The Small Craft Building features two exhibits: Paddlecraft: A Study Collection in the Pauline Morgan Dodge Gallery and The St. Lawrence Skiff: Our Indigenous Watercraft in the Miller S. and Adelaide S. Gaffney Gallery. The Small Craft Building also houses the Fred Thomas Gallery & Skiff Livery. To learn more about each exhibit and the Skiff Livery, read below. For a sneak peek at the Small Craft Building and the exhibits as they were in 2020, check out The Wooden Boat Experience’s episode from the Tour of the Galleries Scott Ouderkirk took us on during our virtual opening.
Paddlecraft: A Study Collection
In 2024, the ABM decided to push the limits on the number of small craft that could be displayed in a single gallery space at one time by forming a study collection of 50+ paddlecraft and paddles in this gallery.
What is a study collection? Instead of having vessels and artifacts spread out across different exhibits and storage locations, having all the artifacts in one location makes the vessels more accessible for researchers. In essence, the study collection allows for easier studies to be done.
This study collection is also the ABM’s way to have a higher percentage of our collection available for the public to enjoy. Most museums have 3-10% of their collections on display while the ABM is proud to have 28% of its artifacts on display between the main campus exhibit spaces and the visible storage of the Don Doebler Collections Storage Facility located on Eastline Road.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Allan Newell.
The St. Lawrence Skiff: Our Indigenous Watercraft
The St. Lawrence skiff is often described as the indigenous watercraft of the St. Lawrence River and for good reason. This superb craft, in its present form, emerged more than one hundred-fifty years ago in the 1000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. The craft became the principle means for personal river transportation and serious fishing during the mid-1800s during the golden era of river development. The skiff proved to be an ideal boat for local fishing guides who routinely covered long distances in a day’s outing. They required a stable craft to haul in their regular large catches. By the 1860s, St. Lawrence skiffs had evolved into a truly graceful form that would become universally accepted as the standard design among the River’s builders.
However, the St. Lawrence skiff loans itself well to modification for many purposes. From rowing and fishing to sailing and even powered craft, the St. Lawrence skiff has had many variants throughout history.
Through a generous gift of the Miller S. and Adelaide S. Gaffney Foundation, a reinvigorated display featuring the St. Lawrence skiff and its many variants was installed in the Miller S. and Adelaide S. Gaffney Gallery in 2023.
Fred Thomas Gallery & Skiff Livery
The Museum first opened its working skiff livery in 1999. Many of the skiffs used in the livery were made in boatbuilding classes held at the ABM or by the Builder in Residence. In addition to a number of St. Lawrence skiffs, the livery offers a variety of other rowing craft to try including three Slipstream Watercraft canoes and an Old Town kayak. Visitors to the Museum are welcome to take out any of these crafts during their visit. To learn more about our rowing opportunities, click here.
