connecting the St Lawrence to the Great Lakes to the northern rivers of Canada. There was a relatively small period of time when this thrived, and it thrived due to a very interesting cultural mix of French Canadian voyageurs, Scotsmen and other people of British extraction, and the various First Nations peoples there (and of course their mixed children). They often got along pretty well. I think when it's as hard to survive as it is up there, you realize you need all the help you can get.
The author really is the expert on this. He's done tons of primary source research, grew up in the area (Isle Royale mostly), and has gone to all the places he describes and paints in the book. So he's really giving us his best impression of what it really would have been like to be there at that time. It's very well done, and was a perfect summer read for me.
December 30, 2017
I really enjoyed this book about the voyeugers, the fur traders of the northern US and Canada. The story is told through paintings by the author, each with a description of various aspects of the voyeugers- the fur trade, their daily existence of paddling and portaging, the food they ate, celebrations, etc. Having a painting right there while you arereading the accompanying text is great. It's short so it's not a huge commitment. Intrigued by this style, I have ordered two more of the author's story and painting collections.
Now to go eatch Season 2 of "Frontiers" on Netflix....
Now to go eatch Season 2 of "Frontiers" on Netflix....
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews