The Winter Sale 2024 | Copley Fine Art Auctions

THE WINTER SALE FEBRUARY 23-24, 2024

"I consider the Pinch Breast Pintails to be the most collectable and beautiful of all the Ward decoys."

— Ronald J. Gard, The McCleery Auction

by Ronald Gard and Bob Shaw

1

SPECIALISTS: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. Fine Art & Decoy Specialist steve@copleyart.com Leah Tharpe Fine Art Specialist leah@copleyart.com Colin S. McNair Decoy Specialist colin@copleyart.com Jim Allen Decoy Specialist jim@copleyart.com

CATALOG BY: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. Cinnie O’Brien Colin S. McNair Leah Tharpe Chelsie Olney Eileen Steward, Photography & Design © 2024 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. All rights reserved.

Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/copleyfineartauction Follow us on Instagram Instagram.com/copleyfineartauctions Printed in the USA

2

3

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

7

Schedule of Events

9

Important Notices

11

Properties

12

The Winter Sale | February 23 | 10AM | Lots 1-238

152

The Winter Sale | February 24 | 10AM | Lots 239-480

246

Index

251

Terms and Conditions of Sale

252

Buyer Pre-Registration Form

253

Absentee/Telephone Bid Form

254

Authorized Shipping Release Form

5

6

THE WINTER SALE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

AUCTION: FEBRUARY 23-24 Day 1:

Friday, February 23, 10:00AM Lots 1 -238

Day 2: Saturday, February 24, 10:00AM Lots 239-480 Live-streamed from Massachusetts; there will be no in-person bidding during the auction.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND AUCTION PREVIEW Please visit copleyart.com for links to view additional images of each lot. You may view objects in our gallery by appointment or contact us to find out if we will be traveling to your area. Our specialists offer personalized video previews; call our office to set up a time.

ABSENTEE & TELEPHONE BIDS To schedule absentee or telephone bids, please use the forms found in the back of this catalog. All bids must be received at least twenty-four hours before the start of the sale.

ONLINE BIDDING Live online bidding will be available through Copley Live (download in your app store), Bidsquare, and Live Auctioneers. There will be a 23% buyer’s premium for Bidsquare and Copley Live and a 25% buyer’s premium for Live Auctioneers.

Please review the Terms and Conditions of Sale on page 251 and Important Notices on page 9 of this catalog.

COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC | info@copleyart.com | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, MA 02043 | 617.536.0030

7

8

THE WINTER SALE

IMPORTANT NOTICES

1

2

lease be advised that all persons wishing to bid at this auction P should read, and be familiar with, the Terms and Conditions of Sale in this catalog prior to bidding.

Buyer’s premium

A buyer’s premium of 20% (23%-25% for online bidding) of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the Buyer to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC as part of the purchase price.

3 Consign to our next sale Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is accepting consignments for our The Sporting Sale 2024. Please contact us by phone at 617.536.0030, or by email at consignments@copleyart.com.

4 Pre-registration Pre-Registration forms are available online, as well as in the back of this catalog.

5 Absentee and telephone bidding If you plan to place absentee bids or to bid by telephone, please make sure that we receive your Absentee/Telephone Bid form at least 24 hours before the start of the sale. It is possible that any bids received after this time may not be accepted. You will receive confirmation of your absentee bid(s) within 24 hours of receipt. If you do not receive confirmation, please call our office at 617.536.0030.

6

Sales tax

All bidders holding a valid Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide their certificate, or copy thereof, while registering. Failure to do so will subject the bidder to a mandatory 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases.

7

Inspection of items offered at this auction

All items are sold “as is” and should be inspected either personally or by agent before a bid is placed. Prospective buyers should satisfy themselves by personal inspection as to the condition of each lot. Although condition reports may be published or given on request, such reports are statements of opinion only. Regardless of whether or not a condition report is given, all property is sold “as is.” The absence of a condition report does not imply that the property is in good condition.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to refuse condition requests.

8

Flat art dimensions

Please be aware that all flat art dimensions are approximate and are rounded to the nearest quarter inch. Flat art is measured by height followed by width. Three-dimensional works are measured by height, width, and depth.

9

Additional images Please visit copleyart.com for additional images of each lot.

10 Stands Please be aware that stands are not included with items purchased.

11 Condition description of wear or gunning wear ear or gunning wear may include all types of wear and W damage that can be inflicted, and may be expected, from hunting, handling, use, or time. This may include, but is not limited to, paint wear, flaking, dings, scratches, checks, cracks, craquelure, age lines, dents, chips, rubs, blunts, broken or missing eyes, shot scars, seam separations, raised grain, rust, filler loss, sap, discoloration, and altered rigging, stick holes, and eyes. The condition of the undersides may not be listed.

Clear coats, such as varnish, shellac, and oil, may not be listed.

Repairs, restorations, and touch-up may include new material.

Paint listed as “working,” “gunning,” or “old” is likely not original first coat. Repairs and construction features that are original to the work, including but not limited to putty, bungs, plugs, patches, and stabilization, may not be mentioned.

Replaced and repaired bills may include touch-up near insertion point and extend through back of head, if applicable.

Radiographs, or x-ray images, may be available by request for select lots. Please submit additional condition report requests at least ten days prior to the sale date. Additional online photos are considered to be part of the condition.

12 Fragile decoratives F ragile decoratives, like the birds, feathers, flora, and fauna that their makers emulate, can be particularly susceptible to damage, deterioration, and loss. Feathers, wings, legs, tails, leaves, branches, and other parts can become detached from necessary handling. Due to these circumstances, CFAA will not be responsible for any change in condition of decorative lots. Additionally, we recommend that all bidders consider transportation logistics for these special objects prior to the sale.

13 Condition description of “As found” The “as found” designation denotes that condition issues are not listed. It is the responsibility of the buyer to determine condition. The item is sold with any faults and imperfections that may exist.

14 Auction results Unofficial auction results will be available online approximately one week after the auction at copleyart.com.

15 Pick up and shipping Buyers wishing to pick up items after the auction at our office may do so only by appointment. If you would like your items shipped, please complete and return the Authorized Shipping Release form found in the back of this catalog.

16 Auction day contact information On site: 617.536.0030 Auctioneer Peter J. Coccoluto MA License #2428 9

10

PROPERTIES FROM Dave and Jean Campbell Collection Ruly Carpenter Estate William Gearhart Collection Ronald J. Gard Collection Lew Horton Collection Donald Kirson Collection Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin William C. McMaster M.D. Collection Kirby Roberts Collection Saltonstall Collection John Sperry Collection Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection Estate of Edwin Wislar Various Private Collections Private Collection, California Private Collection, Cape Cod Private Collection, Colorado Private Collection, Connecticut Private Collection, Florida Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut Private Collection, Iowa Private Collection, Kentucky Private Collection, Massachusetts Private Collection, Montana Private Collection, New Hampshire Private Collection, New Jersey Private Collection, New York Private Collection, Oregon Private Collection, Princeton, New Jersey Private Collection, Virginia Private Collection, Washington Private Collection, Wisconsin

11

THE WINTER SALE 2024 LOTS 1-238 DAY 1 | FEB. 23 | 10AM Additional images for each lot are available through the online bidding platforms.

12

MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

1

2

1 McNair Rig Preening Black Duck

2 Outstanding Preening Willet

This preening example’s underside bears an incised “McNair” signature and the notation “From my personal rig - Winter 1980-81.” This refined gunning decoy exhibits a knife-carved finish and extensive feather paint. After serving in the maker’s rig, it went to the collection of his father. Original paint with even gunning wear.

This preener has an inlaid raised wing tip and the underside bears an incised “McNair” signature. Original paint with light wear.

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, 1981 15 in. long

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1980 9 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

PROVENANCE: Mark McNair Rig Robert McNair Collection Private Collection

$3,000 - $5,000 13

MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

Front cover of Modern Huntsman, Volume 11, featuring a McNair decoy. Images courtesy of Tyler Sharp, Editor-inChief. Photography by Paul King.

“From his workshop on the eastern shore of Virginia near the Chesapeake Bay, McNair carves wooden waterfowl and shorebird decoys with a skill and attention that's been sculpted over half a century. This modern master of a uniquely American art has risen to the top of both the auction and museum spheres as the contemporary carver.”

— Noah Davis, Modern Huntsman, Vol. 11

14

MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

4

3

5

3 Preening Curlew

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2005 9 in. long

An exceedingly early McNair in a very rare posture that predates his incised signature. Original paint with some wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

A highly refined preening hollow decoy with a bone stickhole inlay, carved bone bill, and a hole in the tail for stringing.

Incised “McNair.” Original paint with light wear.

$1,500 - $2,500

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2000 12 1/2 in. long

$1,500 - $2,500

4 Preening Yellowlegs

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1980 9 in. long

This bold carving displays a rarely seen posture which is challenging to carve. The head tucks under a wing which has an inserted raised wing tip. The underside bears an incised “McNair” signature. Original paint with light wear.

6 Preening Root-Head Curlew

A rare curlew with a hard chine, a removable root head, and the maker’s incised signature on the underside. Original paint and wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

6

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, pp. 107 and 135, related decoy illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,500

5 Early Preener

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1972 10 in. long 15

MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

7

9

8

10

7 Ruddy Turnstone

9 Sandpiper

The underside bears an incised “McNair” signature. Original paint with light wear, including a scratch on belly.

With a broad head and wings, the underside bears an incised “McNair” signature. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$1,000 - $1,200

$1,000 - $1,400

8 Semipalmated Plover

10 Red Knot

A raised-wing carving with scratched feather paint and an incised signature. Original paint with light wear.

A tucked-head robin snipe showing the local influence of the Doughty and Cobb families. The underside bears an incised “McNair” signature. Original paint with light wear.

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2000 9 in. long

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2000 7 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$800 - $1,000

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1990 8 1/2 in. long

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2000 7 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$800 - $1,000

16

MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

11

11 Cobb-Style Hissing Canada Goose Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1990 25 in. long

This hollow decoy is modeled after the famous Adele Earnest decoy which is now featured on the front dust jacket of Dr. S. Lloyd Newberry’s Cobb book. The underside bears an incised signature. Original paint and wear. $2,000 - $3,000

17

CAMERON T. MCINTYRE B. 1968 | NEW CHURCH, VA

12

12 Hanging Mallard Pair

Cameron T. McIntyre (b. 1968) New Church, VA, 1991 32 by 22 in.

The quality of McIntyre’s work places him in the elevated company of early masters Alexander Pope Jr. (1849-1924) and A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), who also carved hanging game.

Like these sporting artists of centuries past, McIntyre’s understanding of the subject is on full display, leaving his blade and rasp tool marks in the wood to great effect. Indeed, this scene is directly from the life this Eastern Shore hunter lives; “I haven’t bought beef from a grocery store in thirty years,” he told Garden & Gun Magazine in 2020. “We live on deer, ducks, geese, and doves. We garden and chop our own firewood. I’m not a survivalist, but I want to live as close to nature as I can.”

The full-bodied pair is mounted on weathered tongue-andgroove boards, the backsides of which are titled, signed, and dated. This work was prominently displayed in the Center for American Decoys at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Excellent original paint with light wear. Drake’s foot was repaired by the maker.

18

PROVENANCE: Private Collection LITERATURE: “Journey’s End: The Nature Morte Art of Cameron T. McIntyre,” Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine, JanuaryFebruary 2012, front cover, related carving illustrated.

Zac Zetterburg, ed., American Decoy: The Invention, Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 103-105, related carvings illustrated.

Steve Russell, “Cameron McIntyre’s One-of-a-kind decoys,” Garden and Gun Magazine, October/November, 2020, nature morte carvings discussed.

EXHIBITED: Peoria, Illinois, Center for American Decoys, Peoria

Riverfront Museum. $7,000 - $10,000

CAMERON T. MCINTYRE B. 1968 | NEW CHURCH, VA

13

14

13 Curlew

14 Hollow Brant

This large Eastern-Shore-inspired decoy is signed with an incised “CTM” on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

An Eastern Shore carving with a canted head and inspiration drawn from Ira Hudson and Northampton County.

The underside is signed and dated. Original paint with light wear and a reset neck crack.

Cameron T. McIntyre (b. 1968) New Church, VA 16 in. long

$1,000 - $1,500

Cameron T. McIntyre (b. 1968) New Church, VA, 1994 17 in. long

$2,000 - $3,000 19

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

“Stephen W. Ward (1895—1976) and his brother Lemuel Travis Ward (1896—1984) of Crisfield, Maryland were by far the most prominent Chesapeake Bay carvers of the twentieth century and among the greatest and most influential bird carvers of all time. The brothers worked closely together throughout their lives, combining the complementary talents of Steve’s hand carving and Lem’s brushwork to create works of extraordinary grace and realism.”

— Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America: Nature, History, and Art

20

THE MACKEY-WILLIAMS “WHITE MALLARD” PINCH-BREAST PINTAILS

21

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

15

The Mackey-Williams “White Mallard” Pinch-Breast Pintails

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976)

Crisfield, MD, c. 1932 Andy Williams (1927-2012) is known around the world as one of the most popular singers and personalities of the 20th century, with a stack of gold records, including hits “Moon River” and the Christmas staple “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.” Over sixty years after he recorded this holiday classic, it still appears annually on Billboard’s top 10. Beyond his legendary performer status, Williams is known for his collecting prowess among the Americana, decoy, and folk art communities. A friendship with the Kennedy family of Hyannis brought the star into the flowering decoy scene on Cape Cod in the 1970s where he was a serious participant in the William J. Mackey Collection auctions held by Richard A. Bourne (1927-2016).

Williams procured Mackey’s iconic White Mallard Club rig pintail pair, which was the top decoy lot in Bourne’s October 1974 auction.

22

Twelve years later, Williams consigned this pair back to Bourne’s auction and the duo was the front-cover feature of the August 1986 catalog. The sale was held in Monterey, California, in conjunction with the 5th Annual West Coast Decoy Collectors Show and the results were covered by The San Francisco Chronicle. The winning bidder not only set a world record for the Wards, but also received a congratulatory signed copy of the “Chronicle” article from the singer.

Over thirty years later, in 2018, another pair of White Mallard Club rigmate pintails from the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection set the current world record for any Ward lot at auction.

The White Mallard Club decoys were hunted and wellpreserved on the freshwater marshes of the Butte Sink in California’s Sacramento Valley. Ward authorities Gard and McGrath chose this Mackey-Williams pair for their 1989 book where they state, “The design is considered the best in Ward pintails…” and further note that “the pintail was Lem Ward’s favorite bird and he shows this preference in the painting of his pintails.” Indeed, the lively and textured stippling on the sides

THE MACKEY-WILLIAMS “WHITE MALLARD” PINCH-BREAST PINTAILS

16

and back of the drake is as good as seen on any decoy and the hen has excellent feather detail. The authors point out that “These decoys were originally bought from Abercrombie and Fitch,” which helps to explain not only their refinement, but also their transcontinental journey from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to the Golden State.

This rare and distinctive style is associated with the 1932 model-year, and is named for an eponymous feature of Steve Ward’s articulated form. These birds display all of the qualities that have placed this historic rig at the apex of the Wards’ vast portfolio. Some highlights include the sharp ridge running from the tip of the long tail to the hump in the back, and the high head with a thin neck and pronounced crown. The Wards made several variations of the pinch-breast model, of which the White Mallard rig birds are in a class of their own. One of the subtle distinctions of this premier rig is the horseshoe-shaped weight which can be seen on the undersides of the pair.

Ronald J. Gard arrived on the decoy collecting scene forty-three years ago and was one Dr. James McCleery’s closest friends. He quickly rose to become the world’s leading Ward authority. His 1989 book The Ward Brothers’ Decoys, is the most important publication on their decoys to date. The pintails offered in this auction have resided as the centerpiece of his waterfowl collection for thirty-seven years. The pair was William J. Mackey Jr.’s “pick of the litter,” Copley is honored to offer these birds at auction for the first time in nearly four decades.

Pinch-breast pintails in original paint from the White Mallard rig are exceedingly rare, especially the hens, of which perhaps only three have been accounted for. Given their quality, Mackey-Williams-Gard provenance, rig history, rarity, and excellent condition, there are no Ward decoys more celebrated than the drake and hen offered here as lots 15 and 16.

23

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

15 The Mackey-Williams “White Mallard” Pinch-Breast Pintail Drake

16 The Mackey-Williams “White Mallard” Pinch-Breast Pintail Hen

Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, including edges and tip of tail. Minimal touch-up to tight age line on the right flank, underside of bill, and left side of bill tip.

Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, including rub to tail tip. Touch-up to crack in neck and to reset bill with minor chew.

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1932 18 ½ in. long

PROVENANCE: White Mallard Club, Butte Sink, California

William J. Mackey Collection Andy Williams Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1974 Ronald J. Gard Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1986 LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Rare American Decoys &

Ornamental Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, October 19, 1974, lot 191, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Rare American Decoys & Bird Carvings, Monterey, CA, August 1986, cover and lot 39, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Jim Freeman, “Auction- Two Decoys Bring Down $45,000,” The San Francisco Chronicle, August 25, 1986, pp. 67 and 70, exact decoy and rigmate referenced in headline, discussed, and illustrated.

Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Wolf City, TX, 1989, pp. 57-63, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III, Plymouth, MA, July 19, 2018, lot 33, Donal O’Brien’s White Mallard rigmate pintail pair illustrated.

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1932 17 3/4 in. long

PROVENANCE: White Mallard Club, Butte Sink, California William J. Mackey Collection Andy Williams Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1974 Ronald J. Gard Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1986 LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Rare American Decoys & Ornamental Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, October 19, 1974, lot 191, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Rare American Decoys & Bird Carvings, Monterey, CA, August 1986, cover and lot 39, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Jim Freeman, “Auction- Two Decoys Bring Down $45,000,” The San Francisco Chronicle, August 25, 1986, pp. 67 and 70, exact decoy and rigmate referenced in headline, discussed, and illustrated.

Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Wolf City, TX, 1989, pp. 57-63, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III, Plymouth, MA, July 19, 2018, lot 33, Donal O’Brien’s White Mallard rigmate pintail pair illustrated.

$80,000 - $120,000

$80,000 - $120,000

Lot 15 and Lot 16 featured in The San Francisco Chronicle, August 25th, 1986. The top of the article is signed with a message from Andy Williams.

24

THE MACKEY-WILLIAMS “WHITE MALLARD” PINCH-BREAST PINTAILS

15

16

25

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

26

BISHOPS HEAD BLACK DUCK

17 Bishops Head Black Duck

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1930 18 in. long

The Bishops Head Fish and Gun Club was a luxury two-story lodge founded by Col. Albanus Phillips and W. Grason Winterbottom around 1923. It was a grand club that owned land on a peninsula thirty miles south of Cambridge, MD, which included a man-made tidal pool. The club also included Bloodsworth Island across Hooper Strait. The lodge had a large great room with a fireplace, a locker room, and bedrooms on the second level. The caretakers had their own house, live decoy pens, and kennels. The boat dock was also used by members of the Cambridge Yacht Club, which Phillips founded as well. An avid hunter, this camp provided Phillips and Winterbottom a place of respite from their booming foodcanning business. Phillips was widely known throughout the Eastern Shore and U.S. Presidents Grover Cleveland, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt were known to have been guests at his lodge. During its heyday, Bishops Head was considered one of the Eastern Shore’s great hunting clubs.

The reputation of Lem and Steve Ward “spread throughout the Chesapeake region, and they produced decoys for gunners in the Upper Bay as well,” reports Maryland decoy historian and author of a book on the club C. John Sullivan. He continues, “A few of the gunning clubs ordered Ward decoys, and in some cases a particular Ward style became associated with a specific club.” The Bishops Head style is one such example.

Known for their pronounced crowns, paddle tails, detailed body paint, high heads, and full cheeks, this black duck showcases all the traits associated with the club. While this distinctive design is most commonly found in geese, it is also seen in a small number of mallard, wigeon, and black duck.

Approximately a half-dozen premier Bishops Head model black duck examples are known to have surfaced. Four of these reside in important collections in Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Minnesota. Indeed, a single closely related hen set the record for a Ward black duck at auction, selling for over $97,000 in 2010. Outstanding original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, acquired from the North Shore of Massachusetts Private Collection LITERATURE: C. John Sullivan, Bishops Head Fish and Gun Club, Bel Air, MD, 2018, club history, gunning logs, and related decoys discussed and illustrated.

C. John Sullivan, Waterfowling on the Chesapeake, 1819-1936, Baltimore, MD, 2003.

R. H. Richardson, Chesapeake Bay Decoys, Cambridge, MD, 1991, p. 167, Strausburg collection example illustrated.

Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, The Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Plano, TX, 1989, pp. 75-79, Purnell collection example illustrated.

Joe Engers. “Year In Review 2010,” Decoy Magazine, front cover and p. 9, closely related example illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2019, Charleston, SC, February 2019, front cover and lot 169, Bishops Head wigeon pair illustrated.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 160-161, Bishops Head wigeon drake illustrated.

$27,500 - $32,500

Of the numerous patterns designed by the Ward brothers over a fifty-plus-year career as decoy makers, Humpback, PinchBreast, and Bishops Head models have been the most highly sought after by the nation’s top decoy and folk art collectors.

17

27

ROBERT "BOB" WHITE B. 1939 | TULLYTOWN, PA

18

18 Tucked-Head Pintail Pair Robert “Bob” White (b. 1939) Tullytown, PA, 2003 17 in. long

This pair features some of the maker’s best carving and paint. Both retain his triangular bobwhite-quail lead weight and are signed and dated on the bottoms. Original paint with minimal wear and minor touch-up to reset tip of hen’s tail. $1,200 - $1,800

19 Exemplary Standing Green-Winged Teal Hen Robert “Bob” White (b. 1939) Tullytown, PA, c. 1980 11 in. long

19

A rare, if not unique, working stick-up decoy from White’s personal rig. The underside retains a brass rig identification tag, the maker’s signature, and a painted bobwhite quail remark. A rigmate standing drake resides in a prominent New Jersey collection.

Original paint with some gunning wear, including a few shot marks.

PROVENANCE: Bob White Rig Private Collection

$2,000 - $3,000

20 Rare Sleeping Speckled Teal Robert “Bob” White (b. 1939) Tullytown, PA, 2004 10 1/2 in. long 20

This decoy retains the maker’s triangular bobwhite-quail lead weight, species designation of “Argentina Speckled Teal,” date, and signature on the bottom. Original paint with light wear. $2,000 - $3,000

28

ROBERT "BOB" WHITE B. 1939 | TULLYTOWN, PA

21

22

21 Gadwall Pair

22 Swimming Blue Goose

Both retain his triangular bobwhite-quail lead weight and are signed and dated. Original paint with light wear.

This rare goose has a turned and reaching head and raised crossed wing tips. It retains two triangular bobwhite-quail lead weighs, a painted image of the carving, and is signed on the underside of the hollow body. Original paint with light wear.

Robert “Bob” White (b. 1939) Tullytown, PA, 1992 15 in. long

$1,200 - $1,800

Robert “Bob” White (b. 1939) Tullytown, PA, c. 1990 26 in. long

$2,000 - $3,000

29

FRANK S. FINNEY B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

23

23 Life-Size Kingfisher with Minnow Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 6 in. tall

Incised on the side with the maker’s serifed “F.” This carving was inspired by early master carver Elmer Crowell. Original paint with light wear and loss to minnow’s caudal fin.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$700 - $1,000

24 Standing Wood Duck Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 15 1/2 in. tall

24

The underside of the stand bears the maker’s incised “F” signature. Original paint with wear. $1,000 - $1,500

25 Rooster

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 8 1/2 in. long

The underside of the hollow carving bears the maker’s incised “F” signature. Original paint with light wear and the maker’s distressed surface has some flakes.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$800 - $1,200 25

30

26

FRANK S. FINNEY

B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

26

28

30

27

29

31

26 White-Fronted Bee-Eater Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2022 12 1/4 in. tall

A rare species for the maker as it is native to Africa, the white-fronted bee-eater deftly disarms its quarry’s stinger by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the bee against a hard surface. This process also discharges most of the venom. This carving features its quarry in its open beak, raised wing tips, swept-back tail, and the maker’s ink stamp on the underside of the painted base. Original paint with minimal wear. $1,500 - $2,500

27 One-Third Size Scarlet Macaw Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 9 in. long

A refined carving with an incised “F” on the end of the perch. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

28 Green and Yellow Parrot with Flower Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 5 in. long

This refined carving with flower appears to be a half-size saffron-headed parrot.

This work comes from the same collection as the scarlet macaw in the previous lot, and likely held a signature on the removed base. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

$800 - $1,200

29 Eastern Bluebird

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2022 5 1/2 in. long

30 Cedar Waxwing

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2022 7 3/4 in. long

A turned-head example with raised wings and a beak full of berries, a favorite food source for the species. The underside bears the maker’s incised “F” signature.

Original paint with light wear. $1,500 - $2,500

31 Western Tanager

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2022 5 in. long

The underside bears the maker’s incised “F” signature. Original paint with light wear. $400 - $600

The underside of this life-size calling bluebird bears the maker’s incised “F” signature. Original paint with light wear. $400 - $600

$800 - $1,200

31

WILLIAM GIBIAN B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

32

32 Outstanding Life-Size Wood Duck Pair William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, 2022 drake is 17 in. long

A highly refined pair of summer ducks, each with a carved shell on their bases. The maker’s card with signature, date, and “My best pair to date!” is affixed to the bottom of the bases. The carvings are signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the bottoms. Original paint with light wear. $7,000 - $10,000

32

WILLIAM GIBIAN

B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

33 Exemplary Pintail

33

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, 2003 19 1/2 in. long

A rarely seen breast-preening posture, this hollow carving is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” and the maker’s dated calling card on the bottom. Original paint with light wear. $800 - $1,200

34 Preening Wood Duck William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2005 14 1/2 in. long

This carving is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the bottom. Original paint with light wear.

34

$800 - $1,200

35 Outstanding Long-Tailed Drake William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2000 22 1/2 in. long

A long-tailed duck with elegant wing-tip carving.

Bears a “GIBIAN” incised signature and his business card on the underside. Original paint with light wear and minor sap bleed under paint on end grain. Reset tail with minimal touch-up. $1,800 - $2,400

35

33

WILLIAM GIBIAN B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

36 Ibis

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA 19 1/2 in. long, 20 1/2 in. tall

36

The maker has accurately depicted the species’ long, curlew-like bill, which the ibis uses to probe the mud for crustaceans and other food. This animated carving is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the bottom. Original paint with light wear. $2,500 - $3,500

37 Dowitcher Family Trio William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2000 largest is 11 1/2 in. long

This unique family trio is the result of a special commission with two adults and one juvenile. Each is signed on the underside. Original paint with some wear.

PROVENANCE: Saltonstall Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

34

37

WILLIAM GIBIAN B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

38

40

39

41 34

38 Least Sandpiper

40 Spotted Sandpiper

This carving is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the bottom. Original paint with light wear.

This special-order carving is signed by the maker with an incised signature on the bottom. Original paint with some wear.

PROVENANCE: Saltonstall Collection

PROVENANCE: Saltonstall Collection

$800 - $1,200

$800 - $1,200

39 Ruddy Turnstone

41 Semipalmated Plover

This raised-wing carving is signed by the maker with an incised “Gibian” on the bottom. Original paint with minor wear.

This special-order carving is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the bottom. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Saltonstall Collection

PROVENANCE: Saltonstall Collection

$800 - $1,200

$800 - $1,200

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2000 7 1/2 in. long

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 1990 9 1/2 in. long

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2000 8 in. long

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2000 8 in. long

35

NATHAN F. COBB JR. 1825-1905 | COBB ISLAND, VA

42

42 Purnell-Kirson Cobb Black Duck Nathan F. Cobb Jr. (1825-1905) Cobb Island, VA, c. 1880 16 in. long

This rare decoy with impeccable provenance and exceptional surface is the epitome of refinement in a Cobb Island duck decoy. The underside of the well-preserved hollow body bears Nathan’s deeply incised and serifed “N” and William Purnell’s collection brands. One of the best Cobb black duck decoys known to exist. Excellent original paint with even gunning wear.

Roughness to left side of bill tip, and minor touch-up to small spot of fill on crown.

PROVENANCE: Nathan Cobb Jr. Rig William H. Purnell Jr. Collection Donald Kirson Collection

36

LITERATURE: Dr. S. Lloyd Newberry, Wings of Wonder: The Remarkable Story of the Cobb Family and the Priceless Decoys They Created on Their Island Paradise, Columbia, SC, 2020, pp. VIII-XI and 236, rigmates illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Session I-II, Hingham, MA, July 19, 2018, lot 38, Mackey-O’Brien rigmate illustrated.

$25,000 - $45,000

PURNELL-KIRSON COBB BLACK DUCK

37

Robert “Ruly” Carpenter III (1940-2021) Robert “Ruly” Carpenter III excelled at academics and athletics.

A passionate and accomplished professional, Carpenter

After graduating from Tower Hill School, Ruly attended Yale,

also adored hunting and fishing. His greatest happiness

where he played football and baseball, a sport that he also

in life came from sharing these passions with his family in

captained. After graduating, Carpenter began working for the

Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina.

Phillies. In 1972 at the age of 32 Carpenter bought the team, becoming the youngest owner in baseball history. He built the

Source: “Making Baseball and Conservation History,”

best farm system in the league and won the World Series in

Ducks Unlimited Magazine, January 2023.

1980.

43

43 Early Swan

R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993) Havre de Grace, MD, c. 1936 30 in. long

A classic Upper Bay working swan decoy showing the maker’s best form. The underside has a swinging and weighted wooden keel. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate

38

LITERATURE: Maryland Historical Society, Chesapeake Wildfowl Hunting: Maryland’s Finest Decoys, Baltimore, MD, 1991, item # 36, related decoy illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

THE TYLER HOODED MERGANSER

39

LLOYD TYLER

1898-1970 | CRISFIELD, MD

44 The Tyler Hooded Merganser Lloyd Tyler (1898-1970) Crisfield, MD, c. 1930 16 in. long

Lloyd Tyler was born and raised in Crisfield, Maryland, and lived across the street from the Ward Brothers. He was nearly the same age as the Wards yet is credited with beginning his carving career eight years prior to them. With Crisfield’s three greatest carvers living virtually on top of each other, there was clearly a drive of creative energy shared between them. That said, Tyler and the Wards each took the regional archetype in their own direction.

In the mid-1980s Henry Stansbury was the leading collector of Lloyd Tyler’s works. It was at this time that this singular hooded merganser made its first impression on Stansbury and the decoy and folk art collecting communities. Stansbury recounts, “In the fall of 1986, Richard Bourne had a superb Tyler hooded merganser for sale in his auction. It was the first Tyler decoy I had seen that threatened to break the ‘world record’ price I paid for my preening pintail…” After losing out to multiple competing bidders, he acknowledges, “My Tylers would never be treated the same again.” Indeed less than a decade later Stansbury published his first book, Lloyd J. Tyler, Folk Artist, Decoy Maker, which features and discusses this carving.

History repeated itself on a larger scale in 2007 when the

40

decoy next surfaced, setting a record at auction not only for Tyler, but for any Maryland decoy.

Collectors have long recognized that this decoy captures the charming nature of the species with a high and slightly turned head topped by a thin crest. The body’s form and paint show seemingly effortless sweeping lines with detailed plumage and a long thin tail. This decoy represents one of the great examples of Southern Americana and folk art. The underside retains its Bourne auction tag, a Huster collection ink stamp, and the imprint of the Hunter collection tag. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: H. Harrison Huster Collection Charlie Hunter Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Henry H. Stansbury, Lloyd Tyler: Folk Artist, Decoy Maker, Lewes, DE, 1955, p. 21, exact carving illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne, Inc., Rare American Decoys and Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, July 1986, lot 781, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., “Year in Review 2007,” Decoy Magazine, 2007, front cover, exact decoy illustrated.

$150,000 - $200,000

THE TYLER HOODED MERGANSER

44

41

45 Hanging Pintails

45

Grayson C. Chesser (b. 1947) Sanford, VA, c. 1990 45 by 20 1/2 in. backboard

This life-size nature morte carving represents a subject the artist is entirely familiar with as a legendary sportsman from Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The birds are mounted on an old salvaged door panel. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$2,500 - $4,500

46 Outstanding Preening Black Duck Oliver “Tuts” Lawson (b. 1938) Crisfield, MD, 1965 13 in. long

Commonly referred to as the dean of Crisfield carvers, Lawson was the focus of a recent exhibit at the Ward Museum titled Oliver ‘Tuts’ Lawson: A Retrospective. In a Decoy Magazine article on the exhibit, the Ward brothers’ protégé recalls, “I used to watch, ask questions and learn.”

This raised-wing carving bears the maker’s signature and date on the bottom. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection LITERATURE: “Ward Museum presents retrospective on Oliver “Tuts” Lawson,” Decoy Magazine, November/December 2021, p. 20.

$5,000 - $7,000

46

42

IRA D. HUDSON

1873-1949 | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA

47 Canada Goose

Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1930 21 in. long

47

A classic Hudson goose with a sharp tail cut, shoulder carving behind the neck, and strong swirl paint. A multi-talented craftsman, Ira Hudson designed and built his own home on Chincoteague. He also designed and built boats, including many flat-bottomed scows used for hunting and oyster farming. In 1897, at age twenty-six, Hudson added decoy carving to the several other occupations he would pursue over the years; the 1900 and 1910 census records list Hudson as a “waterman” and “oysterman.” Original paint with moderate gunning wear, rubs to lower right edge of bill, and age line along underside. $2,500 - $3,500

48

48 Bufflehead Pair

Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1940 10 1/2 in. long

These Hudson butterballs are an exceedingly rare find.

Acquiring the maker’s buffleheads in untouched, original paint is nearly impossible. These slightly turned-head decoys were never rigged and remain in exceptionally fine condition, having resided in museum storage for over sixty years.

The undersides of each unrigged balsa body and their accompanying bases have early painted collector identifications. Excellent original paint with minimal wear, a ding to drake’s bill and hen’s tail.

49

PROVENANCE: Walter L. Bush Collection Collection of a New York City Museum, acquired from the above in 1953 Private Collection LITERATURE: Henry H. Stansbury, Ira D. Hudson and Family, Lewes, DE, 2002, pp. 81-83, related decoys illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

49 Pintail

Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1930 15 in. long

A plump football-style decoy with clean sweeping lines. Old Norman Hudson paint with heavy gunning wear and a few age lines along sides.

LITERATURE: Henry H. Stansbury, Ira D. Hudson and Family, Lewes, DE, 2002, p. 125, exact decoy illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

43

ELI DOUGHTY

1844-1923 | HOG ISLAND, VA

50

50 Stick-Up Canada Goose Eli Doughty (1844-1923) Hog Island, VA, c. 1870 22 in. long

While less prolific than his Cobb Island neighbors, Hog Island’s Eli Doughty is considered to be one of the region’s most important makers. This carving has pronounced raised wing tips at the end of a sharply ridged back. The large breast hosts a deep inletted head. Like a number of the best geese from

44

Hog Island, it has a hole and weight on the underside for use as a floater or stick-up. Old paint with gunning wear and repairs to base of neck. $6,000 - $9,000

51

53

52

54 34

51 Brant

Currituck County, NC, c. 1920 17 1/2 in. long

The underside has a painted “E.C. NC.” Body has working repaint with heavy wear and a replaced head.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$300 - $500

52 Pintail Drake

Norman Hudson (1898-1980) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1925 18 in. long

This large-bodied pintail was selected for Henry Stansbury’s book on the Hudson family. While all of Ira Hudson’s (18631949) children were involved in the family’s carving business, his sons Norman and Delbert would go on to distinguish themselves as accomplished carvers in their own right. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and some tight age line in neck and sides. Professional touch-up around lines on lower right side.

53 Early Curlew

Charles S. Clark (1869-1947) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1890 12 1/2 in. long

Heavy gunning wear to wood, some restoration to head, replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$1,000 - $1,500

54 Canada Goose

Doug Jester (1876-1961) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1920 25 1/2 in. long

A large goose decoy with a cottonwood body. Some original paint with heavy gunning wear to the wood and some color added to worn areas, touch-up to reset bill and neck. $1,200 - $1,800

LITERATURE: Henry Stansbury, Ira D. Hudson and Family, Lewes, DE, 2002, p. 125, exact decoy illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000 45

46

"...it represents one man's twenty-five-year quest to obtain the greatest Illinois River decoys ever made."

— Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. discussing Masterworks of the Illinois River, 2005

47

CHARLES PERDEW 1874-1963 | HENRY, IL

55

55 “Masterworks” Green-Winged Teal Pair Charles Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1945 10 1/2 in. long

A refined and rare pair with a preening hen and turned-head drake. Each has raised wing tips. Excellent original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 86, exact pair illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $20,000 - $30,000

56 “Masterworks” G.K. Schmidt Rig Mallard Hen Robert Elliston (1847-1925) Bureau, IL, c. 1920 17 in. long

Widely regarded as the father of the Illinois River decoy carving tradition, Robert Elliston, along with his wife, Catherine, set the standard against which all Illinois River decoys are measured. They made beautifully crafted decoys using the finest cured white pine. Robert’s honed woodworking skills allowed him to produce birds with nearly invisible body seams, many of which are still imperceptible to this day. The unmistakable raised “V” notched bill carving, pointed head

48

crests, and exquisite paint by Catherine Elliston and Edna Perdew give these Elliston decoys their bold and dynamic appearance.

Catherine applied graceful paint patterns that are virtually unequaled by any of her contemporaries, with the exception of Edna Perdew. She developed her own techniques of scratch feathering that echo the finest grain-painted chests of Pennsylvania made during the mid-nineteenth century.

Implementing a metal grain-comb and a stiff-bristled brush to help suggest feathering and to give the decoys a more realistic look, her painting techniques were later copied by Millie Graves and other painters up and down the Illinois River.

It is no secret among collectors that Catherine Elliston and Edna Perdew used hens to showcase their abilities. While most decoy painters shied away from the difficulties of painting a hen’s plumage, these two women embraced the challenge, defining the paint of the region. Indeed, today the world records set for each of the maker’s work stands at over $200,000, with both records set by hens.

At the turn of the twentieth century, as more and more gentlemen arrived by train from Chicago to partake in the growing sport of duck hunting on Lake Senachwine, word about the decoys made by the talented Ellistons continued to spread. The sports, as the local guides and carvers called them, began placing orders with the Ellistons for hunting rigs en masse. The orders quickly blossomed into a full-time business and soon the couple was shipping decoys to sporting goods stores and individuals around the country. Though

ROBERT ELLISTON

1847-1925 | BUREAU, IL

56

the Ellistons likely produced hundreds, if not thousands, of carvings in their lifetime, perhaps none hailed from a rig more famous rig than G. K. Schmidt’s, whose brand is burnt crisply on the underside of this decoy.

George K. Schmidt (1869-1939), a Chicagoan, was the president of the Prudential State Savings Bank who famously secured his decoy rig in bank storage for over four decades.

According to waterfowling historian Donna Tonelli, the Schmidt family “...owned the K.G. Brewery in Chicago which was started during the late 1880’s...As a young man Schmidt graduated as a Brew Master from Brewers Academy at Worms, Germany in 1890 and then served as an apprentice at his father’s K.G Schmidt brewery.” Schmidt would eventually rise to president of the company in 1933, soon after Congress repealed Prohibition.

Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 30, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $10,000 - $15,000

Noted for enjoying the finer things in life, including being a gun collector and hunter, Schmidt purchased some of the best decoys ever produced in the Midwest, with representative carvings by the Mason Decoy Factory, Charles H. Perdew, and Robert Elliston, including this important mallard hen. This hen displays some of the best paint found on any Elliston decoy.

The underside is struck with the large “G. K. SCHMIDT” brand.

In excellent original paint by Catherine Elliston and Edna Perdew with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: George K. Schmidt Rig Walter White Collection

49

“MASTERWORKS” G.K. SCHMIDT RIG PINTAIL DRAKE

50

CHARLES PERDEW 1874-1963 | HENRY, IL

57

57 “Masterworks” G.K. Schmidt Rig Pintail Drake Charles Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1928 16 in. long

This exemplary Illinois River pintail showcases the clean lines of Charlie’s carving with his early deep-bodied, three-piecebody construction and the refined elegance of Edna’s very finest scratch comb paint. The attention to detail is sublime, including the delicate curvature of the bill tip. The underside is branded “G.K. SCHMIDT.” This famous rig was commissioned

by George K. Schmidt (1869-1939), a prominent Chicagoan and the president of the Prudential State Savings Bank. For roughly four decades Schmidt rig decoys resided unused in a bank.

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 73, exact decoy illustrated.

Donna Tonelli, Fish and Fowl of the Great Lakes, Atglen, PA, 2002, p. 143, rigmate illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $25,000 - $35,000

According to decoy author Donna Tonelli, in 1928 Schmidt ordered a mixed rig of ducks from Perdew including twelve pintail, split evenly between hens and drakes. To date only seven of these Schmidt rig pintails have surfaced, making this truly a rare find and a historic contribution to Illinois River duck hunting lore. This drake, with its superb condition, beautifully applied paint, and impeccable historic provenance, ranks among the finest Perdew decoys known to exist.

Excellent original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: George K. Schmidt Rig Walter White Collection Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection 51

JOHN G. TORNBERG 1902-1971 | MILL VALLEY, CA

58 Exceedingly Rare Feeding Pintail

John G. Tornberg (1902-1971) Mill Valley, CA, c. 1948 19 in. long

This decoy is an exciting new discovery to the decoy marketplace. Beyond the west coast, collectors nationwide were introduced to Tornberg via Dr. James McCleery’s feeding pintail rigmate to this lot. This decoy displays the exact same paint treatment as the McCleery example, with this example retaining its original weight.

Carved in a feeding position with an extended neck, this hollow pintail decoy exhibits stellar form and sophisticated carved surface treatments, including a combination of flat and gouged chip carving and rasping. This carving is one of only five or six feeding pintails known to have been carved by Tornberg, who expertly captured the animated posture of a live feeding bird. The underside retains the maker’s distinct custom weight which includes an anchor line ring. Excellent original paint with even gunning wear and working touch-up to black by Tornberg. Reset crack in neck.

52

PROVENANCE: John Tornberg Rig Private Collection, Oregon, acquired directly from Mrs. Tornberg LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Davis, CA, 1986, pp. 198-199 and 204, rigmate pictured.

Sotheby’s and Guyette & Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, 2000, lot 16, rigmate illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, pp. 116-117, rigmate illustrated.

$15,000 - $25,000

JOHN G. TORNBERG

1902-1971 | MILL VALLEY, CA

58

“The most collectible decoys from the San Francisco Bay area are those that were carved by the yachtsman John Tornberg of San Francisco.

Tornberg used a sophisticated chip carving technique with gouges and chisels to achieve a richly textured surface and a subtle life-like appearance. These hollow, redwood pintails and shovelers are eagerly sought by all discerning West Coast collectors.”

— Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast

53

The Richard & Dorothy Wheeler Collection of Pacific Coast Decoys

By Chelsie Olney

Richard and Dorothy Wheeler at the first Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s gathering and decoy contest in Berkeley, September 1971.

Richard Wheeler developed a passion to collect Pacific Coast decoys in the 1960s and would go on to become a cornerstone of California decoy collecting history. A native of Petaluma, Richard began hunting canvasbacks on the Petaluma River with his father at an early age.

Over the decades of hunting, Wheeler developed an informed admiration and respect for local and professional carvers. He collected his first decoy in 1964 while earning a master’s degree in wildlife management at Humboldt State College in Arcata, CA. He explains that collecting decoys “kept him busy during the hunting off-season.”

Little did he know then that he would proceed to collect more than 400 decoys over a span of almost sixty years!

Richard Wheeler and collector Bill Mori discussing a pintail drake at the PFDA decoy show in Santa Rosa, 1975.

Along with Bill Mori, August Sebastiani, Jim Keegan, Lew Clingan, Mike Miller, Dick Troon, among others, Wheeler was one of the earliest Pacific Coast source decoy collectors. A tribute to his insight and legacy, he was one of the founders of the Pacific Flyway Decoy

54

Wildfowl Decoys of California published in 2015 and Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast published in 1989.

The Wheelers eventually retired to Montana where Richard shot mallards and Canada geese and fished the Beaverhead River for brown and rainbow trout. Copley is honored to present this important collection of Pacific Coast bird carvings curated by one of the region’s most respected collectors.

Copley Fine Art Auctions would like to thank Dorothy Wheeler for sharing their album of beautifully labeled photographs and Richard Wheeler for graciously allowing us to interview him for this biography. Special thanks Wine mogul August Sebastiani (middle) with Alice and Peter Vale, 1974. Richard and August were good friends who hunted together in a floating blind on Tomales Bay just north of Hog Island. Richard brought the gear and August brought lunch.

Association, which formed in 1971 with its inaugural competitive show in Berkeley. The annual show, known as the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association Classic, moved to Santa Rosa and then Sacramento, where it still takes place each year.

When Wheeler identified a pinnacle work, he went after it

Hugh Chatham for providing early histories on West Coast collectors.

Sources: Richard Wheeler. “Bill McLellan’s wonderful flying brant.”

Decoy Magazine, March/April 1989.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson. Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast. Portland, OR: MBF Publishing, 1989.

Michael R. Miller. Wildfowl Decoys of California. Spokane, WA: Triple-D Publishing, 2015.

The Pacific Flyway Decoy Association website, http://pacificflyway.org/history-of-pfda/, accessed on October 25, 2022.

with dogged determination and, as a result, he and his wife, Dorothy, have collected some of the best carvings by West Coast makers. Many of the works in their collection are featured in the definitive books about the region,

Richard and his black lab, Midnight, hunting on the eastern shore of Bahia de San Quintin “in the shadow of extinct volcano Mount Cinesa,” 2006.

55

RICHARD "FRESH AIR DICK" JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA CREEK, CA

59

59 Outstanding Canvasback Hen “Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA, c. 1930 16 in. long

This decoy with its original skeg hails from the collection of Jack Meyer, a friend of August Sebastiani. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, a paint drip by each eye, working wash of protective white overpaint on the underside.

PROVENANCE: Jack Meyer Collection, Sonoma, California Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 120, related carvings illustrated.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 145, related carvings illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000 60

60 Canvasback Drake

“Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA 15 3/4 in. long

Original paint with working wash of white overpaint mostly on underside and skeg.

PROVENANCE: Jack Meyer Collection, Sonoma, California Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 120, related carvings illustrated.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 144, related carvings illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

59 56

RICHARD "FRESH AIR DICK" JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA CREEK, CA

61

62

61 Pintail Pair

62 Pintail Drake

This rigmate pair shows Janson’s iconic form and the hen has excellent two-tone feathering. Original paint with even gunning wear and Suisun Marsh type discoloration below waterline. Drake has neck crack and hen has loss at tail tip.

A classic example of the West Coast’s most famous decoy.

Original paint with moderate gunning wear and some discoloration, two tight age lines along back of neck, and chip to one primary feather.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

“Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA, c. 1930 18 in. long

“Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA, c. 1940 18 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 108, related carvings illustrated.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 148, related carvings illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

57

AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY 1896-1969

63

63 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Winter Deer Hunting signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right watercolor, 9 by 10 1/2 in.

Born in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Aiden Lassell Ripley was the son of a Boston Symphony Orchestra musician. From an early age he excelled at music, but he soon discovered a deeper interest in painting. By his mid-teens, Ripley was committed to a career in art, commuting into Boston to take classes. After returning from service in World War I, he attended the Boston Museum School where he studied with the country’s top artists, including Philip Leslie Hale (18651934) and Frank W. Benson (1862-1951). Ripley was awarded a Paige Traveling Fellowship to study in Europe. While abroad, he painted watercolors “en plein air” in North Africa, France, and Holland. Upon his return in 1925, he was elected to the prestigious Guild of Boston Artists. His work focused on the New England countryside as well as depictions of city life and

railroad commuting scenes. The Great Depression, however, limited the sales potential for these works. Following a successful one-man show of his sporting art in 1930, Ripley decided to change tack and specialize in hunting, fishing, and outdoor scenes as subjects. Along with his contemporary Ogden Pleissner (19051983), Ripley exemplified the life of a successful sporting artist.

Collectors of Ripley’s sporting art endorsed his numerous trips to the salmon rivers of New Brunswick and the quail plantations of Georgia, where the artist indulged his passion for hunting and fishing while recording material he would use in his art.

This crisp scene depicts a hunter in winter, on snowshoes, aiming at a leaping buck. This is a rare depiction of deer hunting by this New England artist who is best known for his bird hunting and fly fishing scenes.

PROVENANCE: John Sperry Collection

$2,000 - $4,000 64

64 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Grouse on Pine Bough graphite on paper, 9 by 12 in.

This work is a study for the etching Grouse on Pine Bough, depicted in Dana S. Lamb’s Sporting Etchings.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin LITERATURE: A. Lassell Ripley and Dana S. Lamb, Sporting Etchings, Barre, MA, 1970, p. 32, etching illustrated.

$600 - $900

58

AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY

1896-1969

“Lone woodcock coasting in where we will look for you this afternoon.

Buff bird more dainty even than the grouse, we thank the red gods for your presence on the hillside, where the worms still squirm in soil in which your bill can probe another autumn week or two.”

— Dana S. Lamb

65

65 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Lone Woodcock signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right watercolor, 19 by 28 in. titled on Vose Galleries label on back

The etching version of Lone Woodcock was famously depicted in Dana S. Lamb’s book Sporting Etchings. It shows the artist’s full understanding of the flight of the late season woodcock.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin LITERATURE: A. Lassell Ripley and Dana S. Lamb, Sporting Etchings,

Barre, MA, 1970, pp. 86-87. $8,000 - $12,000

59

AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY 1896-1969

66 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969)

66

Sand Hill at Kindersley estate stamped lower right watercolor, 8 by 13 in. titled and inscribed on back

A bright and detailed study of four ruffed grouse along a stone wall enjoying apples, one of their favorite fruits of fall.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin, acquired from Childs Gallery, Boston, c.

1980s

$1,500 - $2,500

67 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Pheasant Swale (study) watercolor, 13 1/2 by 20 in.

This is a study for Ripley’s work, Pheasant Swale.

PROVENANCE: John Sperry Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O Brien, Jr. and Julie Carlson Wildfeuer, The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley, 2009, p. 102.

$1,500 - $2,500

60

67

GHOST BIRDS

68

“Day after golden day the warm sunlight lay level across the glowing countryside.

The chokecherries growing in the corners of the roadside fences turned from wine red to black, the robins and flickers assembled their battalions in the wild grape vines in readiness for departure and the maple leaves lay spread on the sward beneath the lofty branches from which they had fallen.”

— Excerpt from the chapter “Ghost Birds,” Colonel Harold P. Sheldon, Tranquillity Revisited, 1940

68 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Ghost Birds signed “A. Lassell Ripley ©” lower left watercolor, 17 by 23 in.

This exceptional painting is a more fully developed version of the illlustration for “Ghost Birds,” published in Tranquillity Revisited.

In the 1940 Derrydale Press book, Colonel Harold P. Sheldon recounts a particular autumn when the grouse shooting was great, but the woodcock left early. In this work, Ripley

celebrates and captures two shooters and their dog set against the dappled light of autumn.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Kentucky LITERATURE: Colonel Harold P. Sheldon, Tranquillity Revisited, New York: Derrydale Press, 1940, pp. 98-101, study illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

61

JULIE JEPPSEN B. 1960

69

69 Julie Jeppsen (b. 1960)

Sunlight-Set signed “Julie Jeppsen ©” lower right oil on canvas, 24 by 36 in.

Julie Jeppsen is one of the top dog painters today.

Following in the footsteps of Rosseau, Osthaus, and Abbett, she is a contemporary artist who continues to impress the Sporting art world. She was selected by English pointer breeder and art collector Robert G. Wehle to illustrate the cover of his famous book, Snakefoot, the Making of a Champion, in 1996. This bright, vibrant sporting work captures two alert setters having spotted their quarry. $10,000 - $15,000

70 Julie Jeppsen (b. 1960)

Sweethearts signed “Julie Jeppsen ©” lower left oil on canvas, 12 by 16 in.

A buck and doe in a field in autumn. $2,000 - $4,000

62

70

DAVID A. MAASS B. 1929

63

DAVID A. MAASS B. 1929

71

71 David A. Maass (b. 1929) Thundering Out - Ruffed Grouse signed “Maass” lower left oil on board, 24 by 32 in.

An avid sportsman and ardent contributor to conservation organizations, David Maass has been actively painting game birds for more than fifty years. Over the decades, Maass has designed more than thirty conservation stamps and prints, a distinction few artists can claim. Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Minnesota Wildlife Heritage Foundation have each named David Maass their Artist of the Year. Maass’ original paintings and limited edition prints have been exhibited in galleries and shows throughout the country, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin.

64

Outstanding in composition and condition, Thundering Out depicts two ruffed grouse navigating their way through the birches.

This work was published as a signed and numbered print under the title Woodlot Flush in 1984.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$6,000 -$9,000

DAVID A. MAASS B. 1929

72

72 David A. Maass (b. 1929) Orchard Haven - Ruffed Grouse signed “Maass” lower left oil on board, 24 by 32 in.

A companion piece to the previous lot, Orchard Haven depicts two grouse floating down to their feeding grounds.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$6,000 - $9,000

65

THOMAS AQUINAS DALY B. 1937

73

73 Thomas Aquinas Daly (b. 1937) A Cascapedia Salmon at Trout Brook signed “TAdaly” lower right watercolor, 12 by 17 in. titled on artist’s label on back

After training as a graphic artist at the University of Buffalo and working in the commercial printing world, Tom Daly turned to fine art full time in 1981. His distinctive watercolors and oils capture the light and moods of hunting and fishing landscapes with sensitivity and lyricism. Two books are dedicated to his body of work: Painting Nature’s Quiet Places and The Art of Thomas Aquinas Daly, and his paintings have appeared in many

74

magazines and sporting art publications, including Sporting Classics and Gray’s Sporting Journal, among others.

A classic Daly fly fishing scene depicting one of North America’s most famous Atlantic salmon rivers. $2,000 - $3,000

74 Thomas Aquinas Daly (b. 1937) A Beached Salmon signed “tAdaly” lower right watercolor, 9 by 13 3/4 in. titled on label on back

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$2,000 - $3,000

66

OGDEN M. PLEISSNER

1905-1983

75

75 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

Salmon Fishing signed “Pleissner” lower right oil on canvas, 18 by 22 in.

Ogden Minton Pleissner was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied figure painting and portraiture with Frank DuMond (1865-1951) and Frederick J. Boston (1855-1932) at the Art Students League of New York. Despite growing up in the city, Pleissner was attracted to the outdoors and, as a teen, he visited dude ranches in Wyoming, where he sketched from life. Pleissner wanted to be classified primarily as a landscape painter, who also loved to hunt and fish. His subjects range from the landscapes of Europe to salmon fishing in Quebec, and his style is informed by the classical traditions. In 1932 one of Pleissner’s paintings was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, making him the youngest artist in their collection. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, as a member of the Salmagundi Club, Pleissner frequently won club prizes in the annual shows and gained special note from Howard Devree, art critic for The New York Times. Pleissner’s art is included in more than thirty public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. His art hangs in the offices of the Pentagon, West Point, and the Air Force Academy.

In his monograph on Pleissner, Peter Bergh writes, “Great sporting artists are great artists who know the habits of wild creatures and have committed to memory every detail of

habitat...[They] have experienced the thrill of an Atlantic salmon.”

Indeed, Pleissner recalled his New Brunswick salmon adventures, “I drove up there alone and I sketched around for a while...I had a tent and camping equipment so we got in a canoe and ran the whole length of the Restigouche and camped along the way.”

This significant oil painting shows boldly painted figures about to land an Atlantic salmon. While Pleissner did several small to mid-size oils depicting western trout fishing, his mid-size oils of salmon fishing are rarely seen.

The back of the Newcomb-Macklin frame has an additional painted Pleissner signature. At the same time the artist titled the stretcher “Salmon Fishing.”

PROVENANCE: Norman B. Woolworth, Winthrop, Maine By descent in the family Private Collection, acquired from Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, Plymouth, MA, July 23, 2008, lot 39 Private Collection, Connecticut LITERATURE: Peter Bergh, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, Boston, 1984, p. 79, pl. 108, illustrated.

$30,000 - $50,000 67

SAMUEL A. KILBOURNE 1836-1881

76

77

76 Samuel A. Kilbourne (1836-1881) Brook Trout signed “S.A. Kilbourne” lower left oil on canvas, 10 by 18 in. titled on label on back

Samuel Kilbourne was born in 1836 in Bridgetown, Maine. He was a successful landscape artist before turning his detailed eye to specialize in painting fish, and in 1878-1881 he published Game Fishes of the United States.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$3,000 - $5,000

68

77 Samuel A. Kilbourne (1836-1881)

Trout on the Bank, 1877 signed and dated “S.A. Kilbourne 1877” lower left oil on canvas, 12 by 20 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$1,800 - $2,400

78

79

78 Thomas Sedgwick Steele (1845-1903) (attr.)

79 Walter M. Brackett (1823-1919)

Still life with two trout, net, and fly rod. A classic 19th century fly fishing oil depicting a healthy brace of native brook trout.

A beach scene with a striped bass and ocean in the distance.

Brook Trout oil on canvas, 15 by 22 in.

Striped Bass signed “W. M. Brackett” lower right oil on canvas, 14 by 20 in.

$3,000 -$5,000

69

DAVID A. MAASS B. 1929

80

80 David A. Maass (b. 1929)

Blue-Winged Teal signed “Maass” lower left oil on board, 24 by 32 in.

Of the over 220 David Maass paintings that have come to auction in the last twenty-five years, only three depicting blue-winged teal have surfaced. This work, with its bright composition of seven adult birds taking off, is the finest of the three.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$6,000 - $9,000

“Dave Maass is one of the most sought after sporting artists...

He paints with realism and accuracy of detail and yet with a style of his own. He paints with the knowledge of one who has been there, whether it be marsh or upland scenes, the chill of early morning or the subtle colors of a fall afternoon. When you have seen his paintings, you will have been there too.”

— The Crossroads of Sport, 1973-74 70

DAVID A. MAASS B. 1929

81

81 David A. Maass (b. 1929) Goldeneye Coming In signed “Maass” lower right oil on board, 24 by 32 in.

82

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$6,000 - $9,000

82 David A. Maass (b. 1929) Mallards signed “Maass” lower right oil on board, 12 by 16 in.

A rare smaller work by the artist.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$4,000 - $6,000

71

JIM SCHMIEDLIN

1945-2015 | BRADFORD WOODS, PA

83

83 Outstanding Preening Gadwall Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, 2012 15 in. long

A Pittsburgh native, Jim proudly served in the US Navy from 1965 to 1971. He began carving in his spare time while employed at Pittsburgh Brewing (Iron City Beer), where he

worked for forty years. Today, Schmiedlin’s work is among the most sought after of any decoy maker who carved in the last half century.

The underside bears the maker’s “JAS” brand, “Return for Reward,” the date, and usage details. Original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$10,000 - $15,000

72

JIM SCHMIEDLIN

1945-2015 | BRADFORD WOODS, PA

84

84 Pintail Drake

Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, c. 2010 20 in. long

The underside of this turned-head drake bears the maker’s “JAS” brand as well as his signature, the species designation, and a dedication. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$8,000 - $10,000

73

JIM SCHMIEDLIN

1945-2015 | BRADFORD WOODS, PA

85

85 Mallard Drake

86 Preening Wigeon Drake

The underside bears the maker’s “JAS” brand along with his “Return for Reward” note. Original paint with light wear.

A rare preening wigeon with an underside bearing the maker’s “JAS” brand along with his “Return for Reward” note and painted hunting history inscription. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, c. 2010 19 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$8,000 - $10,000

Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, 1992 15 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$5,000 - $7,000

74

JIM SCHMIEDLIN

1945-2015 | BRADFORD WOODS, PA

86

Underside of Lot 86

75

JIM SCHMIEDLIN

1945-2015 | BRADFORD WOODS, PA

87

88

87 Canvasback Drake

88 Canvasback Hen

The underside has the “JAS” brand, reward badge, and penciled notes. Original paint with light gunning wear and some touch-up to body seam and back.

The underside bears the “JAS” brand, reward badge, and written history, including that the bird’s paint was improved by the maker in 2007 before going to the “Chicago Decoy Show” in 2011. Mostly original paint with some touch-up and even gunning wear.

Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, c. 1999 17 1/4 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$4,000 - $6,000

Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, c. 1999 17 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$4,000 - $6,000

76

JIM SCHMIEDLIN

1945-2015 | BRADFORD WOODS, PA

89

89 Swimming Ringneck

Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Bradford Woods, PA, 2000 14 1/2 in. long

This turned-head example displays the maker’s “JAS” brand, “Return for Reward” note, and usage details. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$4,000 - $6,000

77

ROGER FOWLER B. 1951

2024 BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST ARTIST OF THE YEAR

90

90 Roger Fowler (b. 1951)

Redfish, 2023 signed, numbered, and dated “Fowler 10/12 2023” in water on base bronze, 28 by 11 1/2 by 13 1/4 in. including base edition 10 of 12

Roger Fowler is the 2024 Featured Artist for The Bonefish and combination of complex colors and many look like they are Tarpon Trust. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of Redfish illuminated from within when they are seen in direct sunlight.“ will go directly to BTT, whose mission is to conserve and enhance global bonefish, tarpon, and permit fisheries and their $2,000 - $4,000 environments through stewardship, research, education, and advocacy. The BTT serves as a repository for information on the life history of these species and works internationally with anglers, guides, scientists, regulators, and the public to nurture and enhance fish populations.

Born in Texas, Roger Fowler grew up fly fishing on the Taylor River in Colorado during his summers. After graduating from college and joining the workforce, Fowler was dissatisfied with the sculptures he saw in galleries. As a result, in the early 1990s, he decided to try his own hand at creating lifelike fish that capture and reflect light. The artist writes, “I think there is something magical about the appearance of a fish seen up close. No creature on earth has such an interesting

78

LUKE FRAZIER B. 1970

91

91 Luke Frazier (b. 1970)

Fooled on the Flats, 2023 signed “l. frazier” upper right oil on board, 24 by 36 in.

Luke Frazier is one of the West’s top wildlife artists. Born and raised in the mountains of northern Utah, Frazier spent much of his youth hunting and fishing. His early forays into nature inspired a passion for the outdoors. As a child, Frazier spent countless hours sketching and sculpting wildlife, demonstrating not only a passionate interest, but also an instinctive ability. Later, he received his formal art training at Utah State University, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting and a master of fine arts degree in

illustration. Frazier cites the influence of Winslow Homer, Edgar Payne, Bruno Liljefors, Carl Rungius, and Bob Kuhn in his work.

In Fooled on the Flats, Frazier beautifully captures three bonefish converging on a fly. $12,000 - $18,000

79

CHET RENESON B. 1934

92

92 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Casting At Shadows signed “Reneson” lower left acrylic on board, 21 by 35 in.

A bright Bahamas bonefishing scene that captures the sunlight and bright blues and greens of flats fishing. $5,000 - $7,000

80

CHET RENESON

B. 1934

93

93 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

Flushing Sora signed “Reneson” lower left acrylic on board, 21 by 35 in.

This bright work captures marsh hunting for sora rail. $5,000 - $7,000

81

CHET RENESON B. 1934

94

95

94 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Over Yonder signed “Reneson” lower left watercolor, 18 by 28 in.

A fall upland scene with a hunter and his two alert, English setters.

95 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

Early Birds signed “Reneson” lower left watercolor, 18 by 28 in.

The Crossroads of Sport, New York label on back

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

A classic dawn duck hunting scene with hunters setting out decoys on a marsh. In typical fashion, the flights arrive before the rig is set!

$3,000 - $5,000

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$3,000 - $5,000

82

CHET RENESON

B. 1934

96

97

96 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

97 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

An atmospheric, rare, early acrylic by the artist depicting a duck hunter at dawn dragging his boat through the marsh to deeper water in preparation for the day. Reneson’s early paintings in this medium total just a few dozen and are amongst his most highly sought-after works.

In this early acrylic, Reneson captures the hunter at the end of his day on the water, picking up his decoys and preparing to return.

Low Tide, 1974 signed and dated “Reneson 74” lower right acrylic on board, 30 by 48 in. titled on back

Sun Down, 1974 signed and dated “Reneson 74” lower right acrylic on board, 30 by 48 in. titled on back

$4,000 - $6,000

$4,000 - $6,000

83

98

99

98 Maynard Reece (1920-2020)

Regal Flight - Whistling Swans, 1978 signed and dated “© Maynard Reece 1978” lower left oil on canvas, 24 by 36 in.

An ardent conservationist, Maynard Reece donated artwork to benefit numerous environmental and conservation causes throughout his career. To date, he has won the Federal Duck Stamp contest more than any other artist, with his design chosen in 1948, 1951, 1959, 1969, and 1971.

Reece writes, “The most spectacular sight in nature is a flock of swans winging their way in formation across an evening sky. These all-white birds seem to be loafing along at a slow wingbeat but actually they are flying faster than ducks...During the breakup of ice and snow in early spring comes the call of the whistling swan. Penetrating, higher, and more musical than that of Canada geese, the call will drift through the morning sky

84

even before the large white birds can be seen. This work is illustrated in The Waterfowl Art of Maynard Reece.

LITERATURE: The Waterfowl Art of Maynard Reece, New York, 1985, pl. 44, illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

99 Martin Wayne Willis (1914-1991)

Geese, Cheyenne Bottoms signed “M. Wayne Willis” lower left oil on board, 23 1/2 by 35 1/2 in.

Collection of Paul A. Johnsgard label on back According to The Crossroads of Sport, M. Wayne Willis’ “oil compositions are both strong and bold and accurate in bird and background detail.” $1,500 - $2,500

“A genius of the meticulous, together with a knowledge of the birds he portrays, Mr. Hagerbaumer is indeed one of the truly great sporting artists of our times.”

—The Crossroads of Sport, 1971-1972 100 David Hagerbaumer (1921-2014)

100

Wild Turkey, 1978 signed and dated “David Hagerbaumer” lower left watercolor, 15 by 22 in.

This outstanding wild turkey painting shows Hagerbaumer’s mastery of imparting depth of field, no easy feat in the medium of watercolor.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$2,000 - $3,000

101

101 David Hagerbaumer (1921-2014) Woodcock signed “Hagerbaumer” lower left watercolor, 15 3/4 by 21 1/4 in. $3,000 - $5,000

102 Milton C. Weiler (1910-1974)

Bobwhite-Grouse-Woodcock Upland Bird Trio each signed “M.C. Weiler” lower right or left each watercolor, 7 1/2 in. diameter The Sportsman’s Gallery, New York label on back PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Estate

$1,000 - $2,000

102

85

LYNN BOGUE HUNT 1878-1960

103

103 Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960)

Pheasant, 1939 signed “Lynn Bogue Hunt” lower right oil on canvasboard, 21 1/4 by 16 in.

Lynn Bogue Hunt was born in rural Honeoye Falls, New York, into a family that ran a small sawmill operation. He grew up with modest means, but spent hours outside exploring the natural surroundings in the woods near his home. He often collected birds and practiced taxidermy, a hobby that led to his accurate portrayal of his wildlife subjects.

Hunt contributed illustrations to his own articles as well as cover illustrations to magazines, such as Field & Stream, Sports Afield, and Free Press. During his lifetime, Hunt painted for private collectors and companies such as DuPont, illustrated over forty books, and produced roughly 250 magazine covers. Though he spent much of his life far from nature in New York City, Hunt had a strong foundation as a

knowledgeable outdoorsman, bird hunter, and fisherman, enabling him to accurately capture the essence of the outdoors.

This work appeared on the cover of Rotarian Magazine in 1939.

Established in 1911, the Rotarian is the official magazine of Rotary International. Seventeen Nobel Prize winners and nineteen Pulitzer Prize winners have contributed to the publication, placing Lynn Bogue Hunt’s featured work in good company.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Texas Private Collection, Iowa, acquired from The Sporting Sale 2007, lot 470 LITERATURE: Rotarian Magazine, 1939, illustrated on cover.

$8,000 - $12,000 86

104 Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960)

104

Mallards signed “Lynn Bogue Hunt” lower right oil on board, 14 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

This work graces the cover of A. Hunter Smith’s book, A Life Afield.

PROVENANCE: Patricia Reiley Collection Private Collection, Washington, acquired from Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2010, lot 54 LITERATURE: A. Hunter Smith, A Life Afield, Columbia, SC, 2015,

illustrated on cover.

$4,000 - $6,000

Dust-jacket cover of A Life Afield, 2015.

105 Roland Clark (1874-1957) Ducks in a Marsh signed “Roland Clark” lower left oil on board, 9 by 12 in.

105

Roland Clark was born in New Rochelle, New York, and studied at the Art Students League in Manhattan. After living in the Tidewater Region of Virginia for several years, where he was able to enjoy hunting and other outdoor pursuits, Clark returned to New York City and devoted himself to painting and illustrating full-time.

Beginning in 1937, the Derrydale Press reproduced two of Clark s watercolors of wildfowl every year in limited edition prints. In addition, he submitted illustrations to Ducks Unlimited, a booklet that was published by the More Game Birds in America Foundation. In 1938 one of Clark s images of pintail ducks was chosen as the fifth Federal Duck Stamp design. Clark’s devotion to and execution of waterfowl subjects places him among the elite depicting the genre.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

$2,000 - $4,000

87

106

106 Eldridge Hardie (1940-2021)

Back from the Corn - Mallards, 1976 signed and dated “Eldridge Hardie 1976” lower left watercolor, 16 by 21 3/4 in. signed, titled, and numbered “I-76” on back

Eldridge Hardie grew up in Texas between a Hill Country ranch and El Paso. After his uncle, a commercial illustrator, inspired him to take up painting, Hardie attended art school at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1966 he settled in Denver and has enjoyed a long and successful career as a sporting and wildlife artist.

“In a sense, a sporting artist must be three painters in one, rendering convincing landscapes, dogs and wildlife that are both accurate in detail and lively, and believable human figures,” Grudowski writes. “It’s little surprise that Hardie’s immersion in the sporting life that he paints--his intuitive feel for his subjects--strikes a chord.”

107.1

107.2

Hardie’s paintings can be found in the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin, the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee, and the El Paso Museum of Art, to name several important collections and institutions that support and exhibit the artist’s work. Hardie has been Artist of the Year for the Atlantic Salmon Federation and Trout Unlimited, and Featured Artist at the Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, among other honors.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Colorado

$3,000 - $5,000

107 Roland Green (British, 1896-1972) Two Waterfowl Watercolors each 17 3/4 by 11 3/4 in.

Green-Winged Teal signed “Roland Green” lower left Canvasbacks signed “Roland Green” lower right PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

$400 - $600

88

JOHN MARTIN TRACY 1843-1893

108

108 John Martin Tracy (1843-1893)

Leicester signed “J.M. Tracy” lower right oil on board, 10 1/2 by 14 in.

Newhouse Galleries labels on back with title, artist

John Martin Tracy was born in Rochester, Ohio. His father was an abolitionist preacher who was killed in an antislavery demonstration. His mother, Maria Conant Tracy, was a journalist who covered the Crystal Palace Explosion in London.

Tracy attended Oberlin College and Northwestern University.

He enlisted in the 19th Illinois Infantry in 1861. After the Civil War, he husbanded his resources from teaching and farming to attend the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. He studied there for a year, after which he traveled extensively throughout the United States. He returned to Paris in 1874 for further study and exhibited at the Paris Salon that year. In 1881 he settled in Greenwich, Connecticut, where his paintings were esteemed for being exceptionally accurate.

This portrait of “Leicester” captures the likeness of one of the pioneering English setters. After Leicester won the Westminster Kennel Club Champion English Setter Dog category in 1881, it was reported, “Leicester never looked better, and as Mr. Moore states this is his last exhibition, we were glad to see the old dog retire a champion.” The dog won an award at the Philadelphia International Exhibition in

1876, and in 1883, at the seventh Westminster Kennel Club dog show, “Mr. Moore’s famous setter, Leicester, valued at $10,000, [was] also exhibited, but not for competition.” A.H. Moore managed Cloverdale stock farm near Philadelphia, and made the news in 1892 and 1893 for buying race horses for top prices. His father, Andrew M. Moore, was partner in Moore & Sinnott, the largest whisky distiller in the world. He died at age 84 with “a fortune estimated at $5,000,000,” according to his death notice.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Forest and Stream, April 28, 1881, p. 254.

Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, May 12, 1883, p. 185.

$2,000 - $3,000

89

RICHARD E. BISHOP 1887-1975

109 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975)

Hollybrook Abandon, 1938 signed and dated “Richard E. Bishop ‘38” lower right oil on board, 11 1/2 by 15 1/2 in.

The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop, New York label on back

This bright painting depicts Hollybrook Abandon, the most famous English springer spaniel ever field-trialed in this country. It was painted in 1938 by noted sporting artist Richard E. Bishop, two years after he won the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest.

Hollybrook Abandon was owned by Harry I. Caesar, one of the founders of the Leash, a club for gentlemen dog-lovers (code for speakeasy) in 1925. Caesar worked for the family business, H. A. Caesar & Co., a dry-goods wholesaler and textile firm turned commercial bank and was described as “the dog-fancy-ing banker.” He served in World War I and headed Dogs for Defense during World War II, as well as being head of the American Kennel Club in 1946 and 1947, and holding leadership roles with the English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association.

early trials. The setting at Fishers Island “is beautiful country over which to run a trial. There are wide stretches of grass land as level as a prairie that encourage a dog to step out, bog lands and gorse-covered hillsides to test their courage and pools of water which enable the judges to determine the all-around capabilities of the dogs before them,” notes Forest and Stream.

In 1937 “Harry was awarded the trophy for best amateur handler in the meet, and his dog, Hollybrook Abandon, won the prize as the best working dog in the meet, having, among other things, won the British Challenge Cup,” according to the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Caesar married Doris Porter in December 1913 after graduating from Princeton in the same year. Doris was a noted expressionist sculptor who studied at the Art Students League and in Alexander Archipenko’s studio, and exhibited her works at the Whitney Museum in 1959. Together with his wife, Caesar was a noted art collector whose name appears in provenance notes for Matisse works and others, and as a contributing member of MoMA. In addition to this Bishop, Caesar commissioned a number of known sporting art works from Aiden Lassell Ripley.

In both 1937 and 1938, Caesar and Hollybrook Abandon had great years, culminating in this portrait. In both of these years, the English Springer Spaniel Field Trials were held on Fishers Island, New York. The Henry L. Ferguson Museum on Fishers Island held a special exhibition, The English Springer Spaniel on Fishers Island, in 2019, including historic photographs from

Hollybrook Abandon, 1944.

90

The New York Times covered the trials, reporting, “Owned and handled in the field by Harry I. Caesar of Rumson, N.J., this liver and white American-bred Springer was put through an extremely severe test over difficult terrain and punishing cover to triumph…More severe conditions for testing spaniels in the field hardly could be imagined…Hollybrook Abandon, sired

by Archy of Fintry and out-of-field trial champion Banchory Flame, was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Milbank of New York City. He was whelped April 14, 1935…Steadiness under the trying conditions marked Abandon’s work. He was always going on and gave recurring evidence of those inherent spaniel qualities that delight the hearts of true sportsmen. He was especially outstanding on running birds and his crowning performance was a superb blind retrieve in the gathering darkness.”

The New York Times chronicled the next year at the trial: “Hollybrook Abandon…started slowly in the first series in

HOLLYBROOK ABANDON

109

the morning, but as soon as his legs were well stretched he showed more dash. He hunted the likely places, quartering his ground in orthodox style. He was steady on all his birds, his first retrieve was from difficult cover and his handling of his birds hardly could have been better…Abandon’s marking was most precise and this was exemplified in his second series, in

which both his birds were marked down almost exactly, the first in dense cover. His control was a feature of his work and this was proved decisively in the third series when two birds were shot at and not killed and when he was given another chance and a bevy got in front of him. He won outright the cup offered by David Wagstaff, president of the association.

He will have his name engraved on the British Challenge Cup, presented by the English Springer Spaniel Club of England.”

Two engraved trophies accompany this lot, as well as Harry I. Caesar’s photo album from the trials.

PROVENANCE:: Harry I. Caesar Collection, commissioned through The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop, New York, 1938 Henry A. Caesar II Collection, by descent in the family The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop, Inc. LITERATURE:

Princeton Alumni Weekly, 1937, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 9, p. 206.

Henry R. Ilsley, “Hollybrook Abandon Takes Springer Open All-Age Stake Second Year in Row,” The New York Times, Sunday, October 23, 1938.

“Brilliantly Contested Springer Spaniel Stake Goes to Hollybrook Abandon,” The New York Times, Sunday, October 24, 1937.

Forest and Stream, December 1926.

Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson Wildfeuer, The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley, pl. 80, p. 90. $6,000 - $9,000 91

92

THE MCCLEERY CROWELL CANVASBACK HEN

93

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

“Crowell...created the most spectacular group of painted carvings the hunting world had ever seen.

His working decoys from this period (1900-1915) also show a degree of love, labor and art that is unparalleled in the decoy world.”

— Brian Cullity, The Songless Aviary

110 The McCleery Crowell Canvasback Hen A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1905 16 in. long

The McCleery Crowell canvasback hen is a singular gunning decoy that showcases the maker’s finest work produced during his best artistic period. This decoy’s mate is a preening canvasback drake held in the Paul Tudor Jones II Collection.

While a number of Crowell’s canvasbacks over the following decades are notable for the special attention to carved feather groups, this McCleery hen and the Jones drake are early pre-brand models and show grand bodies with especially strong carving seen in the special commissions for patrons Harry V. Long and John C. Phillips.

In addition to carved primaries and tail feathers, this hen has a very full body, slightly pinched breast, wing separation down the back, and deeply carved scapulars and flanks. This high level of detail was achieved with an efficient sequence of knife and chisel cuts, resulting in a lively decoy with a powerful

94

sense of motion. The head is highly refined and turned to the right with the maker’s rasped technique on the nape. The surface was finished with blended feathering from breast to tail.

The underside retains its lead weight, an old collector’s label, and the “MCCLEERY” auction ink stamp and lot tag. While in the McCleery collection, this decoy was shown in his Call to the Sky exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural History and it was published in the trio of McCleery publications. Most recently, it was included in Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving. This is the single best Crowell canvasback hen decoy acquired by two decoy collecting legends, Dr. McCleery and Dr. Griffith. Outstanding overall condition with original paint and very light gunning wear.

THE MCCLEERY CROWELL CANVASBACK HEN

110

PROVENANCE: Robert Cleaves Collection Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Dr. Lloyd Griffith Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2018, p.

151, Jones collection preening drake illustrated, p. 3, exact hen illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette & Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, 2000, lot 72, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, pp. 20-21, exact decoy illustrated.

Ronald J. Gard and Robert Shaw, eds., The McCleery Auction, Dallas, TX, 2001, p. 53, exact decoy illustrated.

Brian Cullity, The Songless Aviary: The World of A. E. Crowell & Son, Sandwich, MA, Heritage Plantation, 1992, p. 36, early works discussed.

EXHIBITED: Houston, Texas, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston Museum of Natural History, 1992-1993. $125,000 - $175,000

95

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

111

96

In the iconic painting The Coot Shooter, 1913, oil on canvas, 40 x 50 in., by Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), the artist forever memorialized the rugged nature of coastal scoter hunting on canvas. At about the same time, Crowell was paying homage to this fast flying bird in wood. Gunning for scoter is not for the faint of heart; nor is the “delectable” scoter for the faint of palate.

Photo courtesy of Copley Fine Art Auctions Archives.

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

111 Rare Flying Scoter

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 21 1/2 in. long and 30 in. wingspan

An exceedingly rare life-size flying surf scoter. This may be Crowell’s best representation of any scoter. It appears to be the first Crowell life-size flying sea duck to surface on the market in over a quarter century.

The carving is led by highly refined head carving and flanked by complex curved wings with scalloped edges. The tail is finished with incised feathering. Blended feathering was applied from head to tail. As he did with his more common puddle ducks, terns, and shorebirds, the artist used the open wings to show-

case his unmatched skill in painting plumage. The backside retains a screw eye for hanging on a wall. Original paint with light wear, two minor chips to back edge of lower wing tip, and loss of feet.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Cape Cod LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2018, p.

254, scoter decoy illustrated.

$17,500 - $22,500

97

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

112

98

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

113

112 Exceptional Black-Bellied Plover A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 10 in. long

An early shorebird mantel carving displaying some of the Harwich master’s finest blended plumage. A showing of the maker’s attention to detail in this work is the hint of auricular feather paint detail surrounding the eye. This subtle identifier of the maker’s best work was first pointed out by Crowell scholar Gigi Hopkins.

The plover, exhibiting a split tail and anatomically accurate bill carving, is mounted on a detailed carved and painted base with Crowell’s early oval brand on the bottom. Excellent original paint with light wear, some minor sap along breast, tip of one toe is missing.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Mount Desert Island, Maine Thomas and Nancy Hennessey Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp.

218, 219, related plover illustrated.

$14,000 - $18,000

113 Turned-Head Yellowlegs A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 8 in. long

A turned-head lesser yellowlegs with exceptional paint detail.

The degree of the head’s turn compelled Crowell to use an applied head in contrast to his standard one-piece shorebird model. The wire legs are affixed to a natural wood base signed “A. E. Crowell, Cape Cod.” Excellent original paint with minimal wear, repair to tip of rightmost toe. $14,000 - $18,000

99

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

114

114 Life-Size Gold Finch

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 3 1/4 in. tall and 4 1/4 in. long

This rare and bright gem was selected as a full-page feature in the Crowell monograph. The underside is signed, identified, and marked with the master’s rectangular stamp signature. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Stephen H. Churchill Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2018, p. 205, exact carving illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000 115

115 Rare Life-Size Purple Finch A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1926 5 3/4 in. long

116

This life-size finch carving is rare and may be unique. This carving and the wren in this sale hail from the West Collection of Crowell’s life-sized songbirds. Dr. Davenport A. West and Mrs. Dorothy Phelps West resided in New York City’s Upper East Side where he practiced medicine. The couple’s passion for Crowell likely developed during their time at a summer home on Cape Cod. Correspondence between the Wests and Crowell between 1925 and 1927 list both this finch and the wren. The West’s sizeable Crowell order, and delivery, suggests that these previously unknown patrons held some of the artist’s finest life-sized songbirds. This base, along with the next lot’s, feature a stamp rarely seen.

The underside is marked with the maker’s “High Class Decoys of Every Description” ink stamp, and inked signature, and a penciled “2.” Excellent original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Dr. Davenport and Mrs. Dorothy Phelps West Collection, acquired from the maker Private Collection, Cape Cod

$5,000 - $8,000

100

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

117

116 Dropped-Wing Life-Size Wren

117 Early Canada Goose

An exceedingly rare carving of this beloved songbird with refined carving and highly detailed paint. The underside is marked with the maker’s “High Class Decoys of Every Description” ink stamp, oval brand, and penciled signature.

Aside from the three unique geese made for Harry V. Long, this early example shows the maker’s very best goose decoy form.

The grand body has a well-rounded breast which transitions very cleanly to the thin and curved neck. It is topped with exceptional head carving. The underside is marked with an early imprint of his oval brand. The rig initials “J.A.N.” are also incised on the bottom. A fine example of a Crowell goose with all the aspects that top collectors look for. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, two cracks in front of neck, crack along underside, and some touch-up, mostly to white on front lower left and to worn area on right side.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1926 5 1/2 in. long

These melodious little birds may have challenged “The Songless Aviary” moniker given to Crowell’s workshop. Wrens are frequent and welcome guests in airy carving studios and will often raise their chicks above active work benches.

Excellent original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Dr. Davenport and Mrs. Dorothy Phelps West Collection, acquired from the maker Private Collection, Cape Cod

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 23 in. long

$10,000 - $15,000

$5,000 - $8,000

101

AUGUSTUS AARON "GUS" WILSON 1864-1950 | SOUTH PORTLAND, ME

118

118 Mussel-in-Mouth Rocking-Head Black Duck Augustus “Gus” Aaron Wilson (1864-1950) South Portland, ME, c. 1930 20 1/2 in. long

Known for creating decoys with dynamic forms, this swimming, feeding, rocking-head black duck successfully ties three distinct Wilson features all into one decoy. Wilson may be the only carver to have represented a puddle duck with shellfish. Wilson’s interpretation reminds us of the rugged Maine coast and the special reverence that hunters and mariners hold for the wily back duck. This decoy was never rigged and hails from the Haid Collection. Excellent original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Montsell Pierce Collection Alan and Elaine Haid Collection Private Collection Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1990, p. 25, related decoy illustrated.

$14,000 - $18,000

102

JOSEPH W. LINCOLN 1859-1938 | ACCORD, MA

119

119 Rare Brant

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1900 19 in. long

This rare solid-bodied Lincoln model has a broad flat bottom, similar to his self-bailer design. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, a tight crack at base of neck, and one possible spot of very minor touch-up to back of head. $6,000 - $8,000

Lincoln outside his Hingham, MA workshop, with a related brant over his right shoulder.

103

AUGUSTUS AARON "GUS" WILSON 1864-1950 | SOUTH PORTLAND, ME

120

120 Exceedingly Rare Preening Mallard Hen Augustus Aaron “Gus” Wilson (1864-1950) South Portland, ME, c. 1890 15 1/2 in. long

A rare, if not unique, preening mallard hen with an inlaid head joint that extends to catch the bill tip. The head is dramatically turned and canted far to the right; this elegant asymmetry prompted the addition of small counter weights on the left underside for balanced floatation. Similar in form to his black ducks, the white tail paint reveals this decoy’s mallard hen identification. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear and some darkening to wear mostly along right side.

LITERATURE: Robert Bishop, American Folk Sculpture, NY, NY, 1974, p.

302, drake illustrated.

Gene Kangas, “Gus Wilson Folk Artist,” Decoy Magazine, November/December 1994, p. 11, drake illustrated.

104

Osona & O’Brien, Important Waterfowl and Shorebird Decoys, Nantucket Island, MA, 1993, front cover and lot 33, drake illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, North American Decoys at Auction, July 2009, lot 369, exact decoy illustrated. $25,000 - $35,000

121 Preening Brant

John Brooks (1879-1962) Freeland, Prince Edward Island, Canada, c. 1930 13 in. long

121

This Maritime masterwork exhibits a deep preening head pose.

It is mounted on a long steel rod for use as a stick-up decoy.

Maritime Canada decoy specialists Dale and Gary Guyette discuss the relationship between Brooks’ decoys and John Ramsey’s, noting, “They are extremely similar except for having slightly different paint and rough undersides.” Original paint with even gunning wear, some discoloration to right side. Some original imperfections to wood, including knot in tail and age line along lower left side.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 33, related John Ramsey example illustrated.

Dale and Gary Guyette, Decoys of Maritime Canada, Exton, PA, 1983, pp. 110-111, and 120, related brant discussed and illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, p. 276, closely related example illustrated.

122

$3,000 - $5,000

122 Standing Brant

John Ramsey (1858-1934) Summerside, Prince Edward Island, c. 1890 19 in. long, 20 1/2 in. tall

A closely related preening example was selected for the front dust-jacket cover of Decoys of Maritime Canada. The iron legs have been secured to a wooden display stand. Original paint with gunning wear and some cracks.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Princeton, New Jersey, acquired

c. 1975

LITERATURE: Dale and Gary Guyette, Decoys of Maritime Canada, Exton, PA, 1983, front cover, related example illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

123

123 Swimming Long-Tailed Duck Maine, c. 1940 15 in. long

Old paint with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$900 - $1,200

105

CHARLES PERDEW 1874-1963 | HENRY, IL

“Of his many styles, Perdew is most revered for his masterful sleepers and preening decoys. Both Robert Elliston and Charles Perdew felt that the presence of sleepers and preeners added a suggested calm to the rig that was more enticing to waterfowl. Whether this actually made any difference to the circling birds is subject to debate; however, the graceful pose inherent in these styles is desirable among collectors.”

— Stephen O’Brien Jr. & Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River 124 Preening Mallard Hen

Charles H. Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1930 14 1/2 in. long

This newly discovered preener is fresh to the decoy marketplace. Of his many styles, Perdew is most revered for his masterful sleepers and preening decoys. Both Robert Elliston and Charles Perdew felt that the presence of sleepers and preeners added a suggested calm to the rig that was more enticing to waterfowl. Whether this actually made any difference to the circling birds is subject to debate; however, the graceful pose inherent in these styles is certainly desirable among collectors.

An exceptional preening mallard hen with all the traits one looks for in an Illinois River decoy, including elegant form, paint

by Edna Perdew, and fine craftsmanship. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some minor old working fill at neck seam, and several shot marks on left side.

LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, pp. 63-81, related examples illustrated and discussed.

Ann Tandy Lacy, Perdew: An Illinois River Tradition, Muncie, IN, 1993, front dust-jacket cover, related example illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

106

CHARLES PERDEW 1874-1963 | HENRY, IL

124

107

JUDGE GLENN J. CAMERON 1882-1958 | CHILLICOTHE, IL

125

125 Mallard Pair

Judge Glenn J. Cameron (1882-1958) Chillicothe, IL, c. 1910 15 in. long

Judge Glenn J. Cameron was not only a carver, but also a jurist, sportsman, and conservationist, who, upon his death, deeded his 700-acre wetlands refuge on the west side of the Illinois River to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Influenced by Stephen Lane, among others, Cameron carved relatively few decoys using the finest wood.

This rigmate pair shows highly refined form and excellent paint.

Each hollow body bears the maker’s rig brand, and the drake has the Somers Headley collection stamp. This pair represents the pinnacle of the maker’s work. Original paint with even gunning wear. Several minute spots of touch-up to both. Drake has tight age line in neck.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection LITERATURE: Paul W. Parmalee and Forrest D. Loomis, Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois, DeKalb, IL, 1969, p. 299, pl. 248, related drake illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000 108

WILLIAM HENRY SCHMEDTGEN 1862-1936

126

126 William Henry Schmedtgen (1862-1936) Mallards on Lake Senachwine signed “W. SCHMEDTGEN” lower left oil on canvas, 19 by 26 in.

William Henry Schmedtgen was an American illustrator and painter known as a pioneer in the Chicago newspaper industry. He later became the head of the art department at the Chicago Record from 1886 to 1901. He participated in the Spanish–American War as a field artist, stationed with U.S. troops in Cuba.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

$3,000 - $5,000

109

CHARLES WALKER 1873-1954 | PRINCETON, IL

127

127 Early Preening Mallard Hen Charles Walker (1873-1954) Princeton, IL, c. 1925 14 in. long

This exceedingly rare decoy was used at the Princeton Fish and Game Club in the Vance and Brown rigs. Vance’s stenciled rig number “28” and Brown’s painted “M.L.B.” are on the underside. This decoy and one drake from this collection are believed to be the only two life-size Walker preeners known.

Mix of original and old working paint with heavy gunning wear and two neck cracks with touch-up.

PROVENANCE: E. C. Vance Rig Merle L. Brown Rig Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 59, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $6,000 - $9,000

110

GEORGE REISINGER

1880-1956 | PEKIN, IL

128

128 Preening Mallard Drake George Reisinger (1880-1956) Pekin, IL, c. 1930 14 in. long

Reisinger made decoys and built boats in his spare time to supplement his income. His experimentation with head positions led Reisinger to carve great works of folk art. This grand drake’s high preening head allows for a large negative space which compliments the high tail cut. This is the finest example of the maker’s work to have surfaced. Original paint with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 92, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $10,000 - $15,000

111

CHARLES SCHOENHEIDER SR. 1854-1944 | PEORIA, IL

129

129 Outstanding Blue-Winged Teal Hen Charles Schoenheider Sr. (1854-1944) Peoria, IL, c. 1910 11 3/4 in. long

A rare teal by the maker displaying his signature long-body style. Like all Schoenheider’s best decoys, this bird was finished with exceptional Jack Franks paint. One of the most refined Schoenheider decoys known to exist, with its sublime carving and meticulous paint. A related teal resides in the Tonelli collection. Original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Walter White Collection

Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection, acquired from the above, 1981

112

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 48, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $12,000 - $18,000

CHARLES WALKER 1873-1954 | PRINCETON, IL

130

130 Exemplary Jolley Rig Mallard Drake

Charles Walker (1873-1954) Princeton, IL, c. 1948 17 in. long

This exemplary Clifford Jolley rig decoy shows one of the Midwest’s greatest carvers at the height of his craft. The deep and hollow body is finished with raised wing carving and Walker’s signature feather-paint style. The high head is turned to the left. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Clifford Jolley Rig Donald Kirson Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 61, rigmates illustrated.

$10,000 - $15,000

113

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

131 The Haid Mason Dust-Jacket Swan Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 26 1/2 in. long, 21 1/2 in. tall.

This exceedingly rare premier-grade swan exhibits Mason’s best head carving, a high humped back, and “kick-up tail.” It retains exceptional paint with an appealing surface. The underside is fitted with a round lead-pipe weight.

PROVENANCE: Discovered in a Smith Island, Maryland waterman’s shack in the 1960s Donald J. Federroll Collection, Maryland The Alan and Elaine Haid Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection, acquired from the above

This decoy was first discovered on Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay in the 1960s. It was then exhibited on long-term loan for twenty years at the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, also on the Chesapeake Bay.

LITERATURE: Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: Expanded Edition, Lewes, DE, 2014, back dust-jacket cover, exact decoy illustrated.

Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: Updated Edition, Lewes, DE, 2014, back dust-jacket cover and p. 154, exact decoy illustrated.

Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, The Canvasback, Fall 1994, p. 18, exact decoy illustrated.

The bird left the museum and Alan Haid, a leading Mason dealer, acquired this swan in the parking lot of a decoy show.

The bird went on to rest prominently by a fireplace in his Connecticut decoy room. Given its rarity and outstanding condition, it was next chosen by Haid and Goldberger for the dust-jacket covers of the “Expanded” and “Updated” editions of their Mason Decoys books. With its provenance and accolades many consider it to be the finest Mason swan decoy to have survived. Old gunning paint with moderate wear, a crack along the underside, and age line along the right side. Under the appealing craquelure paint, a chip to the top of tail was smoothed by a gunner.

EXHIBITED: Havre de Grace, Maryland, Havre de Grace Decoy

Museum.

$50,000 - $60,000

Back dust-jacket cover, Mason Decoys: Updated Edition

114

THE HAID MASON DUST-JACKET SWAN

131

115

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

132

132 Premier-Grade Blue-Winged Teal Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1905 12 in. long

This early premier-grade teal exhibits the factory’s desirable snakey head form and the crisp brush strokes of Mason’s finest painters. This example also includes Mason’s celebrated “double-blues” plumage. Excellent original paint with minor wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection LITERATURE: Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Pictorial Guide, Updated Edition, Lewes, DE, 2014, pp. 55-57, related examples illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey, Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, Session I & II, 1973, lot 23, related drake illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

116

underside of lot 133

MASON DECOY FACTORY

1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

133

133 McCleery Salesman’s Sample Black-Bellied Plover Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1900 10 1/4 in. long

This carving is the best of its kind, with extra attention paid by the painter executing the developed plumage swirls and the curation of the decoy by Dr. McCleery, who had his pick of many dozens of Mason plover over his decades of collecting and upgrading.

A one-of-a-kind salesman’s sample shorebird decoy by the Mason Decoy Factory, inscribed “Black Breast Plover, $7.50.

Dz.” on the underside. This “A-1” grade shorebird decoy exhibits breeding plumage in its painted feather detail with early swirled and stippled paint. The bottom is also stamped “McCLEERY.” Historically, salesmen would carry examples of the decoys illustrated in the catalog when pursuing orders for their company. This example was one of six salesman’s sample decoys, each a different species, acquired by noted New Jersey collector, Mort Hanson.

Dr. McCleery, widely known as one of the leading decoy collectors of all time, once proclaimed, “Masons - The undisputed royalty of factory made decoys.” Illustrating McCleery as a factory decoy aficionado, the McCleery auction sale catalog tallies well over a quarter of his bird decoys as factory made.

Original paint with minor wear.

PROVENANCE: Mort Hanson Collection Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Mark Smith Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Milton C. Weiler and William J. Mackey Jr., Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, New York, NY, 1971, pl. 12.

Russ J. Goldberger and Alan G. Haid, Mason Decoys: A Complete Pictorial Guide, Burtonsville, MD, 1993, pp. 106, 107, 136, and back dust-jacket cover, similar decoys illustrated.

Jackson Parker, “Auction News,” Decoy Magazine, May/June 2000, pp. 40-42, p. 40, exact decoy illustrated.

$10,000 - $15,000

117

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

134

134 Willet Trio

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 12 in. long

Three rigmates with very dry surfaces and some traces of old newsprint. A rare rig find in nice dry original paint, these decoys resided in a home at the famed Blooming Grove Club in Pennsylvania. Original paint with a dry untouched surface and moderate gunning wear. One has tight age lines in body, another has age lines in body and neck with some flaking to neck.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$2,500- $3,500

135 Yellowlegs

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1920 13 in. long

Excellent original paint with nice dry surface and very light even gunning wear. $1,500 - $2,500

118

Shorebird decoys advertised in an early Mason catalog.

135

CHAUNCEY WHEELER

1888-1945 | ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY

136

136 Rigmate Bluebill Pair

Chauncey Wheeler (1888-1945) Alexandria Bay, NY, c. 1915 15 in. long

Wheeler hailed from in the Thousand Islands region of northern New York. He carved his first miniature pair at the age of eight, predominantly using just a jackknife and a spokeshave. He is widely regarded as the area’s first commercial decorative carver.

largest auction house in the mid-1960s when it was purchased

by Sotheby & Co. of London. Drake is in original paint with light gunning wear, very tight age lines in neck and old gunning touch-up to tail edge. Hen appears to be in original paint with light gunning wear and a hairline crack in neck.

This exceptional pair was auctioned off by Sotheby Parke Bernet in 1976. Founded in 1937, Parke Bernet was America s

1976

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, acquired at Sotheby Parke Bernet,

$5,000 - $8,000

119

137

138

139

120

140

137 High-Head Canvasback

138 Rare Canada Goose

This decoy was selected for Walsh and Jackson’s Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the Lake St. Clair Region. One of the finest Schweikart canvasbacks known, its bull head is the highest of any. John Schweikart lived and worked in Detroit.

He and his brother Carl were motorboat and racing yacht builders. In addition to serving as the president of Schweikart Boat Works, John was an avid outdoorsman. He would sail his own boat, The Huntress, to victory in regattas and to his camp on Strawberry Island on Lake St. Clair to hunt and fish.

This hollow decoy has an “RWA” brand on the bottom board for Robert Abrahamson, a Lake Winnebago guide. Original paint with heavy gunning wear, neck crack, and possible working repaint on head.

Capt. John C. Schweikart (1870-1954) Strawberry Island, MI, c. 1910 15 1/2 in. long

This drake exhibits a high version of Schweikart’s signature bull neck. His construction is meticulous and unique; the wing tips are aluminum, a two-piece copper bottom plate provides a winged keel, and even the head was hand hollowed. The underside is branded “Kangas.” Old paint with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Kangas Collection of International Folk Art and Decoys Private Collection LITERATURE: Clune Walsh Jr. and Lowell G. Jackson, Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the Lake St. Clair Region, Detroit, MI, 1983, pl. 2-3, and p. 29, exact decoy illustrated.

Guyette & Deeter, North American Decoys at Auction April 21 & 22, 2016, Portsmouth, NH, page 77, lot 139, exact decoy illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

August “Gus” Moak (1852-1942) Tustin, WI, c. 1920 21 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Robert Abrahamson Rig Private Collection, Wisconsin

$3,000 - $5,000

139 Canada Goose Michigan 25 in. long

This decoy is closely related to the work of Benjamin Schmidt (1884-1968). Its refinement, however, appears to surpass that typically seen in the Michigan master carver’s work. Original paint with even wear. $3,000 - $5,000

140 Snow Goose Michigan 22 1/2 in. long

This decoy is closely related to the work of Benjamin Schmidt (1884-1968). Original paint with even wear and body has a few age lines. $3,000 - $5,000

121

FERDINAND L. HOMME 1901-1963 | STOUGHTON, WI

141

141 Rare Sleeping Black Duck

Ferdinand L. Homme (1901-1963) Stoughton, WI, c. 1940 15 in. long

A graceful, hollow Homme decoy with a head in a resting posture. This gunning decoy features extensive raised feather and wing tip carving details. The entire surface is finished with refined feather painting. Proudly marking the underside is a large painted “Ferd Homme” signature. Original paint with light gunning wear, including rubs to edge of wing tips and tail, minor darkening to small flakes, and chips to glass eyes.

122

LITERATURE: Donna Tonelli, Fish and Fowl Decoys of The Great Lakes, Atglen, PA, 2002, p. 206, related mallards illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

FERDINAND L. HOMME 1901-1963 | STOUGHTON, WI

142

142 Tucked-Head Mallard

Ferdinand L. Homme (1901-1963) Stoughton, WI, c. 1930 15 1/2 in. long

An excellent mallard with carved and crossed primaries. The tucked head has a touch of negative space behind where the bill rests on the breast. The underside of the hollow body is branded “A. T. Shearer.” Original paint with gunning wear, old gunning fill to several shot scars, and a dent at top right of bill.

PROVENANCE: Dr. Ansley Thomas Shearer Rig Shearer Family Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection

$8,000 - $10,000

123

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

143 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Bald Eagles (The Eagles), 1941 signed and dated “F.W. Benson ‘41” lower left oil on canvas, 39 3/4 by 32 in.

Frank Weston Benson, one of the Ten American Painters and a leading influence in the Boston School of American Impressionism, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on March 24, 1862. In his youth, Benson was a gifted athlete and excelled at boxing, sailing, and tennis. Growing up along the extensive marshes surrounding his native Salem, Benson learned to hunt and fish at an early age.

Benson loved nature and birds in particular. He wanted to combine his love for birds and his love for art by pursuing a career as an ornithological illustrator in the manner of John James Audubon (1785-1851). As a child he spent many hours at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard and Benson’s mother, who was herself a painter, encouraged him in this pursuit.

In 1880, Benson enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He studied with the school’s founding teachers, Otto Grundmann (1844-1890) and Frederick Crowninshield (1845-1918). Among his classmates were Willard Metcalf (1858-1925), William Bicknell (1860-1947), Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938), and Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950). Benson learned quickly and was recognized as a particularly gifted student. In 1882, while still attending classes at the Museum School, Benson began to teach free evening drawing classes in Salem.

In 1885 Benson rented a painting studio in Salem. He began to exhibit at the Boston Art Club and the National Academy of

124

Design in New York, receiving much critical acclaim and numerous awards. After his marriage to Ellen Peirson in 1888, he taught at the Boston Museum School with his friend Edmund Tarbell intermittently until 1930.

Three years before completing this painting, in 1938, a joint Benson-Tarbell retrospective at the MFA in Boston “broke all attendance records at the museum,” according to Benson scholar Faith Andrews Bedford. She also writes, “The eagles that soared high above the waters off Benson’s summer home on North Haven often served as models for Benson’s numerous watercolor and oil studies.”

She continues, “North Haven also provided Benson with wide vistas of water and blue hills beyond, scenes of eagles swirling above storm-tossed seas…It was a rich environment for a painter.” In this fine work, painted at the cusp of America’s involvement in World War II, Benson captures both the impressive power of our national symbol and a looming squall over a turbulent sea. Please note this work had some notable restoration, contact our office for a full condition report.

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family LITERATURE: Faith Andrews Bedford, The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson, Boston: David R. Godine, 2000, pp. 31, 129, full-page illustrated.

$100,000 - $200,000

143

125

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

144

144 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Souvenir of Florida, 1934 signed and dated “F.W. Benson ‘34” lower left watercolor, 19 by 24 in.

Berry-Hill Galleries, New York label on back

Noted Benson scholar and descendent Faith Andrews Bedford writes, “Painted while on a fishing trip to the Florida Keys, this watercolor captures the sultry, shimmering heat of noonday - a far cry from Benson’s cool, crisp Maine summers.”

PROVENANCE: The artist

Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

126

LITERATURE: Faith Andrews Bedford, The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson, Boston: David R. Godine, 2000. illustrated, p. 86.

EXHIBITED: Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, Frank W. Benson: A

Retrospective, May 17-June 24, 1989, No. 86. $30,000 - $50,000

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

145

145 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Gun Racks and Black Duck Decoy, 1929 signed and dated “F.W. Benson 29” lower left watercolor, 16 by 22 in.

This work depicts the interior of the artist’s gunning camp located In Eastham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. It is very likely the companion piece for the Fisherman’s Bedroom, which was gifted by Ralph W. Gray to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Benson once reflected, “I made two pretty good watercolors, one of the interior of my room - tumbled bed with striped blankets and a dent in the pillow where my head had rested; kerosene lamp on the table and old pants hanging between the windows. Eleanor has the other one- the living room looking into the kitchen, the gun racks and cartridge box, it would amuse you to see them.”

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family LITERATURE: Faith Andrews Bedford, The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson, Boston: David R. Godine, 2000, p. 47 the artist discussing the paintings of his Eastham camp.

$10,000 - $20,000

127

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

146.1

146.2

146 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Ink Wash and Etching

Setting Decoys signed “F. W. Benson” lower left ink wash, 8 1/4 by 12 in.

Setting Decoys, 1923 etching, 7 3/4 by 11 3/4 in. signed “Frank W Benson” lower left Paff #228, edition of 150

Several of Benson’s iconic etchings are known to have corresponding ink washes. This well-executed composition was completed in 1923, the same year Benson created the popular duck hunting print Setting Decoys.

PROVENANCE: William C. McMaster M.D. Collection

$8,000 - $12,000

147

147 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Black Duck ink wash, 1 7 1/4 by 12 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE: Descended within the family of the artist Private Collection, purchased at Skinner Inc., March 31-April 8, 2016, lot 1194 Private Collection, New York, acquired from Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2017, lot 88a

$1,500 - $2,500

128

148 Alfred J. Crook (British, 19th Century)

148

Quail Family, 1874 signed and dated “Alfred J. Crook 1874” lower right oil on canvas, 25 by 30 in.

An extremely rare and exquisite late-19th century rendering of bobwhite quail and chicks. Very little is known about Crook at the time of this writing; however, his abilities as a top-notch avian artist are on full display. His pride in this piece is readily seen in the immaculate two-tone signature and dating of the work. This is one of the finest early quail paintings we have come across. $5,000 -$8,000

149 Robert Hainard (Swiss, 1906-1999) 149

Grand Coq de Bruyere, 1964 signed “Robert Hainard” on base bronze, 23 1/2 by 19 by 18 in. inscribed “Cire M Pastor 1 Perdue” on base Capercaillie, edition of 5

A calling male capercaillie, whose name comes from a Scottish Gaelic term meaning “Horse of the Woodlands”. This popular European game bird is the world’s largest grouse and is also known as a heather cock.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, acquired from the Tryon Gallery, London, in 1964 LITERATURE: Robert Hainard, Sculptures, Editions Hesse, 1993, pp. 100-101.

$2,000 - $3,000

129

150 Margaret Fuller Tyng (1878-1965) Tea Time signed “Margaret Fuller Tyng” lower left oil on canvas, 36 by 30 in.

150

Margaret Fuller Tyng was a Boston-based Impressionist painter and member of the Guild of Boston Artists. She was awarded a medal for her entry at the Pan-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 and exhibited regularly at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, among other prestigious venues. This work is fine portrait of a mother and daughter seated at a table drinking tea.

PROVENANCE: Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

$1,500 - $2,500

151 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

151

Moonlight, 1914 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 by 9 in.

Paff #31, edition 2 of 50 numbered “2/50” lower right

This rare and early nautical scene explores light on the ocean and the two sailors.

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

$2,000 - $3,000

152 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) 152

153

Portrait, 1923 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 6 in.

Paff #218 inscribed “To Fred Saunderson 1923 F.W. Benson” in plate upper center PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

153 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Elisabeth, 1918 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 10 by 7 3/4 in.

Paff #150, edition of 150

A portrait of the artist’s daughter.

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

130

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

154

157

155

154 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Canoeman, 1919 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 8 1/2 by 6 1/4 in.

Paff #161, edition of 150 Vose Galleries, Boston label on back

158

156

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family EXHIBITED: Boston, Frank W. Benson Exhibition,

Vose Galleries, April 20-June 28, 1991.

PROVENANCE: The artist

Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family EXHIBITED: Boston, Frank W. Benson Exhibition,

Vose Galleries, April 20-June 28, 1991. $1,500 - $2,000

156 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

The Pool (Battenkill River), 1921 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 by 4 1/2 in.

Paff #208, edition of approximately 30 final proof, artist’s notes in margin PROVENANCE: The artist

155 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Soaring Fish Hawk, 1923 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 6 1/2 by 8 1/4 in.

Paff #225, edition of 150 Vose Galleries, Boston label on back

Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

157 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Blackbirds and Rushes, 1920 signed and titled “F W Benson Blackbirds and Rushes” lower left pencil drawing, 9 1/4 by 13 1/4 in. sketch for Paff #170 inscribed “To Sylvia” lower left Vose Galleries, Boston label on back PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

158 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Man with a Gaff, 1925 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 12 by 10 in.

Paff #247, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

131

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

159

161

162

160

159 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) The Retriever, 1916 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 8 by 6 in.

Paff #99, edition 62 of 80 numbered 62 lower right PROVENANCE: The artist

Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family $3,000 - $4,000

160 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Three Geese, 1931 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left lithograph, 9 1/2 by 13 in.

Paff #VII, edition of less than 50

164

161 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

163 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

162 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

Duck Blind, 1925 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #245, edition of 150

Three Pintail Prints (one shown) each signed “Frank W Benson” lower left Reflections, 1920 drypoint, 5 by 8 in.

Paff #197, edition of 56

This was Benson’s final lithograph.

Lone Pintail, 1930 drypoint, 4 1/2 by 6 in.

Paff #303, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

The Sprigtail, 1918 etching, 4 by 5 in.

Paff #151, edition of 150

$1,500 - $2,500

132

163

Mallard Drake, 1917 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 by 8 in.

Paff #122, edition of 150

164 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) The Passing Flock, 1927 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 11 3/4 by 13 3/4 in.

Paff #277, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

165

167

168

169

166

165 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

168 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

166 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

169 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

Yellowlegs No. 4, 1928 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left drypoint, 7 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #284, edition of likely 150

Dark Pool, 1920 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left drypoint, 8 by 11 3/4 in.

Paff #189, edition of 150

Study of Turnstones, 1928 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 5 by 6 in.

Paff #282

Turnstones, 1928 signed “Frank W. Benson imp.” lower left drypoint, 7 3/4 by 11 3/4 in.

Paff #283, edition of 150

$800 - $1,200

167 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Waders, 1930 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left drypoint, 7 by 12 in.

Paff #298, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

133

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

170

171

170 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Three Etchings (one shown) each signed “Frank W Benson” lower left Cloudy Dawn, 1922 etching, 9 3/4 by 11 3/4 in.

Paff #215, edition of 150 Geese Over a Marsh, 1924 7 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #233, edition of 150 The Resting Place, 1921 5 by 4 in.

Paff #209, edition of 150 (50 signed) frontispiece for The Print Connoisseur, Volume II, published in 1922 PROVENANCE: The artist

Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

171 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Over Currituck Marshes, 1926 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left drypoint, 6 3/4 by 11 3/4 in.

Paff #259, edition of 150

134

174

172

173

175

inscribed “To Ralph Lawson Jr 1938” lower center (Lawson was the artist’s grandson) PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

172 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Black Ducks, c. 1927 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left lithograph, 9 1/2 by 12 1/2 in.

Paff Litho #3, edition of less than 50 inscribed “Bolton Brown imp.” lower left PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

173 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Here They Come!, 1928 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left drypoint, 13 3/4 by 11 1/2 in.

Paff #278, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

174 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Mallards No. 2, 1918 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left etching, 8 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #138, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

175 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Redheads Coming, 1930 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left etching, 8 by 14 3/4 in.

Paff #302, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: The artist Collection of Katherine Shaw Kripke and Samuel Benson Shaw, by descent in the family

WALTER MATIA B. 1953

176

176 Walter Matia (b. 1953)

Two Pointers signed and numbered “MATIA 3/24” on back of base bronze, 11 1/4 by 16 1/2 by 9 1/2 in. edition 3 of 24

177

Walter Matia is known for the remarkable amount of surface detail in his bronzes. He studied both biology and art design, the influence of which is apparent in his balanced and anatomically correct works. His subjects run the gamut of wildlife from eagles, to bulls, to sporting dogs. As Tom Davis writes in Sporting Classics, “[Walter Matia] paid his dues, assembled a remarkable body of work, and established himself as a wildlife and sporting sculptor of uncommon perception, imagination and reach.”

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$2,000 - $3,000

177 Walter Matia (b. 1953) Eagle signed “MATIA” on back bronze, 12 by 4 3/4 by 9 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$1,500 - $2,500

135

178

180

179

181

178 Robert G. Wehle (1920-2002)

Pointer signed and numbered “R. Wehle 11/20” on neck bronze, 8 by 11 1/2 by 9 in. edition 11 of 20 mounted on a ten-inch-long oval base

Robert G. Wehle bred champion pointers from 1936 until his death in 2002 at the famed Elhew Kennels in Upstate New York. Wehle was the son of Louis A. Wehle, chairman of the Genesee Brewing Company, and brother of John L. Wehle, founder of the Genesee Country Museum. He was an avid conservationist, with land he preserved as parks bearing his name in New York and Alabama. In New York, the park includes his artist’s studio.

During his lifetime, Wehle exhibited his bronzes at the William Secord Gallery. His bronze of Champion Elhew’s Snakefoot can be found at the National Bird Dog Museum in Tennessee, and a retrospective exhibition of his bronzes was held at the Ann Rudd Art Center in Alabama in 2009.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$700 - $1,000

179 Sharon Sommers (1938-2008)

Pointer signed and numbered “© 8/30 S Sommers” by back legs bronze, 8 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 5 1/4 in. with base edition 8 of 30 136

Sommers was a Michigan-based artist and member of the Society of Animal Artists.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$600 - $900

180 Sandra Van Zandt (20th/21st Centuries)

Double Down, 1993 signed and numbered “Sandra Van Zandt 3/5 ©” by back legs bronze, 23 3/4 by 23 1/4 by 20 1/2 in. edition 3 of 5 titled on back

Sandra Van Zandt is an Oklahoma-based sculptor whose work can be found at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL, and in private collections across the country.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$1,500 - $2,500

181 Sharon Sommers (1938-2008)

Pointer signed and numbered “© 8/30 S Sommers” on base bronze, 8 by 12 1/2 by 6 in. with base edition 8 of 30 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$600 - $900

182

183

185

184

182 Mike Curtis (20th/21st Centuries)

184 Bob Winship (1927-2019)

Mike Curtis was born in California and grew up between there and the Colorado mountains. As a sculptor, he primarily specializes in bald eagles, and his monumental works can be found at institutions across the country. Today he works from his studio in Northern Idaho.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

White Water Catch, 1991 signed, numbered, and dated “Mike Curtis 20/50 © 1991” on base bronze, 32 3/4 by 15 1/2 by 14 1/2 in. edition 20 of 50

A bronze of a soaring bald eagle that has captured a fish.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$800 - $1,200

183 Miniature Eagle Carving Floyd Scholz (b. 1958) Hancock, VT, 1996 17 1/2 in. tall with base

A decorative bald eagle with extensive feather detail by a world renowned raptor specialist. Signed, titled, numbered, and dated “’Mountain Shadow,’ F.L. Scholz #0298, 5.25.96” on the underside of base.

The Kids, 1990 signed, dated, and titled “Bob Winship 1990 The Kids” on front of base bronze, 17 by 26 by 11 1/2 in. with base

$600 - $900

185 Paul Wayland Bartlett (1865-1925)

Eagle of Preparedness, 1916 signed, dated, and inscribed “Copyrighted P W Bartlett 1916” on back and side bronze, 12 3/4 by 4 1/4 by 4 1/2 in. titled on banner

Paul Wayland Bartlett was born in New Haven to a sculptor father, Truman Bartlett. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he then worked for many years, exhibiting at the Paris Salon regularly. He served as President of the National Sculpture Society, and his work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among other museums.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

Created in response to the sinking of the Lusitania in 1916 and in support for the Allies in World War I, an edition of Eagle of Preparedness is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

$600 - $900

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$2,000 - $4,000 137

186 Pam Foss (20th/21st Centuries)

186

Blinkers On signed and numbered “Pam Foss 6/100 ©” on back bronze, 16 1/2 by 8 by 17 in. edition 6 of 100

Pam Foss trained at the Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey, before embarking on a career as an artist. Largely through self-study, she found initial success in the field of equine sculpture, and a version of this horse bronze is in the permanent collection of the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Kentucky.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$1,000 - $2,000

187 Jenness Cortez (b. 1944)

Easy-Goer: Before 1989 Belmont Stakes, 1989 signed and dated “Cortez © 1989” lower right oil on canvas, 15 3/4 by 10 3/4 in Classic Gallery of Sport, Averill Park, NY label on back

187

Born in Indiana, Cortez studied in Indianapolis at the Herron School of Art and at the Art Students League in New York. For many years, she focused on depicting horses and racing, and her work can be found in the New York State Museum as well as public and private collections across the country.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$2,000 - $4,000

188

188 John Henry (Jack) Dowd (b. 1938)

Jockey, 1991 signed, numbered, and dated “11/16 © 1991 Jack Dowd 91” on base resin with acrylic, 66 1/4 by 18 1/2 by 17 1/4 in. edition 11 of 16

Jack Dowd creates life-size sculptures of American types. He studied at Adelphi College in Garden City, NY, and works from studios in Sarasota, FL, and Vermont. His works have been on display in the Ringling Museum in Sarasota and he won Best in Show at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival in 1989.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$1,000 - $2,000

138

189

190

191

192

189 Robert Christie (20th/21st Centuries)

Pointer and Puppy in Field, 1991 signed and dated “Robert Christie 1991” lower right oil on panel, 11 1/2 by 15 1/4 in

Robert Christie was born in New York, where he studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League. Now based in Atlanta, he paints equestrian and sporting dog portraits, as well as showing and field trialing his German shorthaired pointers.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$1,000 - $2,000

190 Sandra Van Zandt (20th/21st Centuries)

First Retrieve, 1989 signed, dated, and numbered “Sandra Van Zandt 89 3/15 ©” on back left leg bronze, 16 by 19 1/4 by 10 1/4 in. edition 3 of 15 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$600 - $900

193

191 Robert Christie (20th/21st Centuries)

First Field Trip, 1989 German Shorthair Pointer with Pups signed and dated “© Robert Christie 1989” lower right oil on panel, 15 1/2 by 19 1/4 in.

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$1,000 - $2,000

192 Sandra Van Zandt (20th/21st Centuries)

First Point, 1988 signed, numbered, and dated “Sandra Van Zandt © 9/15 88” on back left leg bronze, 17 1/2 by 19 by 10 in. with base edition 9 of 15 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$600 - $900

193 Stephen Hubbell (20th/21st Centuries) Hound with Puppies, 1988 signed and dated “S Hubbell © 1988” lower left gouache, 16 by 20 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$100 - $200

139

194

195

194 Jenness Cortez (b. 1944)

Bill Shoemaker and Ferdinand Following, 1988 signed and dated “Cortez 1988” lower left oil on canvas, 15 by 20 in Classic Gallery of Sport, Averill Park, NY label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$2,000 - $4,000

195 Robert Christie (20th/21st Centuries)

The Nose Knows (Pointer), 1992 signed and dated “Robert Christie 1992” lower right oil on panel, 4 1/2 by 6 1/2 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$400 - $600

196 Jenness Cortez (b. 1944)

Bald Eagle, 1976 signed and dated “Cortez 1976” lower right oil on canvas, 11 by 10 in.

Classic Gallery of Sport, Averill Park, NY label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$300 - $500

140

196

198

197

197 Ron Iverson (20th/21st Centuries) Bald Eagle Portrait signed “Ron Iverson” lower right oil on canvas, 18 by 14 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$300 - $500

198 Mike Curtis (20th/21st Centuries)

Eagle Head, 1987 signed, dated, and numbered “Mike Curtis © 1987 20/100” on back bronze, 6 1/2 by 6 1/2 by 6 in. edition 20 of 100 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

$400 - $600

199

202

203

200

204

201

199 Lake Trout Carving

Lawrence C. Irvine (1918-1998) Winthrop, ME 28 in. long A very rare left facing example with good form and paint. $2,000 - $3,000

200 Rainbow Trout Trophy Trophy Lodge, AK 30 in. long

Trophy Lodge is located near the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. $200 - $400

201 Salmon Trophy 54 in. long

A dramatic model of a salmon that measures 54 inches long and 23 inches wide. $300 - $500

202 The Leonard Rod Bamboo Fly Rod

H. L. Leonard (1869-1907) approximately 8 foot 6 in. in overall length, each section measures 34 1/12 in. long

side of the butt cap. Each section is marked 81-40. Appears to be in unused condition, slight ½ in. discoloration band to bottom section from display mounting.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Edwin Wislar

$800 - $1,200

203 Early Metal Trout Box c. 1920 7 in. long, 5 1/4 wide, 1 3/4 in. tall

Exquisitely rendered trout with fin and dot demarcations and line coming from the mouth. Name engraving on lid. Stamped “JB” on the bottom. Some dings and scratches. $300 - $500

204 Payne Abercrombie and Fitch Bamboo Fly Rod E. F. Payne Rod Co. (1894-1968) Highland Mills, NY for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. 7 ft. ¼ in.

Each section measures approximately 42 ½ in. Marked “PAYNE REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. SOLD BY ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO NEW YORK” on the side of the butt cap. As found, one tip has been repaired. $1,000 - $2,000

A three-piece fly rod with both original tips. Marked “THE LEONARD ® ROD H.L. LEONARD ROD CO. MAKERS” on the

141

205

207

209

206

208

210

205 Small Trout Reel Julius Vom Hofe (attr.)

2 ¼ in. in diameter

A late 19th century fishing reel with a “80” marked on the reel foot. As found.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$600 - $900

206 Saltwater “Silver King” Reel Julius Von Hofe Brooklyn, NY, c. 1890 3 ¾ in. in diameter

The son of German immigrants, his father, Friedrich vom Hofe was a famous reel maker who started his business in 1857 with his son, Julius, working as his apprentice around the same time. This right-hand-wind reel is marked “THOS. J. CONROY N.Y.” and “JULIUS VOM HOFE,” along with patent info. This early tarpon reel is marked “3/0” on the reel foot. As found.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$500 - $800

142

207 Salmon Reel

Otto Zwarg St. Petersburg, FL 3 3/4 in. in diameter right-hand reel marked “OZWARG CO. INC.”

As the head reelmaker at Vom Hofe, Otto bought the company when it went out of business in the 1940s, and relocated it from New York to Florida. As found.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$600 - $900

208 Small Trout Reel 2 ½ in. in diameter Julius Von Hofe

A late 19th century fishing reel with a “3” marked on the reel foot. Worn maker’s mark on the handle side. As found.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$600 - $900

209 Salmon Reel Edward vom Hofe Brooklyn, NY 4 ¼ in. in diameter

Friedrich vom Hofe was a famous reel maker who started his business in 1857.

Edward, his son, became his apprentice in the 1860s. He formed his own business in 1867 and is credited with developing many innovations to improve the reel’s function.

This right-hand-wind reel is marked “EDW. VOM HOFE, N.Y., PAT. JAN.23.83”.The reel foot is marked “S 631,” “423,” and “6-0”.

As found.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$1,000 - $1,500

210 Salt Water Reel

Edward Vom Hofe (1846-1920) approximately 3 3/8 in. in diameter

A Salt Water Reel with an “Edward Vom Hofe, maker, N.Y. -Pat, July 14.96” plate. The reel foot is marked “Y 261,” “550,” “20” on this right-hand wind reel. As found.

BRETT JAMES SMITH

B. 1958

211

211 Brett James Smith (b. 1958)

Fly Fishing Scene signed “Brett Smith” lower right watercolor, 21 1/2 by 28 3/4 in.

Brett J. Smith was born on March 19, 1958, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His early introduction to sporting art came from his father who worked professionally as an illustrator and moonlighted as a fine artist, contributing paintings for covers of the early outdoor and western magazines. Sportsmen nationwide collect Smith’s work because it is not only visually exciting, but also authentic and brings to bear his intimate knowledge of his sporting experience. His work has been featured in such publications as Gray’s Sporting Journal, Ducks Unlimited Magazine, Sporting Classics, Shooting Sportsman, and Double Gun

Journal. He has also been recognized for his work with such organizations as Gulf Coast Conservation Association, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Ducks Unlimited, and many others.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$6,000 - $9,000

143

CHET RENESON B. 1934

212

212 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Fishing the Falls signed “Reneson” lower right watercolor, 19 3/4 by 28 in. $3,000 - $5,000

213 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Salmon Falls signed “Reneson” lower right watercolor, 21 by 29 in. $3,000 - $5,000

144

213

214

214 John Whorf (1903-1959)

Spotting Trout signed “John Whorf” lower right watercolor, 16 by 24 1/2 in.

Wixon & Wixon Fine Art, Newburyport, MA label on back

Born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, John Whorf spent many years painting the seascapes around Provincetown, Massachusetts. As a young man, he studied in Boston at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the St. Botolph Studio under Philip Leslie Hale (1865-1931) and Sherman Kidd (1877-1952). In 1919, after recovering from a paralyzing accident, Whorf traveled to Europe. He painted throughout France, Portugal, and Morocco, gradually shifting to painting watercolors as well as oils. Whorf held his first one-man show in 1921, and continued to hold them twice a year for the next thirty-five years.

215

Upon returning to America, Whorf continued his studies with famed American painter John Singer Sargent (1903-1959) in Boston. Whorf married Vivienne Wing in 1925 and fathered four children. He and his family lived in Brookline and spent summers in Provincetown until 1937 when they relocated permanently to the lower Cape. In 1938, Harvard College conferred on Whorf an Honorary Master of Fine Arts degree.

His work is in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

PROVENANCE: Spielman Estate Private Collection, Massachusetts

$2,000 - $4,000

215 Francis Golden (1916-2008)

Fly Fishing, 1987 signed and dated “Francis Golden (c) 87” lower right watercolor, 21 1/2 by 29 in.

Artist Francis “Frank” Golden graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston in 1939 and shortly thereafter was hired to paint the background for Salvador Dali’s work, The Dream of Venus for the World’s Fair in New York. He worked steadily for many years, creating commissions for magazines such as Collier’s, The Saturday Evening Post, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and many others. Golden’s exuberant, colorful paintings appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and he was voted one of the magazine’s top ten artists of all time.

145

216

216 Owen J. Gromme (1896-1991)

Rainbow Trout, 1984 signed and dated “© O.J. Gromme. 84.” lower left oil on canvas, 16 by 20 in.

Owen Gromme was born in Wisconsin in 1896, and he spent much of his childhood hunting in the wetlands and forests near his home. Gromme made his career as the Curator of Birds and Mammals at the Milwaukee Public Museum, staying in this position for over four decades. In this capacity, he traveled across the United States, as well as to Africa, documenting the wildlife he encountered. Although he was a high-school dropout, by the time of his death in 1991 Owen Gromme had received five honorary doctorates, as well as published Birds of Wisconsin, which he also illustrated. Known for his conservation activism, his paintings reflect his love of the outdoors.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$4,000 - $6,000

217 Richard W. Plasschaert (b. 1941)

Ruffed Grouse in Winter, 1987 signed and dated “Plasschaert © ‘87” lower right oil on board, 24 by 18 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin, acquired from Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2015, lot 147

$3,500 - $5,500

146

217

218

220

221

219

218 E. Myers (20th Century)

Covey of Quail, 1957 signed and dated “E Myers ‘57” lower right oil on canvasboard, 13 1/2 by 12 in.

Angeles. During his successful career as an illustrator and artist, his artwork appeared in Sports Afield and Saturday Evening Post, among other noted publications. In addition, he exhibited at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento and was a member of the Society of Illustrators.

219 Wilhelm Goebel (b. 1960)

Woodcock, 1998 signed and dated “© W. Goebel 1998” lower right oil on canvas, 11 1/2 by 15 1/2 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$400 - $600

220 Stanley Walter Galli (1912-2009) Fox and Grouse signed “S. Galli” center left oil on board, 21 by 27 in.

Weyerhaeuser Art Collection label on back

Stanley Galli was born in San Francisco where he studied at the California School of Fine Arts and the Art Center School in Los

His wildlife illustrations were used in Weyerhaeuser’s print advertising in the 1950s and 1960s. This work was deaccessioned from The Weyerhaeuser Corporate Collection.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$2,000 -$4,000

221 A.L. Martin (20th Century)

Rainbow Trout, 1950 signed and dated “AL Martin 1950” lower left oil on canvasboard, 16 by 12 in.

Norwood Natural Science Studio, Great Pond, Maine label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$1,500 -$2,500 147

222

223

225

222 Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954)

224 after Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905)

$300 - $500

$1,500 -$2,500

223 Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1812-1879)

225 Clair Aubrey Huston (b. 1857)

A bronze of a setter and a pointer locked on a bird nestled in the vegetation.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

Flushed signed “Marguerite Kirmse” lower right etching, 7 1/4 by 11 1/4 in. titled lower left

Two Hunting Dogs or Chiens de Chasse signed “P.J. Mene” on base bronze, 16 1/4 by 8 by 9 in.

$1,000 - $2,000

148

224

The Cares of a Family, 1856 hand-colored lithograph, 18 1/2 by 24 in. published and copyrighted in 1856 by N. Currier, 152 Nassau Street, New York, NY

Pointer, 1920 signed and dated “C.A. Huston 1920” lower right pencil and ink drawing, 13 1/2 by 10 1/2 in.

226 Neil Cawthorne (British, 1936-2022)

226

Fox Hunt, 1988 signed and dated “Neil Cawthorne ‘88” lower right oil on canvas, 20 by 26 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

227

227 Paul Desmond Brown (1893-1958)

Huntsman and Horse, 1935 signed and dated “Paul Brown ‘35” lower right watercolor, 8 1/2 by 10 3/4 in. inscribed “To Thorwald Hammer with lots of luck Paul Brown” lower left $400 - $600

228

228 Alexander Pope Jr. (1849-1924)

Upland Plover signed “A. Pope Jr.” lower right watercolor, 13 by 19 in.

The Old Print Shop, New York label on back

Alexander Pope, Jr. was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and began his art career as a young boy carving animals from the spare wood of his father’s lumber business. Although Pope had some formal instruction under Boston artists Walter Rimmer and William Copley, he was for the most part self-taught. Pope lived the entirety of his life in Boston, painting and sculpting works that revolved around hunting and fishing. According to author Alfred Frankenstein, Pope was of the back-slapping, club-going variety who spent his entire life in and around Boston.

An avid outdoorsman, Pope belonged to the Laurel Brook Club, a fly fishing and shooting club in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. A member from 1902 to 1908, he served on its Executive Committee with Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969). He was passionate about fishing and hunting and chose these subjects for his paintings and sculptures. Along with his contemporaries R. LaBarre Goodwin (1840-1910) and George Cope (1855-1929), Pope created “trompe l’oeil” still lifes, often featuring game birds.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$2,000 - $3,000 149

229 James W. Harris (b. 1946) Sails Closing In, 2023 signed “© J.W. Harris” lower right oil on canvas on board, 24 by 30 in. titled on back

229

$1,600 - $2,200

230 Mike Stidham (b. 1954)

Rainbow Trout, 1980 signed and dated “Mike Stidham 1980” lower right watercolor, 15 by 22 1/2 in.

Mike Stidham spent his early years in Palm Desert, California, where he dreamed of becoming a desert painter. As a young teen, he began trout fishing in Colorado, selling his early watercolors through local fly shops, and he worked as a fishing guide in Idaho. Among his honors and accomplishments, in 1992 the artist produced the Saltwater Sportfishing Stamp for Texas and, for a time, held the IGFA record for a hammerhead shark taken on a fly rod. He says, “To me the painting is about the sense of place, the feeling of being there, the various colors of the rocks and rhythm and movement of the gravel bed.”

Today, Stidham paints from his Sandy, Utah, studio as well as on the many fishing trips he takes to see, study, and pursue his subjects in their natural environment.

230

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Montana

$1,000 - $1,500

231

231 Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960)

Angler Playing Silver Salmon in British Columbia, c. 1953 pen and ink on paper, 5 by 10 1/2 in.

Chapter 8 Header, “Washington and British Columbia,” paired with the published page 153 from S. Kip Farrington’s book, Fishing The Pacific

Farrington was the saltwater editor for Field & Stream for nearly two decades and one of Hunt’s prominent patrons and friends. “Together, Farrington and Hunt wrote and illustrated eight books...the two were an odd pair...but they had two things in common: they both loved duck hunting and bluewater fishing.”

232

LITERATURE: Kevin C. Shelly, Lynn Bogue Hunt: A Sporting Life, New York, NY, 2003, p. 30.

S. Kip Farrington, Fishing the Pacific, Offshore and On, New York, NY, 1953, p. 153, illustrated.

232 Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960)

Scene in the Pacific Every Hour signed “Lynn Bogue Hunt” lower right pen and ink drawing, 6 by 11 in. inscribed “Extra Chap Asked for by Kip” upper right Chapter 15 Header, “Signposts of the Ocean,” paired with the published page from S. Kip Farrington’s book, Fishing The Pacific LITERATURE: S. Kip Farrington, Fishing the Pacific, Offshore and On, New York, NY, 1953, p. 267, illustrated.

150

233

235

237

234

236

238

233 Sport, or Fishing and Shooting

A. C. Gould, ed., Boston: Bradlee Whidden, 1889. embossed “Putnam Library” on cover inside stamped Putnam Library Dayton, Ohio 22 by 16 by 1 in.

Includes 16 prints by F. Remington, A. B. Frost, F. Cozzens, and others. $2,000 - $4,000

234 Two Nash Buckingham Books

236 Six Derrydale Books Old Man and Other Colonel Weatherford Stories by Gordon Grand, 1934, limited edition 1/1150. Colonel Weatherford and His Friends by Gordon Grand, 1933, limited edition 1/1450.

Colonel Weatherford’s Young Entry by Gordon Grand, 1991, page-ends are gilded with a gold finish, limited edition 1/2500.

Let’s Ride to Hounds by Anole Hunter, 1929. Colonel Hawker’s Shooting Diaries by Colonel Hawker, 1990, page-ends are gilded with a gold finish, limited edition 1/2500, with slipcase. John Tobias Sportsman by Charles E. Cox Jr, and illustrated by Aiden Lassell Ripley, 1937, limited edition 436/950.

De Shootinest Gent’man by Nash Buckingham, 1934, limited edition 268/900. Tattered Coat by Nash Buckingham, 1939, limited edition 875/995, signed by author.

237 Two Nash Buckingham Books

235 Two Nash Buckingham Books

Blood Lines by Nash Buckingham, 1938, limited edition 1240/1250. Mark Right by Nash Buckingham, 1936, limited edition 257 /1250, inscribed “From Nash Buckingham with best wishes April 1936.”

Game Bag by Nash Buckingham, 1943, limited edition 892/1250, signed by author. Ole Miss by Nash Buckingham, 1937, limited edition 256/1250.

238 Two Derrydale Books The Derrydale Cook Book of Fish & Game by L. P. De Gouy, Vol 1 &2, 1937, limited edition 50/1250, signed with slipcase.

151

THE WINTER SALE 2024 LOTS 239-480 DAY 2 | FEB. 24 | 10AM Additional images for each lot are available through the online bidding platforms.

152

WENDELL GILLEY

1904-1983 | SOUTHWEST HARBOR, ME

239

240

242

241

239 Important Set of Six Miniature Flying Canada Geese

241 Half-Size Flying Great Horned Owl

An original set of six miniature flying geese, each in a unique posture and the longest measuring 8 1/2 inches in length. The left wing tip of these full-bodied carvings has the maker’s metal hanging bracket. They are all signed by the left wing.

Original paint with light wear.

A rare miniature great horned owl alighting on a wooden perch which is mounted on a carved base. The side of the base is signed with the maker’s name and date. The underside of the base bears the maker’s signature, dedication, date, and species identification. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Edwin Wislar, acquired from the maker

PROVENANCE: Drs. Joseph Trimble and Mary Rothrock Collection, acquired from the artist Private Collection, by descent from the above

Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c. 1960 largest is 13 in. wide, 8 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, pp. 148-155, Gilley carvings illustrated and discussed.

$4,000 - $6,000

240 Half-Size Osprey with Flounder Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, 1969 19 3/4 in. tall, 14 in. long

An animated carving with the osprey’s quarry on the branch nearby. The maker’s signature appears on the side of the base and the underside bears the date and the maker’s stamp.

Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Drs. Joseph Trimble and Mary Rothrock Collection Private Collection, by descent from the above

Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, 1972 14 in. tall, 10 in. wide

$2,000 - $4,000

242 Cardinals

Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c. 1960 10 1/2 in. tall

A life-size pair mounted on a signed base with a natural branch. Original paint with moderate wear, some loss to texture on base and signature, and touch-up to some flaking.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

$2,000 - $4,000 153

243

245

244

246

340

243 Miniature Valley Quail Family

245 Miniature Shoveler Pair

An exceptional miniature pair with four chicks. Signed on the edge of the base. Original paint with light wear, small chip to right side of hen’s tail and cock lost its plume.

A pair of miniature shovelers which bear his ink stamp signature “Russ P. Burr, Hingham, Mass.” on the bottom of the driftwood base. Original paint with light wear.

Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 4 in. long

$2,000 - $3,000

244 Miniature Redhead Drake A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 4 1/2 in. long

The bird displays the maker’s rectangular stamp and species identification on the bottom. It also appears to have been titled “Reddy.” Original paint with light wear. $800 - $1,200

154

Russ P. Burr (1887-1955) Hingham, MA, c. 1940 4 in. tall

246 Miniature Black Duck Pair Russ P. Burr (1887-1955) Hingham, MA, c. 1940 4 1/2 in. tall

A pair of miniature black ducks which bear his ink stamp signature “Russ P. Burr, Hingham, Mass.” on the bottom of the driftwood base. Original paint with light wear.

FLOYD SCHOLZ

B. 1958 | HANCOCK, VT

247

247 Merlin with Meadowlark Floyd Scholz (b. 1958) Hancock, VT, 1984 22 in. tall

A decorative life-size calling merlin with a slain meadowlark in its talons by this world renowned raptor specialist. This dynamic work displays extensive feather carving and minute

attention to detail. Signed, numbered, and dated “F.L. Scholz / #103 & 104/3-84” on the underside of the octagonal base.

Original paint with wear, including some chipping and loss to tails and wing tips.

155

BRIG. GEN. CHESTER BRADDOCK DE GAVRE 1908-1993 | ONANCOCK, VA

248

250

249 340

251

248 Miniature Green-Winged Teal Pair

250 Miniature Wood Duck

An alert standing drake and a resting hen with carved raised wings, signed on the bottom of the base. Original paint with light wear and damaged wing tips on drake.

A standing drake with carved raised wings, signed on the bottom of the base. Original paint with light wear.

Brig. Gen. Chester Braddock de Gavre (1908-1993) Onancock, VA, c. 1960 2 3/4 in. tall

249 Miniature Pintail Pair

Brig. Gen. Chester Braddock de Gavre (1908-1993) Onancock, VA, c. 1960 3 1/4 in. tall

An alert standing drake and a resting hen with carved raised wings, signed on the bottom of the base. Original paint with light wear.

156

Brig. Gen. Chester Braddock de Gavre (1908-1993) Onancock, VA, c. 1960 3 1/4 in. tall

251 Miniature Blue-Winged Teal Pair

Brig. Gen. Chester Braddock de Gavre (1908-1993) Onancock, VA, c. 1960 2 3/4 in. tall

An alert standing drake and a resting hen with carved raised wings, signed on the bottom of the base. Original paint with light wear.

MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

252

254

253

34 255

252 Eskimo Curlew

254 Golden Plover

The carving has raised wings and the underside bears an incised “McNair” signature. Original paint with light wear.

Bearing an incised signature on the underside, this carving exhibits applied raised-wing construction. Original paint with light wear.

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2010 12 1/2 in. long

$800 - $1,200

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1980 11 in. long

$800 - $1,200

253 Bunn-Style Dowitcher Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1990 11 in. long

A raised-wing carving with an incised signature on the underside. Original paint with light wear. $800 - $1,200

255 Peep

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1990 7 in. long

A plump Verity-model peep with an incised “McNair” signature on the underside. Original paint and wear. $600 - $900

157

DAVID B. WARD 1947-2020 | ESSEX, CT

345 256

257

259

258 340

256 Curlew Pair

258 Woodcock

An early David Ward pair displaying raised-wing detail and comb feather paint. The pair also bears the maker’s “DBW” stamp and is dated “77.” Original paint with light wear.

The underside bears the maker’s “DBW” stamped signature.

Original paint with light wear.

David B. Ward (1947-2020) Essex, CT, 1977 13 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

David B. Ward (1947-2020) Essex, CT, c. 2010 9 in. long

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$600 - $900

$3,000 - $5,000

259 American Egret 257 Sandpiper

David B. Ward (1947-2020) Essex, CT, c. 2000 8 in. long

A turned-head carving with stippled paint detail and raised wings. The underside bears a “DBW” stamped signature.

Original paint with light wear. $400 - $600

158

David B. Ward (1947-2020) Essex, CT, c. 2000 37 1/2 in. tall on base

The underside of the bird bears the “DBW” stamped signature.

Original paint and wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

OTTO GARREN

1890-1968 | CANTON, IL

260 Wood Duck Drake 260

Otto Garren (1890-1968) Canton, IL, c. 1930 10 1/2 in. long

This animated drake displays a grand crest and lively paint with scratched feathering. A hole in the underside flanked by a series of dings suggests use as a stick up.

Garren was an avid waterfowl hunter from the town of Canton, and he was known as a skilled shot from boyhood.

From his early years growing up around the famed Illinois River waterway until well into his 70s, he frequented a duck camp on Banner Marsh near Liverpool each season for fishing, trapping, and waterfowling. Original paint with light wear, reset neck crack, and bill has overpaint removed.

PROVENANCE: Paul Parmalee or Forrest Loomis Collection Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Paul W. Parmalee and Forrest D. Loomis, Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois, Dekalb, IL, 1969, p. 390, exact decoy illustrated.

Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 121, exact drake illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $4,000 - $6,000

261 Wood Duck Hen

Otto Garren (1890-1968) Canton, IL, c. 1930 12 1/2 in. long

261

This rare hollow decoy retains its thin bold crest. Original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 121, drake illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

159

STEPHEN LANE 1843-1900 | LACON, IL

262

262 Blue-Winged Teal Hen Stephen Lane (1843-1900) Lacon, IL, c. 1885 11 in. long

Finding Lane decoys in original paint is nearly impossible. Lane is one of the earliest recorded Midwestern decoy makers. He was also a talented woodworker who professionally constructed everything from houses to wagons to furniture.

Born in Good Luck, New Jersey, his family moved to a farm in Lacon, Illinois, while he was in his teens. The farm was near prime duck hunting habitat and it did not take Lane long to immerse himself in the growing market gunning movement.

This highly refined decoy showcases Lane’s distinct Lacon style. The form is complimented with Catherine Elliston’s exceptional paint with tight swirls. The underside has a partial brand that appears to read “C.S. WILCOX.” Original paint with even gunning wear, touch-up to bill and reset crack in neck.

160

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 26, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005.

Peoria, Illinois, Center for American Decoys, Peoria Riverfront Museum $5,000 - $7,000

263

264

263 Pintail Drake

264 Canvasback Hen

A high-headed decoy with a deep body by perhaps the region’s greatest carver born in the 20th century. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some discoloration, and a replaced bill.

This hollow high head represents one of the maker’s better diving duck carvings. Finding a hen in this spring plumage is challenging, with the drakes being far more common. The underside is branded “HAP.” Original paint with moderate gunning wear, and touch-up to breast and scattered spots of wear.

Tight age line in back of neck.

Michael Vallero (1906-1992) Spring Valley, IL, c. 1935 17 in. long

PROVENANCE: Daniel Vorhees Rig Joe French Collection Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of

the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 135, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $1,000 - $2,000

Bert Graves (1880-1956) Peoria, IL, c. 1930 17 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 104, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $2,000 - $3,000

161

VERNE CHEESEMAN 1897-1956 | MACOMB, IL

265

265 Tucked-Head Ring-Neck Verne Cheeseman (1897-1956) Macomb, IL, c. 1930 12 in. long

Verne Cheeseman was a guide for the Sanganois Duck Club.

He made decoys primarily for his own use. An acquaintance of Charles and Edna Perdew, Cheeseman often began his decoys using Perdew decoy patterns. He employed the services of Edna Perdew to paint many of his decoys, and, at times, it can be challenging to distinguish between a Cheeseman and a Perdew.

A noticeable difference is the manner in which Cheeseman finished his heads. Cheeseman heads tend to have longer necks or reared-back heads with rather pronounced cheek carving, as seen here. This carving is finished with strong Edna

162

Perdew paint. The underside has a Perdew weight. Original paint and working paint to head and black with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Walter White Collection Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 129, high-heads illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

ROBERT ELLISTON (ATTR.)

1847-1925 | BUREAU, IL

266

266 Preening Bluebill

Robert Elliston (1847-1925)(attr.)

Bureau, IL, c. 1880 11 in. long

While the Ellistons are known to have carved several famous preening puddle ducks, this may be the only preening diver to have surfaced.

This exact decoy is illustrated in Masterworks of the Illinois River, in which the authors note “Robert Elliston’s great sense of sculptural form.” For this reason, it was later selected for the front entrance of the Center For American Decoys’ Masterworks of the Illinois River exhibit in a dedicated case.

Zac Zetterberg, ed., American Decoy: The Invention, Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 191, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005.

Peoria, Illinois, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Center for American Decoys, Peoria Riverfront Museum. $12,000 - $18,000

This hollow decoy displays an upswept tail, a gracefully arching neck, and full cheeks. The underside bears an incised “F.W.P.” Original paint with some touch-up to black and heavy gunning wear to the wood in places. Tight reset crack in neck. Traces of grey paint on underside.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 39, exact decoy illustrated.

163

BERT GRAVES 1880-1956 | PEORIA, IL

267

267 “Masterworks” Peacock Rig Pintail Drake Bert Graves (1880-1956) Peoria, IL, c. 1925 17 1/2 in. long

Graves built the Graves Decoy Company out of the workshop behind his home. Upon the death of Robert Elliston in 1915, Graves purchased Elliston’s entire business, including wood, patterns, tools, and commissioned rigs. He also astutely hired Catherine Elliston to continue painting decoys for his company, as seen on this lot.

His forms for regular decoy patterns were slightly oversized, but well-proportioned and lightweight for their size. The intricate comb scratch paint covers virtually the entire body, with precise and clean lines indicating the speculums and primaries.

Graves sold decoys to affluent hunters and to sporting goods stores for the handsome sum of $75-100 per dozen and his decoys today continue to demand a premium among collectors.

The underside of this carving bears a “Peacock” brand. Walter C. Peacock (1878-1946) was a prominent Chicago sportsman and national champion trap shooter. Peacock was also an affluent jeweler, a founder of the Lincoln Park Gun Club, and very active in the waterfowl issues of his day.

164

This sterling example appears to have never been gunned over and is one of the finest Graves pintails known to exist.

Excellent original paint with very light wear.

PROVENANCE: Peacock Rig Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 97, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005.

Peoria, Illinois, Center for American Decoys, Peoria Riverfront Museum. $12,000 - $18,000

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

268

268 Canvasback Pair

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1967 17 1/4 in. long

The undersides of this large and hollow pair display the date and Lem and Steve’s signatures. The undersides are also marked with the Campbell’s “DSC” collection stamp. Original paint with light wear, hen has tight age line along bottom and two patches of sap bleed on breast.

PROVENANCE: Dave and Jean Campbell Collection

$10,000 -$12,000

165

THE WARD-PRESCOTT RUDDY DUCK HEN

Decoy Magazine, Fall 1986, p. 24, exact decoy (right) illustrated and discussed.

269

166

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

270

269 The Ward-Prescott Ruddy Duck Hen

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1931 16 1/2 in. long

This decoy emanates from the estate of Marjorie Wiggin Prescott of Greenwich, Connecticut. She was a lifelong collector inspired by her father, the historic New York financier Albert Wiggin. Her husband, Sherburne Prescott, was also supportive of her collecting and, like his father-in-law, was a president of Chase Bank. While much of the Prescott Collection was sold through Christies, decoys, including this singular ruddy duck, surfaced at the Richard Bourne auction in 1981. The Wards made several exceptional stand-alone pairs for this Greenwich family that now rest on the shelves of top collectors around the country, including an iconic wigeon pair that were reunited by Donald Kirson.

Fortunately, this hen, and its mate, passed through the Ralph Sterling Collection, which was profiled by Decoy Magazine in 1986, in which the following was published: “The pair of Ruddy duck decoys are made of solid cedar, in original paint and are in mint condition. They were made in 1931. Oliver Lawson described them as the ‘rarest pair of Ward decoys I have seen.’ Ken Basile, former museum director of the Ward Foundation in Salisbury, Maryland appraised these in 1984, ‘This pair of decoys is extremely rare and an excellent example of the finest of the Ward Brothers work.’

“The Pair have unusual holes in the bill. Sterling asked Lem about it. Lem explained that he had a tool like a screwdriver that he heated and burned through for the nostrils. He used

this when making the ducks in the barbershop next to Maddrix’s store in the early ‘30s.”

This oversized carving with a broad bill and tail is dated and inscribed “-1931- L.T. Ward - Bro. Crisfield, Md.” with Lem’s signature underneath. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Marjorie Wiggin Prescott Collection Ralph Sterling Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., American Decoys and Bird Carvings Auction, Hyannis Port, MA, July 7-8 1981, lot 294, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

“Collectors’ Corner: Mint decoratives of the Ward Brothers from the collection of Walter Binder and Ralph Sterling,” Decoy Magazine, Fall 1986, p. 24, exact decoy illustrated and discussed.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, p. 160, Prescott Collection wigeon illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

270 Decorative Brant

Lemuel T. Ward (1896-1984) Crisfield, MD, 1971 16 in. long

This finely carved and painted hollow brant exhibits raised wing tips and a swept-back head. The bottom bears the inscription “Made special for a special friend Norris Pratt,” along with Lem’s signature and the date. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Norris Pratt Collection, acquired from the artists

Private Collection, Florida $5,000 - $7,000

167

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

271

271 Canvasback Hen

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1936 15 1/2 in. long

This prime hen example showcases the Ward 1936 canvasback as an American bird decoy classic. The underside of this wide-bodied bird displays the date and “L.T. Ward Bros.” Given the rarity of the hens, finding these decoys in good original paint with bills and tails intact is rare. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, tight age line in left side of neck, and some wear to wood mostly along sides.

LITERATURE: Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, July 27, 2017, p. 112, lot 40, related decoy illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

168

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

272

272 Preening Yellowlegs

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1964 12 in. long, 10 in. tall

This yellowlegs in a rare “sunbathing” position was inspired by the work of John James Audubon (plate 349). The front of the base bears Lem’s metal tag. Original paint with light wear from handling.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Glenn Lawson and Ida Ward Linton, The Story of Lem Ward, Exton, PA, 1984, pp. 124-125, related carving illustrated.

$2,500 - $4,500

169

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

273

275

274

276

273 Decorative Mallard Hen

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1967 15 in. long

The underside of this refined hollow decorative displays the date, the maker’s metal identification plate, and Lem’s signature. Original paint with light wear, a reset bill, and some sap bleed to end grain, including at the neck and breast.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$1,000 - $1,500

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$2,500 - $3,500

275 Sleeping Bluebill

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1972 13 in. long

The underside displays the date and Lem and Steve’s signatures. Original paint with light wear and minor craquelure to breast and wing tips.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

274 Sleeping Canvasback

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1973 14 in. long

$2,500 - $3,500

276 1948-Model Canvasback Drake

Though they made thousands of decoys, the Ward Brothers’ sleepers and preeners are rare and coveted.

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1948 16 in. long

The date and Lem and Steve’s signatures are exhibited on the underside of the hollow body. Original paint with light wear and minor craquelure to wing tips and tail.

The underside of the hump-backed balsa body displays the date and Lem and Steve’s signature. Original paint with even gunning wear and minor touch-up to neck seam. $1,500 - $2,500

170

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

277

279

278

280

277 Bluebill Pair

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1966 14 1/2 in. long

A scaup pair with turned heads. The bluebills’ undersides bear the inscription “Shooting Stool / Made by Steve / Painted by Lem / Ward Bros. 1966 / Dr. Kramer,” and the Kramer Collection brand. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired from the artists Private Collection, Florida

$2,000 - $3,000

PROVENANCE: Dan Marshall Collection Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired from the above, 1967 Private Collection, Florida

$1,800 - $2,400

279 Bluebill

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1936 15 1/2 in. long

The underside of this classic 1936-model displays a branded “W” and incised “E.” Mix of original and old working paint with gunning wear and some restored paint. Tight crack in bill. $1,200 - $1,800

278 Pinch-Breast Redhead Drake

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1932 15 in. long

An rare pinch-breast redhead. The underside is signed by Lem, dated 1932, bears the inscription “Repainted by Lem Ward,” and displays the Kramer ink stamp twice along with the incised Kramer “MK” brand. Second coat of Lem Ward paint with tight crack at base of neck.

280 Black Duck

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1948 17 in. long

The underside of the balsa body displays the date and Lem and Steve’s signature. Mostly original paint with moderate gunning wear, including a tail chip. Some touch-up mostly to sides, tail area, and bottom edge.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$700 - $1,000 171

EWOUD DE GROOT B. 1969

281

281 Ewoud de Groot (b. 1969) Clearing Fog, 2023 signed “Ewoud” lower right oil on canvas, 47 by 47 in.

Ewoud de Groot lives and works in Egmond aan Zee, a coastal village in the Northern Netherlands. After receiving a degree in illustration and painting from the Minerva Academy of Art, he began illustrating nature books for a period before pursuing painting full time in 1999. Today, de Groot is recognized as a rising star in wildlife painting, bringing a truly unique perspective to the genre. His work strives to find both a balance and a tension between the representational and the abstract, the traditional and the contemporary. For de Groot, painting wild-

172

life is not an exercise in rendering all the exact details. Instead, his work is an ongoing experiment of composition, color, and technique, concerned with conveying a sense of mood and atmosphere found in the natural world.

Long-tailed ducks are the subject of this dramatic work. $8,000 - $12,000

EWOUD DE GROOT B. 1969

282

282 Ewoud de Groot (b. 1969) Forest Wanderer, 2023 signed “Ewoud” lower right oil on canvas, 39 by 51 in.

This work depicts a great grey owl, an elusive bird despite being the world’s largest owl species. With feathers that provide excellent camouflage in its forest habitat, this owl is often referred to as the “Phantom of the North.” $8,000 - $12,000

173

AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY 1896-1969

283 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969)

283

Gunners on the Marsh at Dawn signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right watercolor, 16 by 21 3/4 in.

This classic, atmospheric duck hunting scene captures the anticipation of starting out during beautiful dawn light.

PROVENANCE: John Sperry Collection, acquired from the Guild of Boston Artists, 1982

$6,000 - $9,000

284 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Ladies First signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right watercolor, 13 1/4 by 19 in.

284

Born in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Aiden Lassell Ripley was the son of a Boston Symphony Orchestra musician. From an early age he excelled at music, but he soon discovered a deeper interest in painting. By his mid-teens, Ripley was committed to a career in art, commuting into Boston to take classes. After returning from service in World War I, he attended the Boston Museum School where he studied with the country’s top artists, including Philip Leslie Hale (18651934) and Frank W. Benson (1862-1951).

Ripley was awarded a Paige Traveling Fellowship to study in Europe. While abroad, he painted watercolors “en plein air” in North Africa, France, and Holland. Upon his return in 1925, he was elected to the prestigious Guild of Boston Artists. His work focused on the New England countryside as well as depictions of city life and railroad commuting scenes. The Great Depression, however, limited the sales potential for these works. Following a successful one-man show of his sporting art in 1930, Ripley decided to change tack and specialize in hunting, fishing, and outdoor scenes as subjects.

Along with his contemporary Ogden Pleissner (1905-1983), Ripley exemplified the life of a successful sporting artist.

Collectors of Ripley’s sporting art endorsed his numerous trips to the salmon rivers of New Brunswick and the quail plantations of Georgia, where the artist indulged his passion for hunting and fishing while recording material he would use in his art.

A rare early depiction of a female hunter taking aim at a flushing grouse.

PROVENANCE: William C. McMaster M.D. Collection

$8,000 - $12,000

174

285 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Dull Day on the River signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower left watercolor, 14 1/4 by 20 3/4 in. signed and titled on back

285

Titled by the artist in jest, this classic fishing scene captures a pair of fishermen about to land a wild Atlantic salmon on a branch of the Mirimichi River in New Brunswick, Canada.

PROVENANCE: George Saltonstall Mumford III Collection Private Collection, New Hampshire, by descent

$5,000 - $8,000

286 Milton C. Weiler (1910-1974) 286

Fly Fishing by Covered Bridge signed “M.C. Weiler” lower left watercolor, 14 1/4 by 20 1/4 in. inscribed “To Mac and Betty...Really grand pals! Milt & Lib” lower right $800 - $1,200

175

JOHN SWAN B. 1948

287

287 John Swan (b. 1948)

Fall Grouse Hunting signed “John Swan” lower left watercolor, 19 1/2 by 30 in.

John Swan was born and raised in Maine and studied at the University of New Hampshire. In the 1980s, Swan was painting local rural landscapes until he completed a fly fishing painting that appeared on the cover of Gray’s Sporting Journal. This early success with a sporting scene ensured that hunting and fishing subjects would be an integral part of Swan’s work in the years to come.

Considered one of America’s foremost sporting and wildlife artists, Swan is equally adept in watercolor and oils. His

176

paintings bring to life fishing and hunting trips from places as far afield as the bonefishing mecca of the Bahamas and Canada’s Gaspe Peninsula. “I paint wherever I can fish,” he admits. The result is a body of spectacularly immediate works set in the world’s premier sporting destinations. Based on firsthand experience, and often “en plein air,” Swan’s paintings are imbued with freshness. Here he captures a flushed grouse, hunter, and alert setter in an atmospheric autumnal setting. $2,000 - $4,000

JOHN SWAN B. 1948

288

288 John Swan (b. 1948)

Winter Grouse Hunting signed “John Swan” lower right watercolor, 17 by 29 in.

289

$2,000 - $4,000

289 John Swan (b. 1948)

Grouse Hunting signed “John Swan” lower left watercolor, 11 3/4 by 19 in. signed and titled on back $1,000 - $2,000

177

EMILE ALBERT GRUPPÉ 1896-1978

290

290 Emile Albert Gruppé (1896-1978)

Sunset signed “Emile A.Gruppé ” lower right oil on canvas, 20 by 24 in titled on back, also known as Evening at Long Beach

Emile Albert Gruppé was born to an artistic family in Rochester, New York, in 1896. He spent much of his childhood on the coast of the Netherlands, where his father, Charles, was a painter and art dealer. Upon returning to the States in 1913 just prior to World War I, Gruppé pursued his art training full time. He studied in New York at the Art Students League, the National Academy of Design, and with individual artists, such as John F. Carlson (1874-1945).

Gruppé exhibited at the National Academy for the first time in 1915 at the age of nineteen. After seeing a depiction of the Gloucester, Massachusetts, harbor in a subsequent exhibition, the artist’s curiosity was piqued. In 1925 he made his first visit to the Cape Ann area, and by the 1940s he became linked with Rockport and set up the Gruppé Summer School, also known as the Gloucester School of Art on Rocky Neck. Run with

178

several other artists, including Carlson, this painting school was immensely popular and was held until the 1970s. Gruppé ’s personable demeanor made him a favored teacher, and he wrote three books on painting later in his career: Gruppé on Painting, Gruppé on Color, and Brushwork for the Oil Painter. He was a member of the Salmagundi Club, the North Shore Art Association, and the Gloucester Society of Artists. Gruppé ’s paintings can be found in private and public collections across the country, including the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the White House, among others. The popular artist died in East Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1978.

Sunset is a well-composed work depicting a coastal scene with the artist’s confident brushwork and painterly flair.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

$6,000 - $9,000

291

292

291 Milton C. Weiler (1910-1974) Pick Up Time, Barnegat Bay, 1969 signed “M C Weiler” lower right watercolor, 19 by 26 3/4 in.

This work was published as a popular limited-edition print by the Winchester Press, making it Weiler’s most celebrated work. As a conservationist and an outdoorsman, Milton C. Weiler lived the life he painted, and his watercolors have authenticity as a result.

According to John T. Ordeman and Bud Weiler, “Milt Weiler was a watercolorist who could recreate in his paintings the look and feel of a winter waterfowl marsh, autumn upland bird cover, a spring trout stream and a summer salmon river in the manner of the tradition established by the artist whose works had inspired him, Winslow Homer. Weiler was also a carver of decoys, ducks of such sculptural beauty that they won him top awards in the most prestigious working decoy and decorative bird carving competitions...Weiler created covers and illustrations for many sporting magazines, and he earned accolades as an illustrator of volumes by many of the foremost authors of sporting books—Eugene Connett...among them.”

Nelson Bryant of The New York Times, comments, “Weiler was considered one of the most accomplished painters of hunting and fishing scenes in the country, and he was also an expert carver of decoys.”

PROVENANCE: Charles S. Hunter, III, acquired from Stephen O’Brien Jr. Fine Arts Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: John T. Ordeman & M. C. ‘Bud’ Weiler Jr., The Art of Milton C. Weiler: A Sportsman’s World, Sugar Hill, NH, 2001, pp.

60-61, illustrated.

$8,000 - $10,000

292 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Early Arrivals signed “Reneson” lower left acrylic on board, 21 by 35 in.

Reneson surrounds the hunter and his dog with the soft, pastel light of dawn as a flock of waterfowl flies over. $5,000 - $7,000

179

CHET RENESON B. 1934

293 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

293

Long Walk signed “Reneson” lower right watercolor, 13 ¾ by 19 ¾ in.

A bright Bahamian scene featuring a woman walking along a white road. $1,000 - $2,000

294 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Waiting to Go signed “Reneson” lower right watercolor, 14 by 21 1/2 in.

294

$1,000 - $2,000

295

295 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) On Duty signed “Reneson” lower left watercolor, 14 by 20 in.

Bahamian man in uniform standing tall by a gate. $1,000 - $2,000

180

AL BARNES 1937-2015

296

296 Al Barnes (1937-2015) A Meeting at the Point signed “BARNES” lower right oil on canvas, 24 by 36 in. titled on back

Barnes was a Texas artist born into a fishing family. He grew up near South Padre Island, and always knew he would be an artist. He attended the University of Texas to study art, and went on to sail and crew on boats. He travelled the coasts of North and Central America and was an avid waterman. In the pursuit of his art, he journeyed extensively, learning about local wildlife and watercraft. He writes, “I prefer to start out with the sea or landscape and see what appears in it along the way.

Sometimes birds fly in, sometimes boats float in, sometimes both.”

Barnes was a National Artist of the Year for Ducks Unlimited and is a current member of the American Society of Marine Artists. He has exhibited at the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson, Wyoming and the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition in Charleston, South Carolina, in addition to many other locations, both in group shows and solo exhibits. His works are found in the permanent collections of the Lee Yawkey Woodson Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin, the Coca Cola Company, and the Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas, among others.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$3,000 - $5,000

181

JOHN WILLIAM LUEDTKE 1901-1958 | STOCKTON, CA

297

297 Pintail Pair

John William Luedtke (1901-1958) Stockton, CA, c. 1945 15 1/4 in. long

Luedtke was a popular sporting gentleman in his day who was lauded by his peers and the press for his decoys. Despite the fact that he apparently only made one rig of decoys, it is well documented that those that have survived are held in the highest regard by today’s collectors and authors. “The most stylish decoys carved on the Pacific Coast,” write Miller and Hanson, “were the pintails made by John Luedtke of Stockon c. 1945.” Miller continued, “Every collector of California decoys would love to have one. Luedtkes are nearly impossible to come by, however, because their owners aren’t about to give them up.”

This pair is an exceptional representation of why Luedtke is so prized; each bird has a slightly pinched breast with a thin neck

and pronounced cheeks. The full balsa bodies are finished with ridged and upswept tails. Both have refined painted plumage.

The undersides are identified and dated. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear. The drake has a shallow ding on left shoulder, and hen has tight age line in front of neck.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 475, exact rig illustrated.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 307, exact rig illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

“The most stylish decoys carved on the Pacific Coast were the pintails made by John Luedtke of Stockon c. 1945.”

— Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast 182

ED SNYDER

1928-2011 | RIO VISTA, CA

299

298

298 Early Preening Pintail Drake

299 Early Preening Pintail Hen

An exceeding rare and early Snyder decoy from his early period. This “Foster Rig” carving is signed and inscribed on the underside. It also has a keel with a poured lead weight.

Illustrating the rarity of these sleepers, a published image of a Snyder rig from this era shows one pair of sleepers in a rig of two dozen pintails. Original paint with light gunning wear.

An exceedingly rare Snyder decoy from his early period. The underside has a keel with a poured lead weight. Illustrating the rarity of these sleepers, a published image of a Snyder rig from this era shows one pair of sleepers in a rig of two dozen pintails. Original paint with even gunning wear, touch-up to underside, lower sides, and top of head.

PROVENANCE: Foster Rig Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

Ed Snyder (1928-2011) Rio Vista, CA, c. 1945 14 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California,

Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 420, exact decoy illustrated. $10,000 - $15,000

Ed Snyder (1928-2011) Rio Vista, CA, c. 1945 15 in. long

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 420, exact decoy illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

183

RICHARD "FRESH AIR DICK" JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA CREEK, CA

300

300 Exceedingly Rare Green-Winged Teal “Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA, c. 1935 12 in. long

This balsa decoy was never rigged. While any Janson teal is rare, the presence of feather painting on the back of this decoy distinguishes it from most comparables. Excellent original paint with very light wear. Three inches of right side of tail has been replaced.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 115, exact decoy illustrated.

Wallace Lourdeaux, Richard ‘Fresh Air Dick’ Janson, 2019, pp. 172173, related teal illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

184

RICHARD "FRESH AIR DICK" JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA CREEK, CA

301

302

301 Pintail Pair

302 Early Pintail

A pair of classic West Coast decoys with raised wings and the maker’s exceptional incised tail carving. Original paint with light gunning wear, working overpaint to underside and breasts of both birds.

A great early form with a pronounced breast. A good portion of the paint is professionally restored.

“Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA, c. 1935 17 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon

$1,000 - $2,000

“Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma Creek, CA, c. 1920 16 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 107, related carving illustrated.

$1,000 - $2,000

185

303

303 Canada Goose

J. N. Dodge Factory (1883-1893) Detroit, MI, c. 1890 19 in. long

A rare Canada goose from this early factory showing terrific form. This stately decoy retains good paint as it was never gunned, having spent the majority of its life on a lamp base. The decoy exhibits a rocked-back head, blended feathering with painted primaries, and barred tail detail.

Original paint with even wear, including some craquelure and flaking at neck seams and on left side. Touch-up to one filled hole in back and one under tail, weight added to bottom.

LITERATURE: Ron Sharp and Bill Dodge, Detroit Decoy Dynasty: The Factory Decoys of Petersen, Dodge, and Mason, Lawsonville, NC, 2009, p. 169, similar decoy illustrated.

$2,500 - $3,500 304

304 Rare Brant

Henry Kilpatrick (1867-1945) Barnegat, NJ, c. 1915 19 in. long

This rare decoy was selected by Jim Doherty for inclusion in his book Classic New Jersey Decoys.

Doherty compares this bayman and boat builder to Jesse Birdsall and Henry Grant. This decoy was discovered with unused rigmates still wrapped in newspaper, traces of which can still be seen. A rigmate with newsprint is featured in Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Phil and Beverly Ryser Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 149, exact decoy illustrated.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 88-89, rigmate goose illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

186

THE MCALPIN HORNER MERGANSER HEN

“He was much less prolific than Shourds, but his duck, brant, and goose decoys are among the most refined made on the New Jersey shore, with spare, elegant lines and subtly blended paint.”

— Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America

187

Malcolm McAlpin (1944-2023) After graduating from the Peck School in Morristown, NJ,

Grove, PA, and Charleston, SC. Malcolm served on the

McAlpin attended the Hill School in Pottstown, PA, before

boards of the Pinchot Institute and the Blooming Grove

matriculating at Duke University. After graduation,

Hunting & Fishing Club. A passionate fly fisherman and

Malcolm joined the US Navy. He and his wife, Judy, were

hunter, McAlpin traveled extensively and was also involved

married in 1969 and lived in Mendham and Bernardsville,

with many organizations dedicated to conservation.

NJ Later in life, they split their time between Blooming

305 The McAlpin Horner Merganser Hen Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942) West Creek, NJ, c. 1925 16 1/4 in. long

One of New Jersey’s finest makers, Horner captured the elegance of this majestic species with this carving.

This decoy represents an important new discovery as the only known Horner merganser hen in original paint in private hands.

The form of this hollow decoy represents Horner at his prime. It exhibits sleek lines, a thin neck, and long wooden crest tines. The underside of this untouched decoy retains its original rigging.

While several Horner merganser drakes are found around the country in private and institutional collections, the rarity of this elegant hen cannot be overstated.

This decoy is emanating from the estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin (1944-2023), who was an avid sportsman and board member of the Blooming Grove Hunting & Fishing Club in Blooming Grove, PA. Excellent original paint with even gunning wear. Original knot indent on right side of head, and paint rub on right side of bill.

305

188

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, pp. 102-103, related examples illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., “Jim Allen: A Champion for New Jersey Decoys,” Decoy Magazine, May/June 2017, p. 9, drake illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 60, McCleery’s repainted example illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

THE MCALPIN HORNER MERGANSER HEN

305

189

HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

306 The Johnson “JEB” Rig Redhead Drake Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 14 3/4 in. long

This exemplary decoy was discovered by early New Jersey decoy collecting legends Lloyd Johnson and John Hillman.

The underside bears the “JEB” brand that identifies this celebrated rig, along with four museum and collection markings. In addition to its impressive provenance and exhibition history, this exact bird was chosen for the Hundred Greatest book, and Doherty’s Classic New Jersey Decoys. This decoy was also the title feature of a painting and subsequent prints by Burton E. Moore Jr. (1945-2016). Excellent original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: JEB Rig Lloyd Johnson Collection Malcolm Fleming Collection Donald Kirson Collection

190

LITERATURE: Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 38-39, exact decoy illustrated.

James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, pp. 51 and 87, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art.

$20,000 - $25,000

THE JOHNSON “JEB” RIG REDHEAD DRAKE

306

191

307 Black Duck 307

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 16 1/4 in. long

The underside of this hollow carving bears an incised “TFP” for the Theodore Frances Parsons rig, an “ELC” collector brand, and the “DSC” stamp for the Campbell Collection. Original paint with light gunning wear. Bill has touch-up to filled chip along underside.

PROVENANCE: Theodore Frances Parsons Rig Private Collection, Texas Dave and Jean Campbell Collection

$2,000 - $4,000

308

308 The Muller Horner Goose

Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942) West Creek, NJ, c. 1920 24 in. long

An exceptional Canada goose decoy with schooner-like construction by one of New Jersey’s finest makers. Horner captured the essence of a swimming goose, leaving only that which he felt was necessary to create an impression of the real bird. Perhaps the most forward-reaching Horner Canada goose known, this elegant carving was meticulously hollowed to its featherlight state. The underside is marked with the coveted “ED TOWNSEND” stamp as part of this heralded Horner rig.

The underside also bears the Muller Collection and Philadelphia Wildfowl Exposition ink stamps. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, a reset neck crack, and touch-up to a chip under bill tip.

192

PROVENANCE: Ed Townsend Rig, Massachusetts John Dilworth Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 10, exact decoy illustrated.

Kenneth L. Gosner, Working Decoys of the Jersey Coast and Delaware Valley, Cranbury, NJ, 1985, p. 61, exact decoy illustrated (image reversed).

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p.

187, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 60, related example illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Wildfowl Exposition, The

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1979. $6,000 - $9,000

309 Black Duck

Joe King (1909-2003) Edgely, PA, c. 1930 15 1/2 in. long

309

A rare sleeper decoy exhibiting incised wing-tip detail and bearing the King stamped weight and the “DSC” stamp for the Campbell Collection on the underside. In excellent Joe King paint, with a painted “K” signature on the bottom.

PROVENANCE: Dave and Jean Campbell Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

310 Goldeneye

Dan English (1883-1962) Florence, NJ, c. 1935 13 in. long

310

A rare English species with classic Delaware River form and chord wraps. Early working repaint. $600 - $900

311

311 Ruddy Turnstone

Otis Townsend (b. 1877) Townsend Inlet, NJ, c. 1910 11 3/4 in. long

A grand turnstone in an outstretched position with raised wings and etched tail feather detail. An important historic New Jersey turnstone from two top tier shorebird decoy collectors.

Original paint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: John Hillman Collection Schiller Martin Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p. 64, pl. 62, similar decoys illustrated.

$4,500 - $6,500 193

312

313

312 Golden Plover Pair

313 Willet Pair

A highly refined and elegant shorebird pair showing Nantucket influences, likely made as a special order. These “superior grade” Lincolns display the Massachusetts master’s full carving and painting abilities. A closely related pair sold out of the Grant Nelson Collection at Copley’s Sporting Sale in July of 2017. Original paint with even wear, a few dings on the side of one, both have replaced bills.

A rigmate pair with clean lines and raised wings. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and working touch-up to eyes and bills.

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Hingham, MA, c. 1880 10 in. long

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin LITERATURE: Cap Vinal, Joseph W. Lincoln, Rockland, MA, 2002, p. 68, related example illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000

194

Charles W. Thomas (b. 1875) Assinippi, MA, c. 1900 14 in. long

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$2,500 - $3,500

FOX RIG ESKIMO CURLEW

314

314 Fox Rig Eskimo Curlew Massachusetts, c. 1880 14 in. long

An elegant reaching Eskimo curlew by this highly revered Massachusetts master. Decoys by this maker are rare, suggesting that they were from a single rig, and some are marked for the “Fox” rig, giving this distinct group its moniker.

Gigi Hopkins describes a closely related example in her Massachusetts Masterpieces exhibition book: “This stunning curlew is one of the most perfectly balanced and pleasing forms found in a shorebird decoy. It is masterfully garbed in lush, painterly daubs of earth tone colors.” Another comparable resides in the Museum of American Folk Art collection and is currently on loan to the Center for American Decoys at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Excellent original paint with light wear and small partial crack in bill has been reset.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection LITERATURE: Gwladys Hopkins, Massachusetts Masterpieces, Lincoln, MA, 2016, pp. 42-43, 98-99, related example illustrated.

The Ward Museum, Massachusetts Masters: Decoys, Shorebirds, and Decorative Carvings, Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 35, similar decoy illustrated.

Jeff Waingrow, American Wildfowl Decoys, Museum of American Folk Art, New York, NY, 1989, pp. 68-69, curlew illustrated and discussed.

$8,000 - $12,000

195

315

316

315 Yellowlegs Pair

316 Curlew Pair

A dynamic pair with thin necks in two distinct postures. Each is finished with lively brushwork. Original paint with even gunning wear, the high head bird has some flaking to top of head and behind original fill line on back. Bills appear to be replaced.

A large pair of shorebird decoys with thin necks, crown stripes, and pronounced heads, carved from a one-and-three-quarterinch board. Original paint with age lines in the larger bird. Paint drip on smaller bird’s left cheek. Bills appear to be replaced.

PROVENANCE: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, MA Lew Horton Collection

PROVENANCE: E. Arthur “Doc” Robinson Collection Lew Horton Collection

$3,000 - $5,000

$1,500 - $2,500

Massachusetts, c. 1880 11 in. long

196

South Shore, MA, c. 1900 16 in. long

317

318

317 O’Brien-Mackey Early Dowitcher

318 The O’Brien Shourds Winter-Plumage Plover

Shorebird decoys by named Connecticut makers are extremely rare. This carving is one of nineteen birds obtained from Donald Campbell, grandson of Isaac Campbell, in 1967 by Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Campbell told O’Brien that he and his father used these birds and that they were made by his grandfather. The rig consisted of dowitchers, red knots, plover, and a ruddy turnstone. The underside of the carving bears the Mackey Collection ink stamp. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some chipping to tail and head.

A black-bellied plover in winter plumage with the stamp denoting the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection on the underside.

Original paint with gunning wear and minor restoration to chip on top of bill.

Isaac Campbell Norwalk, CT, c. 1840 11 in. long

PROVENANCE: Campbell Family Rig Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection William J. Mackey Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1974, Sessions VII & VIII, lot 69, rigmate illustrated.

John M. Levinson and Somers G. Headley, Shorebirds, Centreville, MD, 1991, p. 62, rigmates illustrated.

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 9 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

$4,500 - $6,500 197

319

319 The Johnson Johnson Yellowlegs J. Taylor Johnson (1853-1929) Point Pleasant, NJ, c. 1900 11 1/2 in. long

An exemplary yellowlegs with an elegant thin neck and refined head. The body shows Taylor Johnson’s telltale log-split lines and a screw-eye under the tail used for carrying the bird into the field. Original paint with light gunning wear, reset age line through neck. Minor chips to top of bill insertion and to tip of bill.

Minor age lines in head.

PROVENANCE: The Linda E. Johnson Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 190, rigmates illustrated.

Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys: A North American Survey, Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 168, pl. 354, related decoy illustrated.

320

$2,500 - $4,500

320 Yellowlegs

Levi Rhodes Truex (1860-1934) Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1910 10 1/2 in. long

A superb Truex decoy displaying glass-bead eyes and a through-splined bill. There is a partial brand showing a “B.” on the belly. Original paint with light wear and a blood drip on back left side.

PROVENANCE: Linda E. Johnson Collection Private Collection

$1,000 - $2,000 321

321 Curlew

Capt. Joel W. Barkalow (1853-1931) Forked River, NJ, c. 1890 13 in. long

A curlew with an inserted and splined bill. This bird exhibits the gunner’s ingenuity, with a tight marlin wrapping in a notched groove at the base of the bill. Capt. Barkalow was a bayman who later in his life became a yachtsman offering sporting excursions. Original paint with gunning wear, chip to lower left corner of bill.

PROVENANCE: William C. McMaster M.D. Collection

$1,000 - $2,000

198

322 Ken Carlson (b. 1937)

322

California Quail signed “K. Carlson” lower right watercolor, 12 3/4 by 18 1/4 in.

Born in 1937, Ken Carlson spent his early life in Minnesota, where he developed a love of nature and art. His artistic training took place at the Minneapolis School of Art. Today, Carlson is among the leading wildlife art painters. His works have been featured at exhibitions and in the collections of the National Wildlife Art Museum in Jackson, Wyoming, the Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Among other honors, he was granted the Bob Kuhn Wildlife Award from the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles in 2008 and the Prix de West in 1999. He is a regular supporter of wildlife conservation organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, California

$2,000 - $3,000

323 Carl Rungius (1869-1959)

Near Long Lake, 1926 signed “C. Rungius” lower right etching, 7 3/4 by 10 3/4 in. edition of 100 Arthur H. Harlow & Co., New York label on back

323

This work depicts a pair of moose in an alpine landscape.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin LITERATURE: Donald E. Crouch, Carl Rungius: The Complete Prints, Missoula, MT, 1989, p. 123, pl. 17, illustrated.

$2,000 - $4,000

324

324 Edward (Ned) Aldrich (b. 1965) Alert Deer, 1990 signed and dated “Aldrich 90” lower right oil on board, 12 by 8 in. $400 - $600

199

ROBERT VERITY CLEM 1933-2010

325 Robert Verity Clem (1933-2010)

325

Western Sandpiper, 1993 signed “RVC” lower left watercolor, 6 1/2 by 9 3/4 in. inscribed “Western Sandpiper: Monomoy October 1993” lower left $2,000 - $3,000

326 Robert Verity Clem (1933-2010)

Savannah Sparrow, 1974 signed “Robert Verity Clem” lower right watercolor, 18 1/4 by 27 in. titled and inscribed “Savannah Sparrow Chatham, Mass July, 1974” on back inscribed “For Betty Matthiessen October 1974” lower right

326

$3,000 - $5,000

327

327 Robert Verity Clem (1933-2010) The Pond, 1977 signed “Robert Verity Clem” lower left watercolor, 18 1/2 by 26 1/2 in. inscribed and titled “’The Pond,’ Chatham, December, 1977” on back

A watercolor depicting a pair of black ducks swimming in a pond.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$4,000 - $6,000

200

ROGER TORY PETERSON

1908-1996

328

330

329

328 Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996)

Goldfinches, 1959 watercolor and gouache, 13 by 10 in. stamped “Roger Tory Peterson” on back

The work was created for the 1959 Morrell Calendar, which featured Birds of our Land.

John Morrell Co., a long-running meatpacking company, produced and sold advertising calendars with different themes each year.

PROVENANCE: The artist

Virginia Peterson Estate Private Collection, by descent $2,000 - $4,000

329 Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996)

Six Bird Illustrations, 1964 watercolor and gouache, 18 3/4 by 14 in. stamped and labeled on back depicting the Pallas’s Sand Grouse, Whitewinged Crossbill, Rosy Starling, Bohemian Waxwing, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Willow Ptarmigan

Roger Tory Peterson was born in 1908 in Jamestown, New York. After a childhood spent reading and being fascinated with birds, he studied art at the Art Students

332

331

League and the National Academy of Design in New York. Inspired by naturalist bird artists, such as John James Audubon, Edward Lear, and Louis Agassiz Fuertes, in 1934 Peterson published his innovative and influential A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America, which went into multiple editions and is still in print. The Peterson Field Guides imprint remains a popular resource.

PROVENANCE: The artist

Virginia Peterson Estate Private Collection, by descent LITERATURE: James Fisher and Roger Tory Peterson,

The World of Birds, New York, 1964, pp. 75, 127, illustrated. $1,000 - $3,000

330 Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996) Woodpeckers, 1990 watercolor and gouache, 17 3/4 by 11 in. stamped and inscribed on back PROVENANCE: The artist Virginia Peterson Estate Private Collection, by descent

LITERATURE: Roger Tory Peterson, Field Guide to Western Birds, Boston, MA, 1990, pl. 223, illustrated.

$1,000 - $3,000

331 Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996) Dovekie signed “RT Peterson” lower left watercolor and gouache, 8 1/2 by 10 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE: The artist Virginia Peterson Estate Private Collection, by descent

$1,000 - $3,000

332 Roger Tory Peterson (19081996)

Flycatchers, 1990 signed “Roger Tory Peterson” lower right watercolor and gouache, 14 1/2 by 9 in. stamped and inscribed on back PROVENANCE: The artist Virginia Peterson Estate Private Collection, by descent LITERATURE: Roger Tory Peterson, Field Guide to Western Birds, Boston, MA, 1990, pl. 231, illustrated.

$1,000 - $3,000

201

LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTES 1874-1924

333

334

333 Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1924)

Six Songbirds signed “Louis Agassiz Fuertes” lower left watercolor, 11 1/2 by 9 3/4 in.

From the top, two depictions of the pine siskin (Spinus pinus) in summer (1) and fall (2) plumage, followed by four depictions of the goldfinch (Spinus tristus): summer adult male (3), female (4), winter adult male (5), young male (6)

Louis Agassiz Fuertes was named after the famous Harvard professor Louis Agassiz by his father, himself a professor at Cornell. Though he studied architecture at Cornell, the words of his namesake “Study nature, not books” prevailed and Fuertes went on to become one of the preeminent American bird artists of all time. The artist was noted for his early talent and eye for detail, joining the American Ornithologists’ Union at the age of seventeen. Through this important group, he met ornithologist Elliott Coues, who promoted his work and commissioned the artist to illustrate his 1903 book, Key to North American Birds. Along with Frank W. Benson, Fuertes provided illustrations for John C. Phillips’ A Natural History of the Ducks, published from 1922-1926. He also painted his stunning bird portraits for Edward Howe Forbush’s Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States, published between 1925-1929. His works can be found in the collections of Cornell University and Chicago’s Field Museum, among others, and he has two species of birds named after him: Icterus fuertesi and Hapalopsittaca fuertesi.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$3,000 - $6,000

334 Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1924) Maryland Yellowthroat signed “L.A.F.” lower center watercolor, 9 by 6 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$2,000 - $3,000

202

335

335 David Hagerbaumer (1921-2014)

Pintails, 1967 signed and dated “David Hagerbaumer 1967” lower left watercolor, 20 1/2 by 28 3/4 in.

336

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

336 Joseph Day Knap (1875-1962) Flying Pintails signed “JD Knap” lower left watercolor, 14 1/2 by 20 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

337

337 Leigh Voight (b. 1943)

Polybroides, 1977 signed and dated “Leigh Voight 1977” lower left watercolor, 22 3/4 by 16 3/4 in. titled “Gymnogene Polybroides typus typus” lower left depicting the African Harrier-hawk, a raptor native to the south of Africa $400 - $600

203

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

338

340

339

338 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) The High Carry, 1915 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 9 3/4 by 8 in.

Paff #66, edition 26 of 50 numbered “26/50” lower right

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

$3,000 - $5,000

339 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Boats at Dawn, 1920 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #190, edition of 150 Goodspeed’s Book Shop label on back

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Faith Andrew Bedford, Impressionist Summers, Frank W Benson’s North Haven, 2012, Figure 65, p. 68, illustrated.

204

341

340 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Running the Rapids, 1927 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 by 7 3/4 in.

Paff #269, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

341 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) The Bridge, 1923 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 13 1/4 by 10 1/2 in.

Paff #227, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$1,000 - $2,000

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

342 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Woodcock, 1930 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 11 3/4 by 9 1/2 in.

Paff #292, edition of 150 Frederick Keppel & Co, New York label on back

342

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

$1,000 - $2,000

343

343 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Two Pointer Etchings (one shown) each signed “Frank W Benson” lower left My Pointer, 1915 Paff #51, edition 6 of 50 6 by 8 in.

Pointer Dog, 1925 Paff #251, edition of 150 5 3/4 by 7 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

344

344 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Blue Heron, 1915 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 5 3/4 by 4 in.

Paff #39, edition 40 of 50 numbered “40/50” lower right

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

205

WILLIAM SCHULTZ 1923-2009 | MILWAUKEE, WI

345 Green-Winged Teal Carving

345

William Schultz (1923-2009) Milwaukee, WI, 1966 8 3/4 in. tall

An early and refined tucked-head bird from this renowned Wisconsin carver with the maker’s inked signature and date on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear. $1,800 - $2,400

346 Herring Gull

William Schultz (1923-2009) Milwaukee, WI, c. 1965 17 in. long

A rare confidence decoy by this national champion carver, one of only three gulls that Schultz is known to have made. Original paint with light wear from handling including a minor ding to edge of tail. $4,000 - $6,000

206

346

WILLIAM SCHULTZ

1923-2009 | MILWAUKEE, WI

347

347 Mallard Pair

William Schultz (1923-2009) Milwaukee, WI, 1972 17 in. long

348

A pair of hollow animated carvings with glass eyes, fine comb paint detail, raised wings, and the maker’s inked signature, dedication, and date on the undersides. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Dick Steinman Collection Private Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

348 Black Duck

William Schultz (1923-2009) Milwaukee, WI, 1971 17 in. long

A turned-head hollow bird from this renowned Wisconsin carver with glass eyes, carved bill detail, raised wings, and the maker’s signature, date, and “First place for species International Decoy Show, Davenport, Iowa, Aug 1971” inked on the underside.

Original paint with light wear. $1,500 - $2,500

207

349

351

350

352 34

349 Mallard

351 Black Duck

A classic drake by the maker with a three-piece body and drawn-back head. Original paint with moderate gunning wear.

An early Philadelphia decoy with a Hillman Collection ink stamp. These early decoys have ties to the rigs of W. P. Patton and the family of Fred Shropshire (1900-1964). Working repaint with light wear and a chip to back of neck seat.

Tom Fitzpatrick (1887-1958) Delanco, NJ, c. 1930 16 in. long

PROVENANCE: Florence Rig, New Jersey Richard and Lynn Gove Collection Private Collection

$500 - $800

350 Canvasback Drake John English (1848-1915) Florence, NJ, c. 1880 15 1/2 in. long

The carving hails from the Appleton rig and bears the Mackey Collection ink stamp. Old paint with moderate gunning wear and slight neck seam separation.

Philadelphia School Philadelphia, PA, c. 1880 15 in. long

PROVENANCE: John Hillman Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Russ Allen, “Arthur Bartholomew Vance and the ‘Philadelphia School,’” Decoy Magazine, May/June 2014, pp. 24-31.

$1,000 - $2000

352 High-Head Canvasback Pair

Robert “Turk” Libensperger (1932-2012) Levittown, PA, 1982 16 in. long

PROVENANCE: Appleton Rig William J. Mackey Collection Private Collection

Both are signed and dated on the weights. Original paint with moderate wear, including dings to drake’s right cheek.

$500 - $800

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate

$400 - $600

208

353

355

354

356 34

353 Black Duck

355 Bluebill Pair

A carving from his own rig, the underside bears the maker’s metal rig tag. Original paint with even gunning wear and touchup to crack in bill and neck.

Each hollow carving bears the maker’s signature on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

C. Ridgway Marter (1893-1977) Burlington, NJ, c. 1930 15 in. long

John McLoughlin (1911-1985) Bordentown, NJ, c. 1960 14 in. long

$500 - $700

$300 - $500

356 Canvasback 354 Canvasback

John McLaughlin (1911-1985) Bordentown, NJ, c. 1930 16 in. long

A very hollow carving displaying a gunner’s metal plaque on the underside. Original paint with a wash to the black and even gunning wear. $500 - $700

August Glass (1905-1973) Florence, NJ, c. 1930 17 in. long

The underside of this hollow decoy bears the maker’s weight with his name stamped upon it. Appears to be original paint with moderate gunning wear, including some small rubs.

PROVENANCE: August Glass and Paul Green Rig Private Collection

$250 - $350

209

357

359

358

360

357 Black Duck

John English (1848-1915) Florence, NJ, c. 1880 16 in. long

This hollow decoy shows English’s form at its best. The underside bears the Bull brand. Worn and taken down with some touch-up added. Chips to top of tail.

PROVENANCE: Roy Bull Collection Private Collection

$600 - $900

358 Rare Mallard

Clark Madera (1883-1953) Pitman, NJ, c. 1920 17 1/2 in. long

Jim Doherty selected this exact decoy for his Classic New Jersey Decoys book while it was in the Dave and Jean Campbell Collection. The underside is marked with the Campbell’s “DSC” collection stamp. Mallards, and subsequently their decoys, along the Atlantic flyway were very rare during this era.

Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Dave and Jean Campbell Collection, acquired from

the Madara Family Private Collection 210

LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 162, exact decoy illustrated.

$450 - $650

359 Low-Head Bluebill English Family Florence, NJ, c. 1900 13 in. long

A tucked-head decoy with very good carved wing-tip and tail details. Gunning paint with moderate gunning wear and some touch-up to flaking, mostly around tail. $1,000 - $2,000

360 Black Duck

Clark Madera (1883-1953) Pitman, NJ, c. 1920 17 1/2 in. long

A full-bodied model with very good head feathering. Original paint with even gunning wear and minor spot of filler loss on back of head. $300 - $500

FREDERICK "RICK" BROWN POINT PLEASANT, NJ

361 Wood Duck Pair

Frederick “Rick” Brown Point Pleasant, NJ, 2022 13 in. long

361

The undersides bear a leather rigging strap, a lead weight, and a brass tag with 2022 and “FREDERICK C. BROWN PT. PLEASANT, NJ.” Original paint with minimal wear.

362 Sleeping Green-Winged Teal Frederick “Rick” Brown Point Pleasant, NJ, 2003 10 in. long

The underside bears a leather rigging strap, a lead weight, and a brass tag with “FREDERICK C. BROWN 2003 PT. PLEASANT, NJ.” Original paint with light wear.

363 Black Duck Trio

362

Frederick “Rick” Brown Point Pleasant, NJ, 2011-2023 14 in. long

Three unused gunning birds displaying three different poses. The undersides of all three bear leather rigging strap, a lead weight, and a brass tag with the date and “FREDERICK C. BROWN PT. PLEASANT, NJ.” One is dated 2018, another 2011, and the third is 2023. Original paint with minimal wear.

363

211

364

365

364 Miniature Mallard Pair

366 Yellowlegs

A pair of Delaware River miniatures displaying raised wing and tail carving. Original paint with light wear.

This split-tail carving is signed in ink “Delbert Cigar Daisy” on bottom and branded “Cigar.” Original paint with light wear.

$500 - $800

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

Tom Fitzpatrick (1887-1958) Delanco, NJ, c. 1940 7 in. long

Delbert “Cigar” Daisey (1924-2017) Chincoteague, VA 12 1/4 in. long

$400 - $600

365 Sleeping Wood Duck Dennis Del Mauro Swansboro, NC, 2006 13 in. long

367 Golden Plover

Featured in Loy Harrell’s book on living carvers, the underside has an incised signature and is signed, dated, and dedicated on the weight. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Loy Harrell Collection, acquired from the artist Private Collection LITERATURE: Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: Sixty Living and Outstanding North American Carvers, East Petersburg, PA, 2007, exact decoy illustrated.

Delbert “Cigar” Daisey (1924-2017) Chincoteague, VA 9 1/2 in. long

The bottom of this raised-wing carving is branded “Cigar.”

Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

$400 - $600

$300 - $500

212

366

367

368

370

369

371 34

368 Goose Pair

370 Canvasback

Two rare rigmate geese. Working repaint by the maker with moderate gunning wear, and a crack along the bottom of each. One has an old bill chip.

Original paint with heavy gunning wear, including age lines and loss to tail edges. Restored bill.

August Heinefeld (1883-1952) Rock Hall, MD, c. 1950 22 1/2 in. long

Lloyd J. Tyler (1898-1970) Crisfield, MD, c. 1920 19 in. long

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate

$600 - $900

369 Swan

John Vickers Cambridge, MD, c. 1935 28 1/2 in. long

Old paint with moderate gunning wear and some fill to age line in body. Replaced section at base of neck. $800 - $1,200

371 Rare Canada Goose

James A. “Jim” Currier (1886-1969) Havre de Grace, MD, c. 1930 21 1/2 in. long

A large “B” is branded on the underside. Currier geese in any condition are rare with less than a dozen known, of those only four are said to be in original paint. Original paint with even gunning wear, crack in underside, and some chew to bill tip. $800 - $1,200

213

372

374

373

375

372 Tucked-Head Canvasback

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1950 16 in. long

Susquehanna, c. 1950 14 in. long

Appears to be original paint with even gunning wear.

A rare tucked-head Ward with a balsa body. The underside is inscribed by Lem Ward and Dr. Starr. It also bears an “MBL” brand and Starr Collection fan stamp. Original paint with light gunning wear and some flaking.

$500 - $800

PROVENANCE: Ann Q. West Collection

Susquehanna Flats, MD, c. 1870 12 1/2 in. long

Dr. George Ross Starr Collection Private Collection $800 - $1,200

373 Bluebill Pair

Paul Gibson (1902-1985) Havre de Grace, MD, c. 1950 13 1/2 in. long

An early Gibson pair with a turned-head hen. Original paint with heavy gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate

$200 - $300

214

374 Preening Canvasback

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate

375 Redhead

An early Upper Bay decoy with excellent form. As found.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Malcolm M. McAlpin

$400 - $600

376

377

376 Canada Goose

377 High-Head Canada Goose

A rare and exceptional Barto with tight feathering across its broad back. “Skippy” Barto was a semi-professional baseball player and steel worker who was forced into early retirement.

In his third act, he became a professional decoy maker largely styled after the Ellistons. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear and touch-up to two hairline cracks in neck.

An outstanding Canada goose by Garren with bold scratch feathering. Original paint with very light gunning wear.

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 120, exact decoy illustrated.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

George “Skippy” Barto (1880-1959) Joliet, IL, c. 1930 19 1/2 in. long

Otto Garren (1890-1968) Canton, IL, c. 1930 19 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 106, exact decoy illustrated.

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005.

Peoria, Illinois, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Center for American Decoys, Peoria Riverfront Museum.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

$2,000 - $3,000

LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $2,000 - $4,000

215

378

378 Pintail Drake

Robert Bradbeer (1886-1955) Spring Valley, IL, c. 1920 17 in. long

A relatively unknown maker from Spring Valley, Illinois, Robert Bradbeer produced a rig of roughly fifty mallards and pintails.

Fashioned in the typical hollow two-piece tradition of the region, very few of his birds with original paint have surfaced on the market. The underside has a poured strip weight with an integrated line tie and a stamped “RB.” Original paint with even gunning wear and a tight neck crack.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 112, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum.

379

$2,000 - $3,000

379 Stick-Up Canada Goose

Frank L. Himmel (1873-1940)(attr.)

Pekin, IL, c. 1920 20 1/2 in. long

This high-head stick-up is one of a rig of six decoys that originally came from the Manito, Illinois, area. This decoy also hails from the collection of the Illinois River decoy and folk art collecting legend Merle Glick (1924-2014). Glick was a major supporter of the Peoria Riverfront Museum, where he donated almost 300 items. Old gunning repaint with even wear and gunning repair to bill.

PROVENANCE: Merle Glick Collection Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 149, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum $1,000 - $2,000

216

380

382

381

383

380 Mallard Drake

Stephen Lane (1843-1900) Lacon, IL, c. 1890 15 1/2 in. long

A rare and early Illinois River decoy with exceptional form. Mix of original and repaint with gunning wear, tight neck crack, and restored tail tip.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 25, related preener illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $1,000 - $2,000

382 Rare Ring-Necked Drake Henry Holmes (1870-1940) Bureau, IL, c. 1900 13 in. long

$1,000 - $2,000

This hollow decoy has fine comb feather detail on the back.

The underside bears a weight with the maker’s name stamped on it. Excellent early working paint with gunning wear, including a small ding to back of head.

381 Pintail Drake

PROVENANCE: Walter White Collection Private Collection

Samuel Hockings Sr. (1868-1950) Peru, IL, c. 1900 16 1/2 in. long

$500 - $700

In addition to being a coal miner and a policeman, Hockings was also a woodworker and a craftsman. With a large family of ten people, Sam hunted to feed his family and carved decoys to help with that endeavor. This rare and early decoy is hollow and fitted with an inset tail. Original paint with some old working paint including the white, with moderate gunning wear. Two reddish drips on left side.

383 Pintail Drake

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

PROVENANCE: Ed Moore Collection Private Collection

LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 52, exact decoy illustrated.

August Haas (1890-1962) Peru, IL, c. 1915 18 in. long

The underside of the hollow body is stamped “Ed Moore.”

Original paint on the top of the body, replaced head, and repaint to breast and lower sides.

$300 - $500

217

384 Bluebill Hen 384

William Lohrman (1890-1955) Peoria, IL, c. 1920 13 1/2 in. long

A well-preserved Lohrman decoy showing the influence of Charles Schoenheider Sr. Original paint with moderate gunning wear. $300 - $500

385 Turned-Head Mallard John F. Fischer (1913-2002) Peoria, IL, c. 1940 16 in. long

A classic Illinois River decoy with excellent original Millie Graves paint. Original paint with light gunning wear and neck cracks.

385

4

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

$300 - $500

386 Pintail Hen

Virgil Lashbrook (1913-2003) Pekin, IL, c. 1935 15 1/4 in. long

A rare pintail hen with a sharply turned head and Catherine Elliston or Millie Graves paint. The underside appears to have been signed by the maker. Working Elliston or Graves paint with moderate gunning wear, including rub to back.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

$1,000 - $1,500 386

218

387 Rare Calling Canada Goose Nicholas Englehart (b. 1888) Manito, IL, c. 1935 26 1/2 in. long

387

Englehart was a cabinet maker and he operated a ferry service on the Illinois River called Copperas Creek Ferry.

Though not a true “river rat” like many of the regional carvers, Capt. Englehart was known to occasionally hunt ducks and geese. He is believed to have only made bird decoys for his personal use. A few of his field Canada and snow geese have been found, with several ending up in the collections of Bill Mackey, Alan Haid, and Charlie Hunter.

Englehart’s bird interpretations are unique among Illinois River decoys; in fact, they relate more closely to the work of Minnesota’s John Tax. The serpentine head and neck of this goose, like Englehart’s other decoys, are detachable. The bodies were crafted from several blocks of hardwood and two sheets of metal sheathing. This is believed to be the only calling Canada goose from the rig. Original paint with even gunning wear.

388

PROVENANCE: Merle Glick Collection Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 117, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $2,000 - $4,000

388 Preening Mallard Hen

Walter “Tube” Dawson (1882-1955) Putnam, IL, c. 1920 15 in. long

Dawson learned carpentry from his father and began carving decoys at age seventeen. Over his long career in wood, he proved to be a diverse maker. In addition to this imaginative preener, he made a mechanical goose, flying mallards, high-head models, duck calls, and boats.

Hunting was his passion, and from 1905 until 1918 Dawson took full advantage of the then-legal market shooting of the region’s plentiful waterfowl. On Lake Senachwine, he served as a hunting guide to hotel guests. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 109, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $3,000 - $5,000

219

389 Dove Decoy

389

Harold Haertel (1904-1995) Dundee, IL, c. 1965 11 in. long

The underside of this gunning decoy is signed with a “HH” stamp and retains its original wire for use as a stick-up in the field. Original paint with minimal wear and a loose beak.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

$400 - $600

390

390 Rig of Five Dove

391 Great Horned Owl

Vintage dove rigs by any maker are rare, with most known examples produced by the Mason Decoy Factory.

Leonard Doren is best known today for his great horned owl decoys, made with distinctive deeply cut features to the tufts, face, beak, and tail. Along with Hyatt and Herter’s factory, Doren’s owls are considered amongst the best decoys representing birds of prey. Overall excellent condition with original paint with light gunning wear and some black touch-up to ears and tail.

Frank Cassini (1899-1967) Galesburg, IL, c. 1945 10 in. long

The heads of these birds were fitted with taxidermy eyes, reflecting Cassini’s other profession as a taxidermist. He closely studied live birds’ forms, using them as models for his decoys. These were made in various positions and one bears a maker’s identification under the tail. Original paint with light gunning wear and multiple stick holes on the bottoms of each.

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 130, two exact decoys illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $3,000 - $5,000

220

William Doren (1895-1965) Pekin, IL, c. 1948 18 in. tall

PROVENANCE: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 124, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Salisbury, Maryland, The Illinois River Meets the

Chesapeake, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 November 13, 2005. $2,000 - $4,000

WILLIAM DOREN 1895-1965 | PEKIN, IL

391

221

392 Rare Great Blue Heron Decoy Havre de Grace, MD, c. 1930 46 in. long

A rare working heron decoy hunted over by the late Ruly Carpenter who owned the Philadelphia Phillies. This silhouette carving shows fine attention to detail with scalloped bill edges, extended crest, artistic paint application, and innovative leg design.

Although great blue herons and egrets were not often, if ever, hunted for the table because their flesh was generally deemed unpalatable, their feathers were valuable commodities for the millinery trade. In addition, egret and heron carvings were on occasion used as confidence decoys to lure in more tasty waterfowl. Heron decoys with provenance are extremely rare, making the debut of this vintage gunning bird an exciting modern-day decoy find.

Downtown Gallery in 1952. This groundbreaking art gallery was started by Edith Halpert (1900-1970) in 1926. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate LITERATURE: William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, 1965, pl. 36, related decoy illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 83 related decoy illustrated.

Jean Lipman and Allice Winchester, The Flowering of American Folk Art (1776-1876), New York, NY, 1974, p. 167, related decoy illustrated.

Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., The American Heritage Society Auction of Americana, November 6-8, 1975, lot 262, related decoy illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

A related egret silhouette has resided in the Shelburne Museum since the institution acquired it directly from the

“These monumental decoys are as exceptional as a decoy can be; in size, rarity, and design they are in a class by themselves.”

— William J. Mackey discussing wading bird silhouette decoys, American Bird Decoys, 1965

222

392

393 Rig of Seventeen Rock Dove Decoys Havre de Grace, MD, c. 1970 each bird is approximately 12 in. long

393

A rig of working Havre de Grace pigeon decoys. As found.

PROVENANCE: Ruly Carpenter Rig and Estate

$1,000 - $2,000

394

394 Five Flattie Golden Plover South Shore, MA, c. 1880 13 in. long

This group is part of a recently discovered rig and is offered here in its “as-found” state. As found.

395 Shoveler Head

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 9 in. long, 5 in. tall

395

This head is rare, if not unique. Indeed, the only Crowell shovelers known to surface have been his miniatures. This refined life-size carving has been mounted on a contemporary base. Original paint with some wear from handling.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, acquired from Alan Haid

$2,000 - $3,000

223

396

397

399

398

396 Cast-Metal Duck Head after Joel D. Barber (1876-1952) 3 1/4 by 6 by 2 in.

Original patina with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Jim and Pat Doherty Collection Kirby Roberts Collection

397 Two Duck Calls

400

company was bought by its rival, Abercrombie & Fitch, in 1928.

Good condition with small chip on upper edge.

LITERATURE: Ann Tandy Lacy, Perdew: An Illinois Tradition, Muncie, IN, 1993, p. 187, related calls illustrated and discussed.

$800 - $1,200

399 Four Powder Flasks largest is 8 1/2 in. tall

6 1/2 in. long

One call by H.J. Harris with raised checkered panels and mother of pearl inlays. The other is a twelve-sided call signed and dated “2011” by Terry Norris, and is missing its reed.

The largest powder flask is metal and bears a Dixon insignia.

The leather flasks each display a different embossed scene: a dog, a rabbit, and a dog holding a game bird in its mouth. As found.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

398 VL&A Duck Call

400 Vintage Gunner’s Box

Charles H. Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1930 6 in. long

The side of this hand-carved, checkered-teardrop call bears an incised “VL&A.” Formed in early 1891, Von Lengerke & Antoine was a prominent sporting goods store in Chicago. In fact, two Colt Thompson machine guns used in Al Capone’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre were purchased from VL&A. The 224

8 in. tall by 13 in. wide

A finely constructed box with a metal clasp, leather handle, and mortise-and-tenon joinery, a technique used by woodworkers for thousands of years. As found.

PROVENANCE: Kirby Roberts Collection

IVAR G. FERNLUND

1881-1933 | BURLINGTON, ONTARIO

401

401 Bluebill Pair

Ivar G. Fernlund (1881-1933) Burlington, Ontario, c. 1915 13 in. long

A featherweight decoy pair with the maker’s refined form and intricate combed paint. The bottom boards retain their original swing weights with the maker’s debossed “F.” Original paint with moderate gunning wear. The hen has faint age lines in neck and gunning fill to shot scar on right cheek. Drake has some fill to small scar on back of head.

LITERATURE: R. Paul Brisco, Waterfowl Decoys of Southwestern Ontario, Erin, ON, 1986, front dust-jacket cover, canvasbacks illustrated, color plate 70, Fernlund family collection bluebill rigmates illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

225

402

402 Adriano Manocchia (b. 1951)

Approaching Mountain Storm, 1992 signed “Adriano Manocchia © SAA” lower left oil on canvas, 12 by 33 in. titled on Society of Animal Artists’s Animal Imagery label on back

Manocchia began his creative work as a photojournalist before turning to painting full time. An avid sportsman, he lives in New York and travels extensively. Sales of his work have helped support many conservation organizations including Ducks Unlimited and the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and his paintings have been included in shows at the National Wildlife Art Museum in Jackson, Wyoming and the American Museum

of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont, among others. He is also a member of the Society of Animal Artists.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection EXHIBITED: Madison, New Jersey, Animal Imagery 92, St Hubert’s

Giralda, 1992.

$2,000 - $4,000

403

403 Fred Fellows (b. 1934)

Down from the High Country, 1982 bronze, 20 by 27 by 13 1/2 in. edition 20 of 50 signed and dated “Fellows C A 82 © 20/50” on base PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection, acquired from Copley Fine Art Auctions, Sporting Sale 2016, lot 82

$2,500 - $3,500

226

404 Richard W. Plasschaert (b. 1941)

404

No Man’s Land signed “Plasschaert” lower right oil on board, 24 by 36 in.

A winter scene depicting wolves.

PROVENANCE: The Estate of Joyce and Larry Huffman, West Bend, Wisconsin William Gearhart Collection, acquired from Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2017, lot 128

$1,200 - $1,800

405 Ron Van Gilder (b. 1946)

Two Moose, 1990 signed and dated “Van Gilder 1990” lower right oil on canvas, 19 1/4 by 34 1/4 in.

405

Ron Van Gilder is a Minnesota artist who studied at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Among other wildlife art honors, he was named Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 1990. Van Gilder is an active sportsman dedicated to conservation.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$1,500 - $2,000

406

406 Ron Van Gilder (b. 1946) Caribou signed “Van Gilder” lower right oil on canvas, 20 1/2 by 34 in.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$1,500 - $2,000

227

407 Guy Coheleach (b. 1933)

407

Two Wolves in Winter signed “Guy Coheleach ©” lower right oil on masonite, 11 3/4 by 9 in. signed on back

Guy Coheleach, who graduated from Cooper Union School of Art in New York in 1956, is one of America’s foremost wildlife painters. His paintings are based on close, careful observation of animals in their natural habitats, including the wolves pictured here.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

408 Jim Wilcox (b. 1941)

Mt. Owens signed “Jim Wilcox” lower left oil on panel, 12 by 15 1/2 in. titled on back

Wilcox studied at Brigham Young University in Utah and won the Prix de West in 1987. Among other locations, he has painted the spectacular landscape near Jackson, Wyoming, for many years. Mt. Owen is the second-highest peak in the Tetons. It is named for William Owen, who organized the first documented ascent of the Grand Teton in 1898.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$1,000 $2,000

228

408

GIUSEPPE GABANI ITALIAN, 1846-1900

409

409 Giuseppe Gabani (Italian, 1846-1900) Tending the Flock, 1880 signed “Gabani” lower right oil on canvas, 39 by 52 in.

Born in Senigallia on the Adriatic coast of Italy, Gabani studied at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts with Cesare Maccari (18401919). As a young man, he served in the cavalry, and his horse and animal work is particularly noted. Gabani’s military, Orientalist, and history paintings achieved acclaim across Europe, including exhibitions in Berlin and Turin, among others.

This fine pastoral scene in the European tradition depicts a shepherdess and child in a coastal setting. She tenderly holds a new lamb while the flock grazes peacefully. It displays accomplished brushwork and an appealing composition, and was painted in the year Gabani established his own studio in Rome.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$10,000 - $20,000

229

OCTAVIO GONZALEZ GUTIERREZ B. 1950

410

410 Octavio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Mexican, b. 1950) Two Turtle Bronzes each signed “Octavio” on back of reef 4 by 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 in.

6 3/4 by 5 1/2 by 4 1/2 in.

Octavio Gonzalez Gutierrez is a Mexican sculptor inspired by the sea. He trained in foundries in California and lives and works in Puerto Vallarta, where many of his monumental bronzes can be found.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$200 - $400

411

411 Octavio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Mexican, b. 1950)

Humpback Whale and Calf signed, numbered and inscribed “Octavio 8/150 PV MEX” on base bronze, 16 1/4 by 11 1/2 by 8 1/2 in. edition 8 of 150 PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$600 - $900

412

412 Octavio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Mexican, b. 1950) Turtle bronze, 26 by 15 3/4 by 18 1/2 in.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$1,000 - $2,000

230

413

413 Edwin Wallace Tucker (English, 19th century) View on the River Culm, 1817 signed and dated “E. Tucker, Exeter 1817” on back oil on panel, 7 1/2 by 9 1/2 in.

Ackermann & Son, London label on back

The River Culm flows through Devon in the north of England and joins the River Exe near Exeter.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection William Gearhart Collection

$500 - $700

414 Kenneth Smallwood (20th Century)

414

Winter Grouse Trio signed “Smallwood” lower right oil on canvasboard, 11 by 14 in.

Three grouse under a pine bough.

The Crossroads of Sport’s 1971 catalog notes, “Mr. Smallwood paints in oil with the authority of one who knows. He has painted for us for thirty years.”

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$300 - $500

415

415 after Louis Maurer (1832-1932)

Two Prints - Moose and Buck, 1904 each signed “L. Maurer” in print lower right moose, 10 3/4 by 14 1/4 in. buck, 11 by 14 1/4 in.

Published by the Campbell Art Company, New York.

Photographs of the original works are in the Louis Maurer Collection at the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA. PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$100 - $200

416 Ruffed Grouse Black Forest Inkwell wood, 7 1/2 by 12 by 8 in.

416

A wood carving with two glasses fitted into wells.

PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$300 - $500

231

417

417 High-Head Pintail

Laurence D. “Ski” Zalesky (1913-1989) Vallejo, CA, c. 1940 18 1/2 in. long

A rare and refined form by this maker who was mentored by “Fresh Air Dick” Janson. Original paint on wings and back and repaint elsewhere. Neck crack has been reset.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

34

418

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 214, related carvings illustrated.

$1,000 - $1,500

418 Pintail

Dean Brown (1913-1978) Alameda, CA, c. 1940 16 in. long

A rare and stylish balsa decoy showing excellent form with a pinched breast and fine paint detail. Original paint with even gunning wear and tight age line in front of neck.

419

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 238, similar carving illustrated.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 211, similar carvings illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

419 Pintail Drake California 17 in. long

420

This decoy is pictured in both West Coast books. “Bakke” is stenciled on the underside along with a painted “M. Hulrichs.”

Original paint with gunning wear, reset crack at base of neck, and spot of black touch-up on back.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 639, exact carving illustrated.

Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 17, exact carving illustrated.

$600 - $900

421

232

422

420 Pintail

422 Snakey-Head Brant

One of the best known decoy carvers in the Astoria area, Bergman immigrated to the United States by jumping ship in San Francisco when he was a first mate on a clipper. He carved decoys for his own use as well as professionally. This decoy features highly stylized feathering on the back. In working paint attributed to Oscar Hendrickson. Gunning wear and old fill to lost chip at neck crack.

The wonderful serpentine form and published history of this decoy have rightfully made it an icon of the Northwest and, along with the brant from Capt. Olsen’s rig, it is among the most sculptural and recognizable of the Pacific’s floating brant decoys.

Charles Bergman (1856-1946) Astoria, OR, c. 1925 20 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 77, related carving illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

421 Mallard

Ed Vidmar (1922-1991) Pittsburg, CA, c. 1950 15 1/2 in. long

A raised-wing mallard drake with a redwood body hollowed from the underside. Fully restored paint.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA,

Larry Kirack (1918-1970) Eureka, CA, c. 1945 15 in. long

In addition to being a brant hunter on Humboldt Bay, Kirack was a boatbuilder and a skilled craftsman. The neck is inletted through the entire height of the body, down to the bottom of the breast. Iterating this emphasis on structural integrity, the bill is inlaid through the entire head. As testament to his craft, although battle tested, this decoy did not break. Old working paint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: August Sebastiani Collection Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 126, exact carving illustrated.

Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 44, related carvings illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

2015, p. 453, closely related carving illustrated. $1,000 - $2,000

233

423

423 Early Mallard Drake Ed Snyder (1928-2011) Rio Vista, CA, 1947 16 in. long

An early Snyder decoy, this carving shows pronounced wings, a high think neck, and balsa body. A sticker on the underside is from The Decoy Gallery and Gift Shop in Carmel, CA. The underside is signed, dated, and labeled “Windy.” Original paint with moderate gunning wear, tight neck crack, ding to left breast, and wood showing on lower right side.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon

$3,000 - $5,000

424

424 Green-Winged Teal

Amiel Garibaldi (1908-1993) Sacramento, CA, c. 1920 10 in. long

A teal with sculpted wing carving. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, hairline crack in neck.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon, acquired from the maker

after a hunt

$1,000 - $2,000

425 Pintail Hen 425

Ed Snyder (1928-2011) and “Artie” Azevedo (1921-2005) Rio Vista, CA, c. 1950 14 3/4 in. long

A classic collaborative Snyder-Azevedo balsa pintail with all of Snyder’s refinement and paint. Original paint with even wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 392, closely related decoys illustrated and discussed.

$800 - $1,200

234

426

428

427

429 34

426 Bluebill Pair

428 Pintail

A hollow pair with upswept tails and custom weights. This pair has remained with their pintail rigmate, also offered in this sale, since having been sourced from the Tornberg family rig.

Old paint with heavy gunning wear.

The bottom bears a label with the date, the maker’s name, and “Butte Lodge Outing Club,” a hunting club north of Sacramento. It also has a painted “Bondi.” Old paint with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon, acquired from Mrs.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon

John G. Tornberg (1902-1971)(attr.)

Mill Valley, CA, c. 1945 14 in. long

Tornberg

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wild-

fowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Davis, CA, 1986, p. 200, rigmate pictured. $1,000 - $2,000

427 Green-Winged Teal Pair Ed Snyder (1928-2011) Rio Vista, CA, 1971 10 in. long

A specially commissioned pair of turned-head teal with hollow bodies and raised wings. The underside of the hen was signed, dated, and dedicated to their early collector. Original paint with light wear and hen has some sap along lower right side.

Elmer Biondi Colusa, CA, c. 1954 15 1/2 in. long

$300 - $500

429 Puffin

Ed Snyder (1928-2011) Rio Vista, CA, 2005 13 in. long

This rare carving bears raised wings, full checks, and the maker’s signature and date on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon

$800 - $1,200

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Oregon

$800 - $1,200

235

430 Green-Winged Teal Pair Gottlieb Schmid (1875-1957) Bay Area, CA, c. 1930 10 in. long

430

A rare, if not unique, pair of teal illustrated and discussed in the California book. The undersides are both painted with “Schmid.” Original paint with light gunning wear, drake has tight crack in end of bill.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection.

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 162, exact pair illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

431

431 Mallard Pair

Rokosuke Maeda (1889-1970) Richmond, B.C., c. 1950 15 1/2 in. long

A rare Japan-born maker, Maeda was a carver and punt boat builder. During World War II, Canada relocated and incarcerated over 22,000 Japanese Canadians including Rokosuke Maeda. During his internment, the maker’s rig of fifty waterfowl carvings was lost. This hollow pair with thin bottom boards and fine paint was made after he was freed. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and touch-up to end of drake’s tail.

432

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 31, related carvings illustrated.

$2,500 - $3,500

432 Canada Goose

Ed Snyder (1928-2011) (attr.)

Rio Vista, CA, c. 1940 20 1/2 in. long

This carving has a balsa body and its form, region, and paint point to it being an early Snyder decoy. Mostly original paint

with working paint to white cheeks and possibly grey wings.

Gunning wear and darkened chewed loss to bill tip. Reddish coloration at water lines.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 634, exact decoy illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

433 Standing Green-Winged Teal West Coast (attr.)

12 1/2 in. long

A foam-bodied carving with metal feet. Original paint with moderate wear and some discoloration to top.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$600 - $900

433 236

434

436

435

437

434 Snow Goose

436 Reaching Brant

A rare species with a razor back and hollow body from the Fraser River Delta. Old paint with moderate gunning wear.

An oversize reaching brant with a plywood head and hollow underside. Old layers of paint with heavy gunning wear and a loose keel.

Aubrey Kent (b. 1894) (attr.)

Vancouver Island, WA, c. 1930 19 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$2,000 - $3,000

Roland Dexter (attr.)

Fortuna, CA 24 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$600 - $900

435 Swimming Cinnamon Teal Unknown Maker California, c. 1920 13 1/2 in. long

An exceedingly rare, and possibly unique, swimming cinnamon teal in a fully extended position with a long, thin neck. Both the posture and species of this red dart are noteworthy for their rarity. The decoy was chosen for the California book, where it is prominently illustrated as one of the state’s best unknowns. Original paint with moderate gunning wear.

437 Pintail Pair

Leo Tocchini (1904-1989) Oakland, CA, 1981 16 1/2 in.

The underside of this pair is signed and dated. Original paint with light wear and drake has a reset tail.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$600 - $900

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 650, exact decoy illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

237

438

440

439

34 441

438 Canada Goose

440 Green-Winged Teal Pair

Leo lived in Oakland, but enjoyed hunting on Suisun Marsh at the Rich Island Duck Club. An accomplished carver, Leo sold his decoys to fellow club members and other hunters. The underside of this balsa carving is signed by the maker. Original paint with light wear.

“Bill Neal was one of California’s great decoy carvers,” writes author Michael Miller. Before heading overseas to serve in World War II as a B-17 gunner, Bill sold his decoy collection not knowing if he would ever return. When he returned Stateside in 1946, he picked up his decoy carving tools and did not set them down again until shortly before his death in 2014. Each decoy is signed, dated, and branded by the maker on the underside.

Original paint with light wear.

Leo Tocchini (1904-1989) Oakland, CA, c. 1950 20 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 320, related carvings illustrated.

$600 - $900

William “Bill” Neal (1924-2014) Black Point, CA, 1980 13 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection, acquired from the artist

$700 - $1,000

439 Early Pintail Pair

William “Bill” Neal (1924-2014) Black Point, CA, c. 1940 16 in. long

A Janson-style pintail pair. Drake has repaint by the maker and has a neck crack. Hen has original paint with heavy gunning wear and restored right side of tail.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 156, related carvings illustrated.

$900 - $1,200

238

441 Sleeping Canvasback

William “Bill” Neal (1924-2014) Black Point, CA, c. 1980 31 in. long

Carved from a solid block of redwood, this is one of only two of this model by Neal. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 154, related decoys illustrated.

$1,000 - $2,000

442

444

443

34 445

442 Pintail

444 Bufflehead

Operated by Hugh Woodward (1889-1948), Tule Lake was the most renowned decoy factory on the Pacific Coast. Woodward put his previous building skills to use fabricating decoys out of redwood in three grades: solid, semi-hollow, and hollow. This decoy shows its hollow plug in the breast. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and some touch-up to flaked areas, mostly along right side and at neck seam.

This rare drake, along with the previous lot, are the only bufflehead pictured in the California book. Gunning repaint and wear, including ding to left side of tail and a reset head.

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 28, exact decoy illustrated.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

$600 - $900

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 355, related carvings illustrated.

445 Pintail

Tule Lake Decoy Co. (est. 1892) Sacramento, CA, c. 1920 16 1/2 in. long

$800 - $1,200

443 Bufflehead Pair California 12 1/2 in. long

This rare pair, along with the next lot, are the only bufflehead pictured in the California book. Original paint with moderate wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 665, exact carvings illustrated.

Charles Curcek (1918-1996) (attr.)

Eureka, CA, c. 1940 13 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

Percy Bicknell (1897-1959) Richmond, B.C., c. 1945 18 in. long

One of the most renowned carvers in the Fraser River Delta, Bicknell’s carving displays raised wings and a thin bottom board on the large hollow body. The underside has a painted “R. Nagata.” Original paint with moderate gunning wear and some neck cracks.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 22, related carvings illustrated.

$500 - $800

$600 - $900 239

446

448

447

449

446 Miniature Goose and Brant

448 Canvasback

Both display the maker’s signature and date on the undersides.

Original paint with minimal wear.

A partial “L.S.” stencil is under the tail. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and a sanded flat bottom.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 426, related carvings illustrated.

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 162, related carvings illustrated.

$600 - $900

$600 - $900

447 Green-Winged Teal

449 Brant

Reece Scott (1871-1955) founded this company which specialized in the fabrication of cork-stuffed canvas decoys.

This rare factory decoy has a wooden bill. Original paint on body and mix of original and repaint on head, with moderate gunning wear and some compression to sides.

The head is removable with a mortise-and-tenon joint. Mix of old paint with some darkening and gunning wear. Restoration to face and bill.

Ed Snyder (1928-2011) Rio Vista, CA, 1989-1990 5 in. long

Scott Cork Decoy Company (1927-1954) Oakland, CA, c. 1930 12 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 249, related carvings illustrated.

Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 302, related carvings illustrated.

$600 - $900 240

Gottlieb Schmid (1875-1957) Bay Area, CA, c. 1930 15 in. long

Pete Pellegrini (b. 1895) Humbolt County, CA, c. 1930 16 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, p. 80, related carvings illustrated.

$600 - $900

450

452

451

453

450 Pintail

452 Mallard

This carving was possibly painted by Stan Bennett’s father, Joe Bennett, who lived in Rio Vista, CA. Appears to be original paint with moderate gunning wear.

Mix of original and repaint with gunning wear.

Eastman Young (attr.)

Rio Vista, CA 16 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 272, related carvings illustrated.

$600 - $900

451 Brant

Mickey Foster Eureka, CA, c. 1950 17 in. long

Texas Langford Canada, c. 1940 15 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 30, related carvings illustrated.

$400 - $800

453 Wigeon Hen

Amiel Garibaldi (1908-1993) Sacramento, CA, c. 1930 13 in. long

This balsa-bodied carving has a lead weight on the bottom.

Repaint with gunning wear.

Out of his personal gunning rig, this decoy was used at the maker’s duck club in Colusa, California. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, especially to lower left side. Minor touch-up to paint drips around head and breast.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

PROVENANCE: Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller, Wildfowl Decoys of California, Spokane, WA, 2015, pp. 36-37, related carvings illustrated.

LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast: Carving Traditions of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California, Davis, CA, 1989, p, 329, related decoy illustrated.

Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys, Paducah, KY, 1992, p. 283, similar decoy illustrated.

$600 - $900

$1,000 - $2,000 241

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

454

454 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

The Punter, 1927 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 11 3/4 in.

Paff #273, edition of 150 Kennedy & Co., New York label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

455 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Off Pea Island, 1921 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #206, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Florida

455

459 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Clam Digger, 1914 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 by 8 in.

Paff #28, edition 12 of 50 numbered lower right Kennedy & Co., New York label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

460 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) The Start, 1922 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 5 by 3 3/4 in.

Paff #211, edition of 150

Private Collection, Massachusetts

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

456 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

461 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

The Gunners’ Blind, 1921 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #204, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

457 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Supper, 1920 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 3/4 by 5 in.

Paff #182, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

458 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Flying Brant, 1925 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 4 3/4 by 7 in.

Paff #241, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

Camp-Fire, 1920 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #194, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts EXHIBITED: Salem, MA, Frank W. Benson: American

Impressionist no. 69, Peabody Essex Museum, Sept. 29, 2000-February 18, 2001.

462 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Plodding Home, 1924 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 2 3/4 by 2 in.

Paff #234, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

463 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Rippling Water, 1920 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 9 3/4 by 7 3/4 in.

Paff #174, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

242

EXHIBITED: Salem, MA, Frank W. Benson:

American Impressionist, Peabody Essex Museum, Sept. 29, 2000-February 18, 2001.

LITERATURE: The Art of Frank W. Benson, no. 45

464 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Cloudy Dawn, 1922 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 9 3/4 by 11 3/4 in.

Paff #215, edition of 150 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts EXHIBITED: Salem, MA, Frank W. Benson:

American Impressionist no. 69, Peabody Essex Museum, Sept. 29, 2000-February 18, 2001.

LITERATURE: The Art of Frank W. Benson, no. 46

465 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Plate for Quincy A. Shaw Jr., 1938 etching, 4 by 3 in.

Paff #344 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

466 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Canada Goose, 1917 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 4 by 5 in.

Paff #115, edition of 150

PROVENANCE: Private Collection of Frank W. Benson By descent in the family to his great-grandson Private Collection, Massachusetts

467 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Second Islet Outlet, 1916 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 8 3/4 by 13 3/4 in.

Paff #108, edition of 85 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

456

460

464

465

457

461

462

466

458

463

459 467

243

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

468

471

469

470

472

Sheldrake, 1917 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #126, edition 37 of 150 numbered “37” lower right

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

469 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Rainbow Cove (trial proof #B-1), 1927 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #263, edition of 150 inscribed “p 263 B-1 Rainbow Cove” lower left and appears to be inscribed “Landscape changed in form, reflections ducks redrawn” lower center PROVENANCE: Private Collection of Frank W. Benson By descent in the family to his great grandson Private Collection, Massachusetts

Pintails Passing, 1930 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 14 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #300, edition of 150 The Guild of Boston Artists, Boston label on back

244

475

473

468 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

470 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

474

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

471 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) The Visitor, 1918 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 3 by 5 in.

Paff #145, edition 46 of 150 numbered “46” lower right

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

472 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Portrait of Charles Martin Loeffler, 1919 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 10 by 7 3/4 in.

Paff #156, edition of 22 PROVENANCE: Private Collection,

Massachusetts

473 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) On Ipswich River, 1916 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 4 by 5 in.

Paff #100, edition of 8 of 50 numbered “8” lower right

The Guild of Boston Artists, Boston label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

474 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Salem Harbor, 1882 signed and dated “F.W. Benson ‘82” in plate lower right etching, 4 3/4 by 7 3/4 in.

Paff #1, edition of 1500

According to John T. Ordeman, “This was made as the frontispiece for the second number of The Art Student, a magazine published by students in The School of Drawing and Painting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, of which Mr. Benson was one of the editors.”

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

475 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Bluebills, 1912 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 by 7 in.

Paff #11, edition 20 of 50 numbered lower right

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

478

476

477.1

479

477.3 480.1

477.2

476 Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928) Autumn Woodcock, 1895 chromolithograph, 12 1/2 by 19 1/2 in. inscribed “A B Frost.” in plate lower right

One of the famous set of Shooting Pictures published by Charles Scribner’s Sons.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

$500 - $1,000

477.4

480.2

October Woodcock Shooting titled and inscribed “Flushing a flight bird in the birches near Morristown, New Jersey where the artist lived” lower center copyrighted in 1933 by John Frost and published by the Derrydale Press, New York PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: Henry M. Reed, The A.B. Frost

Book, 1993, pp. 102-103, each illustrated. $1,000 - $2,000

477 Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928)

Four Derrydale Prints each hand-colored aquatint, 16 1/2 by 21 1/2 in.

A Chance Shot While Setting Out Decoys copyrighted in 1933 by John Frost and published by the Derrydale Press, New York Coming Ashore copyrighted in 1934 by John Frost and published by the Derrydale Press, New York Grouse Shooting in the Rhododendrons titled and inscribed “by A B Frost in the Pocono Mountains” lower center copyrighted in 1934 by John Frost and published by the Derrydale Press, New York

478 Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928) Crew Race, 1877 initialed “A. B. F.” in plate lower right lithograph, 12 1/2 by 9 in.

“Race Between Higgins and Boyd for the Championship of the Thames”

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 13, 1877, p. 81, illlustrated.

479 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983) The Blue Boat on the Ste. Anne, 1959 signed “Ogden M. Pleissner N.A” lower right color lithograph, 14 3/4 by 23 in. published and copyrighted by the Anglers’ Club of New York in an edition of 300

Considered by many to be the most desirable of Pleissner’s prints, the original painting for Blue Boat on the St. Anne resides at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont.

LITERATURE: Peter Bergh, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, Boston, MA, 1984, p. 108, illustrated.

480 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Two Etchings each signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right each 8 by 14 in. each titled lower left

Bluebills Hunting for Pheasants Lapham & Dibble Gallery, VT label on back PROVENANCE: William Gearhart Collection

$400 - $600

245

INDEX Aldrich, Edward (Ned): 324 Barber, Joel D. (after): 396 Barkalow, Joel W.: 321 Barnes, Al: 296 Bartlett, Paul Waylan: 185 Barto, George “Skippy”: 376 Benson, Frank W.: 143-147, 151-175, 338344, 454-475 Bergman, Charles: 420 Bicknell, Percy: 445 Biondi, Elmer: 428 Bishop, Richard E.: 109 Brackett, Walter M.: 79 Bradbeer, Robert: 378 Brooks, John: 121 Brown, Dean: 418 Brown, Frederick “Rick”: 361-363 Brown, Paul Desmond: 227 Buckingham, Nash: 234, 235, 237 Burr, Russ P.: 245, 246 Cameron, Glenn J.: 125 Campbell, Isaac: 317 Carlson, Ken: 322 Cassini, Frank: 390 Cawthorne, Neil: 226 Cheeseman, Verne: 265 Chesser, Grayson C.: 45 Christie, Robert: 189, 191, 195 Clark, Charles S.: 53 Clark, Roland: 105 Clem, Robert Verity: 325-327 Cobb Jr., Nathan F.: 42 Coheleach, Guy: 407 Cortez, Jenness: 187, 194, 196 Crook, Alfred J.: 148

246

Crowell, A. Elmer: 110-117, 244, 395 Curcek, Charles (attr.): 444 Currier, James A. “Jim”: 371 Curtis, Mike: 182, 198 Daisey, Delbert “Cigar”: 366, 367 Daly, Thomas Aquinas: 73, 74 Dawson, Walter “Tube”: 388 de Gavre, Chester Braddock: 248-251 de Groot, Ewoud: 281, 282 Del Mauro, Dennis: 365 Derrydale: 236, 238 Dexter, Roland (attr.): 436 Doren, William: 391 Doughty, Eli: 50 Dowd, John Henry (Jack): 188 Elliston, Robert (attr.): 266 Elliston, Robert: 56 Englehart, Nicholas: 387 English, Dan: 310 English, John: 350, 357 Fellows, Fred: 403 Fernlund, Ivar G.: 401 Finney, Frank S.: 23-31 Fischer, John F.: 385 Fitzpatrick, Tom: 349, 364 Foss, Pam: 186 Fowler, Roger: 90 Frazier, Luke: 91 Frost, Arthur Burdett: 476-478 Fuertes, Louis Agassiz: 333, 334 Gabani, Giuseppe: 409 Galli, Stanley Walter: 220 Garibaldi, Amiel: 424, 453 Garren, Otto: 260, 261, 377 Gibian, William: 32-41

Gibson, Paul: 373 Gilley, Wendell: 239-242 Glass, August: 356 Goebel, Wilhelm: 219 Golden, Francis: 215 Gould, A. C.: 233 Graves, Bert: 264, 267 Green, Roland: 107 Gromme, Owen J.: 216 Gruppé , Emile Albert: 290 Gutierrez, Octavio Gonzalez: 410-412 Haas, August: 383 Haertel, Harold: 389 Hagerbaumer, David: 100, 101, 335 Hainard, Robert: 149 Hardie, Eldridge: 106 Harris, James W.: 229 Heinefeld, August: 368 Himmel, Frank L. (attr.): 379 Hockings Sr., Samuel: 381 Holmes, Henry: 382 Homme, Ferdinand L.: 141, 142 Horner, Nathan Rowley: 305, 308 Hubbell, Stephen: 193 Hudson, Ira D.: 47-49 Hudson, Norman: 52 Hunt, Lynn Bogue: 103. 104, 231, 232 Huston, Clair Aubrey: 225 Irvine, Lawrence C.: 199 Iverson, Ron: 197 J. N. Dodge Factory: 303 Janson, “Fresh Air Dick”: 59-62, 300-302 Jeppsen, Julie: 69, 70 Jester, Doug: 54 Johnson, J. Taylor: 319

Kent, Aubrey (attr.): 434 Kilbourne, Samuel A.: 76, 77 Kilpatrick, Henry: 304 King, Allen J.: 243 King, Joe: 309 Kirack, Larry: 422 Kirmse, Marguerite: 222 Knap, Joseph Day: 336 Lane, Stephen: 262, 380 Langford, Texas: 452 Lashbrook, Virgil: 386 Lawson, Oliver “Tuts”: 46 Leonard, H. L.: 202 Libensperger, Robert “Turk”: 352 Lincoln, Joseph W.: 119, 312 Lohrman, William: 384 Luedtke, John William: 297 Maass, David A.: 71, 72, 81, 82 Madera, Clark: 358, 360 Maeda, Rokosuke: 431 Manocchia, Adriano: 402 Marter, C. Ridgeway: 353, 359 Martin, A.L.: 221 Mason Decoy Factory: 131-135 Matia, Walter: 176, 177 Maurer, Louis (after): 415 McIntyre, Cameron T.: 12-14 McLaughlin, John: 354, 355 McNair, Mark S.: 1-11, 252-255 Mene, Pierre Jules: 223 Mitchell, R. Madison: 43 Moak, August “Gus”: 138 Myers, E.: 218 Neal, William “Bill”: 439-441 Pellegrini, Pete: 449

Perdew, Charles H.: 55, 57, 124, 398 Peterson, Roger Tory: 328-332 Plasschaert, Richard W.: 217, 404 Pleissner, Ogden M.: 75, 479 Pope Jr., Alexander: 228 Ramsey, John: 122 Reece, Maynard: 98 Reisinger, George: 128 Reneson, Chet: 92-97, 212, 213, 292295 Ripley, Aiden Lassell: 63-68, 283-285, 480 Rungius, Carl: 323 Schmedtgen, William Henry: 126 Schmid, Gottlieb: 430, 448 Schmiedlin, Jim: 83-89 Schoenheider Sr., Charles: 129 Scholz, Floyd: 183, 247 Schultz, William: 345-348 Schweikart, John C.: 137 Scott Cork Decoy Company: 447 Shourds, Harry V.: 306, 307, 318 Smallwood, Kenneth: 414 Smith, Brett James: 211 Snyder, Ed: 298, 299, 423, 427, 429, 446, 432, Sommers, Sharon: 179, 181 Steele, Thomas Sedgwick (attr.): 78 Stidham, Mike: 230 Swan, John: 287-289 Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam (after): 224 The Ward Brothers: 15-17, 268, 269, 271-280, 372 Thomas, Charles W.: 313 Tocchini, Leo: 437, 438

Tornberg, John G. (attr.):: 426 Tornberg, John G.: 58 Townsend, Otis: 311 Tracy, John Martin: 108 Truex, Levi Rhodes: 320 Tucker, Edwin Wallace: 413 Tule Lake Decoy Co.: 442 Tyler, Lloyd J.: 44, 370 Tyng, Margaret Fuller: 150 Vallero, Michael: 263 Van Gilder, Ron:405, 406 Van Zandt, Sandra: 180, 190, 192 Vickers, John: 369 Vidmar, Ed: 421 Voight, Leigh: 337 Vom Hofe, Edward: 209, 210 Walker, Charles: 127, 130 Ward, David B.: 256-259 Ward, Lemuel T.: 270 Wehle, Robert G.: 178 Weiler, Milton C.: 102, 286, 291 Wheeler, Chauncey: 136 White, Robert “Bob”: 18-22 Whorf, John: 214 Wilcox, Jim: 408 Willis, Martin Wayne: 99 Wilson, Augustus “Gus” Aaron: 118, 220 Winship, Bob: 184 Young, Eastman (attr.): 450 Zalesky, Laurence D. “Ski”: 417 Zwarg, Ott: 207

247

ESTATE AND COLLECTION SERVICES Copley offers a comprehensive program for both auction and private sales. Our team of professionals has over 100 years of combined service dedicated to the fields of American antiques, folk art, fine art, and decoys. We work with law firms, trust and estate professionals, executors, heirs, museums, institutions, clubs, and private clients, assisting with the valuation and sale of single items and entire estates.

Copley offers free confidential auction evaluations, and will be able to advise you on how to achieve the highest prices for your valuable objects. Our specialists will assist you in every step of the process, from the initial valuation of your item or collection to the conclusion of sale. If, for some reason, an item or collection falls outside the parameters of a Copley sale, our vast network of contacts ensures that our clients will be given the appropriate referral. Depending on the number of objects and their location, we offer a complimentary initial walk-through service to determine the extent of the project.

THE DU PONT CROWELL WOODCOCK

248

ACCEPTING CONSIGNMENTS THE SPORTING SALE 2024

Steve O’Brien Jr., Owner

Leah Tharpe

Decoy and Fine Art Specialist steve@copleyart.com

Fine Art Specialist leah@copleyart.com

Colin S. McNair

Jim Allen

Decoy Specialist colin@copleyart.com

Decoy Specialist jim@copleyart.com

Leaders in the Sporting Art, Wildlife Art, and Decoy Fields COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC | info@copleyart.com | 617.536.0030

MA #2428

249

87ᵗʰ Annual New York City Ducks UNlimited DINNER & SPORTSMAN’S EXHIBITION

Thursday, february 1 6-10pm

The Union League Club 38 E 37th Street. New York, NY 10016

CELEBRATE WETLANDS CONSERVATION, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN an evening of great food, PLUS Raffle, Silent & LIVE Auction Items including Select Firearms, Trips & OTHER SURPRISES

tickets on sale now scan the qr code to order

250

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE 1 Your bidding on items indicates your acceptance of the following Terms and Conditions of Sale by Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. These terms are subject to amendment before or during the sale. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC operates as an agent of the seller only, and is not responsible in any way in the event the seller or buyer fails to fulfill their respective agreements. In all instances the auctioneer’s interpretation of these conditions is final and binding on all bidders.

2 All bids are per lot as numbered in the catalog unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer. The sales price shall consist of the final bid price plus the buyer’s premium, plus any applicable sales tax. A buyer’s premium of 20% (23%-25% for online bidding) of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price.

3 The auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid that, in his opinion, is not commensurate with the value of the lot.

4 The auctioneer has the sole right to re-offer a lot and/or settle disputed bids. The record of sale kept by the auction house will be taken as final in the event of dispute. Additionally, items may be withdrawn at any time prior to the offering of each lot.

5 Except with respect to the guarantee for decoys as set forth below in paragraph 6, all goods are sold “as is” and all sales are final with no exchanges or refunds. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC and its consignors make no representations or warranties as to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, the correctness of the catalog or other description of physical condition, quality, size, medium, importance, rarity, provenance or historical relevance of any property, and no statement made at the sale, or in the bill of sale, or invoice, or elsewhere shall be deemed such a warranty or representation or an assumption of liability. The purchaser assumes complete responsibility for items at the fall of the hammer.

6 The Copley decoy team is committed to accurately cataloging all decoys.

To this end, all decoy lots in this catalog carry guaranteed condition reports.

Copley encourages all potential bidders to contact our decoy specialists at least seven days before the auction with any questions or concerns regarding condition. In many cases, Copley will be able to provide X-ray and UV analysis on select lots. Please note that the auctioneer reserves the right to amend these written reports verbally from the podium at the time of sale. Please note that absentee bids may not be executed on decoys that are affected by any amended condition reports. Since opinions can differ in the matter of condition and age, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC will be the sole judge in the matter of refunds. If we fail to identify a flaw that significantly impacts the decoy’s value, the purchaser may return the decoy.

Duration of Guarantee: Any request for refund of any decoy lot in the auction must be within 48 hours of receipt of the decoy. It is the purchaser’s responsibility to examine the decoy and identify in writing any flaw or flaws that significantly impact the value of the lot. In order to be eligible for the guarantee, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC must receive payment for the decoy within 7 days of the conclusion of the auction.

Receipt of the decoy by the purchaser must take place no more than 21 days after the fall of the gavel. Please note that it is the purchaser’s responsibility to arrange pick-up or shipping of the lot. The guarantee in all cases will end 21 days after the fall of the gavel.

7 Successful bidders are to pay for their purchases during or immediately after the sale or upon receipt of an invoice, unless other arrangements have been authorized in writing by the auction house. Payment may be made by cash or good check payable to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. The auction house reserves the right to hold property until checks clear. A monthly service charge of 1.5% will be added to unpaid balances beginning 30 days after the sale date. A $50.00 fee will be added for returned checks.

If a check fails to clear after the second deposit, the purchaser will be held responsible for any and all fees incurred until we have collected good funds.

8 If the purchaser breaches any of its obligations under these Conditions of Sale, including its obligation to pay in full the purchase price of all items for which it was the highest successful bidder, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may exercise all of its rights and remedies under the law including, without limitation, (a) canceling the sale, and applying any payments made by the purchaser to the damages caused by the purchaser’s breach, and/or (b) offering at public auction, without reserve, any lot or item for which the purchaser has failed to pay in full the purchase price, holding the purchaser liable for any deficiency plus all costs of sale.

9 Condition reports are not included in this catalog. It is the responsibility of prospective bidders to examine lots and decide their level of interest.

Neither the auctioneer, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, nor the consignor is responsible for the accuracy of any printed or verbal descriptions. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC strongly encourages clients to personally examine lots prior to the auction so as to best determine condition of lots. Due to the high volume of condition requests, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right to reject requests at its sole discretion. All weights and measurements are approximate.

10 Some of the lots in this sale carry reserves or minimum selling prices. This is a confidential figure set by the consignor and the auction house below which a lot will not be sold. The reserve will not exceed the low estimate, and the auction house will execute the reserve bids by bidding for the consignor. Estimates are subject to change at any time prior to the offering of each lot.

11 Absentee and telephone bids will be executed when possible as a convenience to customers; the auction house will not be held responsible for any errors or failures to accurately execute bids. All absentee and telephone bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale.

12 B uyers wishing to pick up items after the auction at our office may do so only by appointment. We kindly ask that all items be removed from our warehouse within 30 days of auction end to avoid a $5 daily storage fee.

13 Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. Upon request, we will provide a list of shippers who deliver within the United States and overseas. Once your payment has cleared, items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.

14 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may, at its discretion and at the buyer’s request, package and ship sold items as directed by the purchaser. In such instances 1) the buyer shall prepay all related expenses, and 2) the buyer agrees that all packaging, handling, and shipment is at the sole risk of the purchaser, and Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyer should allow up to four to five weeks for shipment.

15 Some property sold at auction can be subject to laws governing export from the United States, such as items that include material from some endangered species. Import restrictions from foreign countries are subject to these same governing laws. Granting of licensing for import or export of goods from local authorities is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Denial or delay of licensing will not constitute delay or cancellation in payment for the total purchase price of these lots.

16 Bidding increments will normally follow the pattern below, but may vary at the sole discretion of the auctioneer: Estimate To 950 1,000 – 2,400 2,500 – 4,750 5,000 – 9,500 10,000 – 24,000 25,000 – 47,500 50,000 – 95,000 Over 100,000

Increment 50 100 250 500 1,000 2,500 5,000 at auctioneer’s discretion

17 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is the owner of the images of each lot offered for sale, and may use such images at any time at its sole discretion for advertising, publicity, and for archival purposes.

18 If you are bidding as an agent for another individual or company, and you execute a bid on behalf of someone else under your bidder number, then you are responsible for the settlement of that account.

19 In no event will the liability of Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC to any purchaser with respect to any item exceed the purchase price actually paid by such purchaser for such item.

20 A ny legal disputes arising from this auction shall be settled in the court system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

251

BUYER PRE-REGISTRATION FORM COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, Massachusetts 02043 Tel: 617.536.0030 | Fax: 617.266.4896 | info@copleyart.com | copleyart.com

Name:

Telephone (#1):

Company Name:

Telephone (#2):

Agent acting on behalf of:

Telephone (#3):

Invoice Address:

Email:

(PO Box not sufficient)

Signature:

(required)

City: State: Zip:

Bids will not be accepted without a completed form, including your signature. Your signature denotes that you have read and agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of Sale issued by Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC for The Winter Sale 2024.

To be sure that bids will be accepted and delivery of lots not delayed, bidders who do not have an account with Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC are requested to supply a bank reference prior to bidding.

All bidders holding a valid Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide their certificate or a copy thereof while registering. Failure to do so will subject the bidder to a mandatory 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases.

I authorize you to contact the references below to provide you with any information in their possession including any business or credit experience with me, and I further agree to accept the cost of any charges such references may incur providing such information.

FINANCIAL REFERENCES

AUCTION REFERENCES

Name of Bank(s):

1. Name of Company:

Address of Bank(s):

Contact Name:

Account Number(s):

Telephone Number:

Name of Account Officer(s):

2. Name of Company:

Bank Telephone:

Contact Name:

Bank Fax:

Telephone Number:

252

ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE BID FORM COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, Massachusetts 02043 Tel: 617.536.0030 | Fax: 617.266.4896 | info@copleyart.com | copleyart.com

please check one of the following:

ABSENTEE

TELEPHONE

1 All bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale. We cannot guarantee that bids placed after this time will be accepted. A Copley representative will send you an email to confirm receipt. If you have not received confirmation within 24 hours, please call 617.536.0030. Bids will not be accepted without your signature on this form.

2 This service is offered as a convenience at no charge; however, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC will not be held responsible for error or failure to execute bids. Copley staff will try to purchase these lots for the lowest possible price taking into account the reserve and other bids.

3 All bids are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Sale listed in this auction catalog. Further, it is the responsibility of the bidder to check with Copley staff whether a sale room notice relates to any lot which they have listed.

a Absentee bids: Absentee bids are executed alternately in competition with phone and internet bidders. It is possible, due to the variations in bidding patterns, that a lot may be won by the audience for the same amount authorized by the absentee bidder. A (+) sign to the right of the bid amount will authorize the absentee bidder to bid one additional bid increment. In the event of identical bids, the first bid received will take precedence. b Telephone bids: If bidding by telephone, the bidder accepts the inherent risks associated with bidding over the telephone.

4 Payment: If successful, you will be contacted. Payment is due immediately upon notification unless arrangements have been made with Copley prior to bidding. A buyer’s premium of 20% of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the Buyer to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC as part of the purchase price.

LOT #

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Print Name:

Signature:

(required)

(required)

BID PRICE US$

253

OUT-OF-STATE DELIVERY AND AUTHORIZED SHIPPING RELEASE FORM I tem(s) will not be released without a signed authorization form from the invoiced Buyer. You may include this form with your payment or fax it to 617.266.4896. Payments of cash, check, or bank transfer must be posted to your account before property is released.

If Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC (Copley) is required to deliver the items to a purchaser outside of Massachusetts, the sale is exempt from Massachusetts Sales Tax under MGLA 64H §6(b) .

1

Copley is obligated to deliver the items out of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2

Copley is obligated to deliver the items to an interstate carrier as noted below.

3

Title will pass upon delivery to the out-of-state destination.

4 Please be aware that packing and the payment for shipping is the responsibility of the successful Buyer. Upon making the item(s) available for shipping to the Buyer or its Agent, Buyer shall be responsible for the care and packaging of the item(s). The Buyer shall bear the risk of loss from and after Copley making available such item(s) to the interstate carrier, including the insurance of the item(s) against all risks of loss including without limitation, fire, theft, or any other damage to the item(s).

5

Shipping can take up to four weeks and is processed in the order in which payment is received.

6 At your option, you may contact one of the interstate carriers listed below, or one of your choosing, to arrange for shipping.

Carriers pick up frequently at our offices.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: The UPS Store #4423 Wakefield, MA 781.224.2500 or store4423@theupsstore.com Scott Cousins/North South Art Transfer Hand delivery service 978.491.9353 or scottcousins22@aol.com

Print name: (as invoiced) Shipping Address:

Boston Pack and Ship 781.849.8696 or 1.800.400.7204 info@bostonpackandship.com U.S. Art* 781.986.6500 or 1.800.872.7826 *Specializing in high-value art, large works, and specialty items

Place and Manner of Delivery: To an Interstate Common Carrier for delivery out of state: I authorize: to pick up my items(s) (Please specify Name of Common Carrier) Sale Date: Lot #s :

Phone: Email:

Signature: (required)

Internal use only Received by: Signature:

254

Print Name:

Date:

Their Future is in Your Hands United by salmon and guided by science, our vision is to have abundant, self sustaining, resilient wild Atlantic salmon populations throughout their range.

Join the Atlantic Salmon Federation and together we can shape a bright future for us all!

For more information, visit us online at www.asf.ca/membership or contact Cindy at cbartlett@asf.ca 1-800-565-5666

FOLLOW ASF ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Great images, conservation updates, and all the latest Atlantic salmon news @ASFSalmon

To receive a complimentary issue of our award winning Atlantic Salmon Journal email Cindy at cbartlett@asf.ca

A free online program series from the

The Wonder of Birds: Art, Science & Conservation

Museum of American Bird Art

Thursday, January 25 If These Artworks Could Talk! Glimpses into the Art, Artists, and Collectors Behind the Museum’s Collection Amy Montague, Director, Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon Thursday, February 8 Looking Closely: Connections Between Art and Science Lorna Gibson, Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Sean Kent, Arts and Nature Education Manager, Mass Audubon Thursday, February 22 Specimen, Sport and Spirit: Collectors and the Varied Interpretations of Bird Art Colleene Fesko, fine art and antiques appraiser and broker, best known for her frequent appearances on the PBS television series Antiques Roadshow Thursday, March 7 Frank W. Benson: Artist, Ornithologist, Conservationist Faith Andrews Bedford, author, curator and noted authority on American Impressionist Frank W. Benson Thursday, March 21 Shorebirds in Modern Times: Two Centuries of Art, Science and Conservation Subhankar Banerjee, Professor of Art & Ecology and Director of the Center for Environmental Arts and Humanities at the University of New Mexico Thursday, April 4 The Making of a Field Artist Barry Van Dusen, internationally recognized wildlife artist and author of Finding Sanctuary: An Artist Explores the Nature of Mass Audubon Thursday, April 11 Reminiscences: A Half-century Among Carved Birds and Their Collectors Gigi Hopkins, conservator of decoys and carousel figures and author of Massachusetts Masterpieces: The Decoy as Art

ALL PROGRAMS FREE OF CHARGE 7-8 pm Register at massaudubon.org/maba Horned Larks by Barry Van Dusen Mystery of the Missing Migrants by Charley Harper Ruddy Turnstone by John Dilley

Wild Now. WILD FOREVER.

Family Outing

KATHLEEN DUNPHY SEWE 2024 Featured Artist

FEBRUARY 16-18, 2024 | CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA | SEWE.COM

Scan QR code to view available art.

For more than 41 years, Charleston has hosted one of the most beloved events in the Southeast. SEWE is a celebration of the great outdoors through fine art, live entertainment, and special events. It is where artists, conservationists, collectors, and sporting enthusiasts come together to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and connect through a shared passion for wildlife. This Is SEWE. 259