Joseph Lincoln
1859 - 1938 Accord, Massachusetts
“Joseph Whiting Lincoln, (1859-1938), was born and lived in an area of south Hingham, Massachusetts known as Accord. The name came from Accord Pond which was the boundary of common consent between the towns of Hingham, Rockland and Norwell.” “The 90 acre pond was a critical component of Hingham’s water supply and the focal point of Joe’s life where he fished and hunted. After he finished school, Joe worked in shoe factories in Holbrook and Rockland before going out on his own. “In 1908 Joe was listed in the Hingham and Cohasset Directory as ‘Carpenter’, while in later years his occupation was noted as ‘Decoy Maker’. Joe also made gun stocks, was an upholsterer, furniture and clock repairer, boat builder, photographer and flower grower. He also designed and made lapstreak boats.
Joseph Lincoln photographed with table of decoys included brant. Courtesy Cap Vinal
“Joe’s decoys were produced in the cooper’s shop adjacent to his home. They were made of white cedar harvested in a swamp that he and his brother owned, while the heads were made from pine. After cutting the logs into blocks, Joe used a foot treadle bandsaw to cut the outline, then drawshaves and knives before finish sanding.” “Joe Lincoln is most remembered for his decoys which are highly prized for their economy of design and simple, yet effective paint.” 1.”Joseph W. Lincoln, Accord, Massachusetts, 1/26/1859-2/16/1938, Cap Vinal, copyright, 2002. 2.”Decoy Magazine”, Nov/Dec, 1999, article on Joe Lincoln, Donna Tonelli, pp. 8-13
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