Description: "Kamloops" Lifeboat in Todd Harbor [Picture of the remains of the lifeboat]
Source of Description: Back of photo [cataloger]
Institution: Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections
Donor: Ben Chynoweth
Date of Photo: undated
Medium: still image
Color: black and white
Size: 10.1 cm x 10.1 cm
Polarity: Positive
Image No: ACC-220-1984-007-030-403-010
Collection Name: Ben Chynoweth Collection
Terms of Use: Rights to reproduce and distribute this image may be restricted. Contact the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections for further information.
User Comments:
• Name:Seth DePasqual MTU Class of:2009 Tom Holden's comments hold true here. Both lifeboats are most likely from the Emperor. Although not expressed in the posted discussion, Holden spoke with the individual who towed the two boats from the wreck site (Canoe Rocks) to Todd Harbor. I believe the idea was to stage them for eventual return to the Emperor's owner, a Canadian outfit. The salvage never occurred and the vessels remained in place. I visited the beached lifeboat in 2009 and it is in similar condition to that presented in the photo. Of course there is more degradation due to weather and such, but it still recognizable as a lifeboat. I have not confirmed the presence of the second submerged vessel, but hope to do so via snorkel this coming summer. I have compared the lifeboat's construction to one now resting beside the Kamloops in perfect condition. The two are not alike in many ways giving further credence to the Emperor origin. Seth DePasqualCultural Resource ManagerIsle Royale National Park 1/3/2013 1:11:35 PM by Anonymous
• Thom Holden of Duluth is an expert on Kamloops. He has convinced me (at least 98%) that this is _not_ a photo of Kamloops but of the Emperor. Back of the print has information indicating the source as Gestel." Mr. Bernie Gestel was a park ranger at Isle Royale - He is now about 80+ - so would have been born after the Kamloops sank. He would likely have seen the 1947 lifeboat of the Emperor. Several other photos apparently exist where people thought they had the Kamloops lifeboat but did not.There is no snow or ice in the photo there was lots of ice at the end of May when the K's Lifeboat was found according to the Fort William Newspaper.There are well formed deciduous leaves indicating a date beyond June 1.Here is what Holden indicated: "Gestel would have taken the photo you have in the 1950s or 1960s. I'm quite convinced the Michigan Tech image is one of the Emperor lifeboats mistakenly identified as Kamloops by Bernie Gestel. It shows many years of weathering. It is not from 1928. The second lifeboat from the Kamloops is on the bottom adjacent to the wreck."-- Scott Cameron, Owen Sound, Ontario" 11/18/2011 11:44:53 AM by Anonymous
• The physical photographic print in the Chynoweth Collection. On the back is the following inscription: Kamloops" Lifeboat in "Todd Harbor." [written with what appears to be a blue ballpoint pen]and, separately:From Gestel [written in pencil]I'm not sure what the two different writing might mean, and I'm puzzled as to why Kamloops and Todd Harbor are written in quotation marks. Could this mean that the person penning the lines (likely Ben Chynoweth himself) was indicating to himself that he had heard this from someone, maybe even the mysterious Gestel?The print is on thin paper, measures 4" x 4" and has a cut scalloped edge. Talking with Beth Russell, another archivist here at Tech, neither of us think the print dates to before 1947, rather it appears to be of a later vintage. But then again neither of us are photographic process historians.From my examiniation, it appears to be an original print. We are often able to tell we are handling a second-generation copy print shot from some other original; that doesn't appear to be the case, but who knows." 11/18/2011 11:58:07 AM by Erik Nordberg, MTU Archivist
• Name:Bernard Gestel MTU Class of: I'm the photographer and the mystery person". I took the photo on July 30,1961. This lifeboat and another sunken one were located in Todd Harbor,Pickett Bay, Isle Royale when I worked as a Park Ranger. I was mistaken as to these lifeboats belonging to the Kamloops and realized it in later years when facts came out on the Emperor sinking. " 12/24/2012 12:11:46 PM by Anonymous
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MTU Class of:2009
Tom Holden's comments hold true here. Both lifeboats are most likely from the Emperor. Although not expressed in the posted discussion, Holden spoke with the individual who towed the two boats from the wreck site (Canoe Rocks) to Todd Harbor. I believe the idea was to stage them for eventual return to the Emperor's owner, a Canadian outfit. The salvage never occurred and the vessels remained in place. I visited the beached lifeboat in 2009 and it is in similar condition to that presented in the photo. Of course there is more degradation due to weather and such, but it still recognizable as a lifeboat. I have not confirmed the presence of the second submerged vessel, but hope to do so via snorkel this coming summer. I have compared the lifeboat's construction to one now resting beside the Kamloops in perfect condition. The two are not alike in many ways giving further credence to the Emperor origin. Seth DePasqualCultural Resource ManagerIsle Royale National Park
1/3/2013 1:11:35 PM by Anonymous
11/18/2011 11:44:53 AM by Anonymous
11/18/2011 11:58:07 AM by Erik Nordberg, MTU Archivist
MTU Class of:
I'm the photographer and the mystery person". I took the photo on July 30,1961. This lifeboat and another sunken one were located in Todd Harbor,Pickett Bay, Isle Royale when I worked as a Park Ranger. I was mistaken as to these lifeboats belonging to the Kamloops and realized it in later years when facts came out on the Emperor sinking. "
12/24/2012 12:11:46 PM by Anonymous