Book Description
The northwoods of Minnesota are home to one of the nation’s most enduring craftsmen and a true state treasure. Over the course of 65 years, Joe Seliga of Ely, Minnesota, has handcrafted over 650 absolutely sublime canvas-covered wooden canoes in his humble backyard shop. Among canoe and wooden-boat aficionados, the canoes built by this unassuming and self-taught 94-year-old are highly prized and deemed the best of the best. With specially commissioned color photography by outdoor photographer Deb Sussex and captions by Joe’s fellow master canoebuilder Jerry Stelmok, this celebration of Joe’s lifework details the creation of a Seliga masterpiece, from choosing the wood stock to the first launch. These unique and candid views of Joe at work inside his shop bear witness to the unique methods and handtools that he has developed since 1936, many of which are revealed here for the first time. Accompanying this inspiring record of Joe’s craft are the stories of his childhood as the son of an immigrant miner in the prewar northern wilderness, how he unexpectedly embarked on his storied career, and the role that his beloved wife Nora, who passed away in 1999, continues to play in his life. Stelmok also includes testimonials he has gathered from noteworthy Ely denizens like arctic explorer Paul Schurke and photographer Paul Brandenberg, as well as enthusiasts fortunate enough to own a Seliga canoe. Finally, Stelmok explains how; when Joe retires, his legacy will be carried on in a specially dedicated shop at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan in Ely, which owns and cherishes more than 40 Seliga canoes, some dating back to 1948.
Postscript: We are sorry to say that Joe has now passed on in 2005, but his spirit will live on through his canoes and the pages of this book.
Postscript: We are sorry to say that Joe has now passed on in 2005, but his spirit will live on through his canoes and the pages of this book.
