North American Decoys at Auction April 25 & 26, 2019

Guyette & Deeter, Inc. North American Decoys At Auction April 25 & 26, 2019

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Guyette & Deeter, Inc.

North American Decoys At Auction Pheasant Run Resort 4051 East Main Street St. Charles, Illinois 630-584-6300 Held in conjunction with the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association Show

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Preview 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Join us for complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

Thursday, April 25, 2019 Preview 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM Auction 11:00 AM

Friday, April 26, 2019 Preview 8:00 AM - 9:45 AM Auction 10:00 AM

For questions during the auction call 410-745-0485

Catalog $45. Out of Country $54 Absentee, Phone & Online Bidding accepted call 410-745-0485 for arrangements For Free Decoy Appraisal Contact: Gary Guyette | gary@guyetteanddeeter.com | 410-745-0485 Jon Deeter | jdeeter@guyetteanddeeter.com | 440-543-1416

Important Notices: ■ Unofficial prices realized information will be available five business days after the auction. Official prices realized list will be available online approximately two weeks after the auction.

■ If you would like to consign decoys to our next auction, please contact; Gary Guyette 410-745-0485 decoys@guyetteanddeeter.com or Jon Deeter 440-543-1416 jdeeter@guyetteanddeeter.com. Free appraisals are available with no obligation to consign, and all correspondences are strictly confidential.

■ Under no circumstances will we be responsible for damage to frames or glass, or damages caused by them. Under no circumstances will we be responsible for damage to fragile decoratives. These items are marked in the catalog with an *.

■ Auctioneer James D. Julia, Fairfield, Maine.

■ Stands are not included with the decoys or weathervanes unless specified in catalog. Plexiglass cases are not included with shotgun shell boxes.

■ All duck calls have condition reports, but are sold “As Is”.

■ Dimensions are approximate and are not guaranteed.

■ Trade Up Program - A limited numer of decoys purchased may be paid

for by consigning decoys to the next Guyette & Deeter. auction. Ask Gary or Jon for Details.

■ Pick up hours are 1pm – 5pm beginning Wednesday, May 1, 2019, or by

appointment. Please call ahead so we can have your items ready.

UPCOMING GUYETTE & DEETER, INC. DECOY AUCTIONS July 22-24, 2019

Sheraton Harborside Hotel Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Consignments accepted until June 8, or until full 40 Dealer Decoy Show. *NO SALES TAX

November 2019

Talbot County Community Center Easton, Maryland

In Conjunction with the Easton Waterfowl Festival 50 Dealer buy, Sell, swap.

To consign, Contact: Gary Guyette | gary@guyetteanddeeter.com | 410-745-0485 Jon Deeter | jdeeter@guyetteanddeeter.com | 440-610-1768

We are fortunate to have Robert J. Koenke on staff as our Sporting & Wildlife Art expert. Feel free to contact him for an appraisal or consignment to one of our auctions: 410-758-1644, rjkoenke@verizon.net

Guyette & Deeter, Inc.

Dale & Gary Guyette PO Box 1170 St. Michaels, MD 21663 Tel: 410-745-0485 Fax: 410-745-0487 gary@guyetteanddeeter.com

Jon & Leigh Ann Deeter 7980 Darbys Run Chagrin Falls, OH 44023 Cell: 440-610-1768 Fax: 440-543-5405 jdeeter@guyetteanddeeter.com

Zac Cote Weekly Auction Manager Freeport, Maine Tel: 207-321-8091 zcote@guyetteanddeeter.com

Mike Stevenson Graphic Designer & Photography St. Michaels, Maryland Tel: 410-745-0485 michael@guyetteanddeeter.com

Ed Kenney Merchandise Manager & Shipping St. Michaels, Maryland Tel: 410-745-0485 shipping@guyetteanddeeter.com

Lynda Brooks Office Manager St. Michaels, Maryland Tel: 410-745-0485 lynda@guyetteanddeeter.com

Denise Jarrell

Bookkeeper St. Michaels, Maryland Tel: 410-745-0485 billing@guyetteanddeeter.com

Featuring Decoys From The Collections Of: Jonathan & Virginia Chua Don Kirson William J. Mackey, Jr. Doug & Ellen Miller

David Meyer Dick Stephenson Bill Staplin Ron Swanson

Dick Stephenson A truly good guy.

The decoy community lost one of the truly good guys of our hobby when Richard S. Stephenson passed away on April 19, 2018.

I first met Dick in the early 1990s at his restaurant, the Skilligalee in Richmond.

From that first encounter, I knew immediately that I was going to like this fellow and, subsequently, we became friends.

Dick, along with his wife Jeanne, was a regular attendee and participant in our auctions. He was particularly fond of Ward brothers decoys, and through the years was able to assemble some very good examples of their work. While that was his primary collecting focus, he had a keen appreciation for decoys from other regions and, ultimately, was able to build an eclectic collection.

I rarely saw Dick without a smile on his face. While he hadn’t been active recently, his interest and love of old decoys never waned. For those of us fortunate enough to have known him, he will be sadly missed.

Frank Schmidt

Doug and Ellen Miller Doug and Ellen Miller rapidly fell in love with the art form of decorative bird carving. Collecting the bird sculptures became their passion and obsession. For over forty years they have continued to support artists and events, all the while watching the art of decorative bird carving grow in popularity and complexity.

The Millers have collected over 3,000 works by over two hundred of the most successful and talented bird carvers working in the United States. Mostly acquired during the last quarter of the twentieth century, their collection is an excellent document or study of the development of an art form over five decades.

Kenneth A. Basile, First and now retired Director of the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD

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The Final Mackey Sale In 1964, celebrated collector William J. Mackey, Jr. published this seminal book, “American Bird Decoys.” His personal collection was one of the finest and most complete in the country, boasting some 2,000 birds in all. A tireless champion of decoys throughout his adult life, Mackey did more to promote this form of American Folk Art than any other single individual. In 1973 and 1974, Richard Bourne’s auction house in Hyannis, MA sold decoys from the Mackey collection. These sales propelled decoy collecting and prices to a level that were previously unheard of.

Throughout this catalog, you will see Mackey’s timeless and visionary comments that have formed the basis for modern day collecting. It seems only fitting to use Mackey’s quotes recorded over 50 years ago to accompany these exceptional pieces that have remained in the family until this momentous event.

The group of decoys being offered in this sale comprise some of the most well known decoys from his original collection. It is the first time these items are being offered for public sale. Many are one-of-a-kind items by some of the most famous of the early makers.

Mackey knew that someday decoys would be valuable, but that is not why he collected them. He liked nothing more than spending time with the carvers and baymen he met.

He would bring back loads of decoys and tales of the men that created them. It was a diminishing segment in history, and he knew it. Through his appreciation of decoys and all they represented, he wanted to preserve this way of life as best he could.

Now, this final group of Mackey’s incredible collection will be entrusted to present and future generations.

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Background Whenever the subject of the early years of decoy collecting is discussed by anyone even remotely interested in the subject, one name is certain to be mentioned. That individual is Bill Mackey. Terms like “pioneer,” – “legend,” – “trend setter,” and “trail-blazer” are commonly used when referring to this well known personality. He was among the very first to begin the serious collecting of working decoys and their history, and he remained a life long student of the subject. When he began, collecting was in its infancy, and he was preceded in his interest by individuals few and far between – men like Joel Barber and a handful of others. Within a short time, however, the hobby became more popular and widespread attracting other noted early participants. Men like Tom Marshall, Hal Sorenson, Hy Dahlka, Joe French, Tony Waring, Dr. George Starr, Gene Connett, and others would arrive on the scene and make their contributions to the ever expanding knowledge base.

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The Individual Bill Mackey was born in Brooklyn, New York to William J. Mackey and Marion Mackey.

In his youth, the family, including his two brothers, Donald and Kenneth, lived on Park Avenue in Union, New Jersey. After high school, he attended Lafayette College, and, subsequently, worked in the Edison Laboratories in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Eventually, he joined the Minwax Company where he was sales manager for many years before retiring in 1964. He was a past chairman of the New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and a member since 1929 of The Anglers Club. He was married to the former Kathryn Hamilton Hopper, and the couple had a daughter Kathryn H. and a son, William. The family’s home was located at 497 East Road, Belford, New Jersey.

Although his passion was the study and collection of waterfowl decoys, he did occasionally hunt as a hobby. He once remarked, however, in a letter c. 1965 that “Actually, I am more of an angler than a hunter.” He continued to relate that “I can’t think of a salt water food (except mussels) that I don’t love.” Apparently, he particularly relished these meals with “A deep dish martini.”

William J. Mackey, Jr., Bob White, Harold Sorensen, John Leavens, Lloyd Johnson, and J.J. West

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The Collector/Dealer/Judge Bill was the consummate collector. He related that it all began when, as young man, “I picked up a no longer useful shorebird decoy... and became a collector.” He initially collected at a time when it was still possible (and perhaps the only way) to acquire decoys - “at the source.” He certainly had the thrill of chasing innumerable leads to explore countless sheds, boathouses, and lofts in pursuit of new items for his ever growing collection.

Thankfully, he was equally interested in the makers of these items, their history and use, and was farsighted enough to record much of this information.

His personal collection at one time contained up to 7,000 decoys. At the time of his death, it included about 2,600 decoys from almost every region of the country. He was known to have the uncanny ability to spot a “fake” quicker than anyone else. He did get “burned” once by a shorebird which he kept on his mantel for many years as a reminder of this mistake. It eventually disappeared, possibly by him disposing of the offensive thing in the flames below.

William J. Mackey, Jr. holding New Jersey curlew. Lot 205 in this sale.

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Judges Joel Barber, Eugene Connett, and William J. Mackey, Jr.

He was known to be friendly and could often be quite humorous. He enjoyed hosting fellow collectors, both novice and advanced, at his home. The sights encountered there of “decoys piled like cordwood in the basement,” “stacked on antique furniture,” and “shorebirds filling chest of drawers” must surely have been quite intimidating for many. He sold and traded countless ducks, geese, and shorebirds over his career. He once stated in a letter that “I don’t encourage retail sales, in fact, I resist it.” Nonetheless, he had a reputation of being very shrewd in his decoy dealings and could occasionally be opinionated and, apparently, easily angered and a little difficult to deal with.

His vast knowledge on the subject made him a highly regarded and eagerly sought after judge at numerous decoy shows through the years. He received his first judge’s ribbon in 1948 and was actively involved for his entire life with shows at the local, state and national levels, as well as in events held in Canada.

Joe Tonelli and Randy Root on a buying trip to the Mackey house in 1968. The Williams swan, lot 90 in this sale, is on the left.

Shelves filled with decoys in the Mackey family home.

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The Tireless Exhibitor As his reputation spread nationwide, he was asked to loan examples from his collection for use in several prestigious exhibits. He was honored to do so, and his collection was the focus of displays such as:

Photos from the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

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(1) 1966: 500 of his birds exhibited at the IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

(2) 1967: 205 examples from his collection exhibited at the St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

(3) 1970: Part of his collection selected by the US State Dept. to be exhibited at the World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan.

Mackey exhibit at St. Paul Highly impressed by the William J. Mackey, Jr. exhibit of wildfowl decoys at the IBM Galleries in New York last year, officials of the St. Paul Art Center in Minnesota arranged for a similar exhibit this fall. Running from September 28 through November 12, 1967, the exhibition included over 200 pieces. Visitors came in large numbers to the Museum where they were treated to a wide selection of fine quality birds ranging from sanderlings to swans and gulls to goldeneyes. Famous makers as well as “great unknowns� were represented. A complete descriptive listing, along with twenty photographs is available in an exhibition catalog published by the Art Center at 30 East 10th Street, St. Paul. The exhibit was to be moved to the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the month of December.

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The Book It is his seminal book through which many know Bill Mackey best. His “American Bird Decoys” was among the first printed references on the subject, preceded only by Joel Barber’s “Wild Fowl Decoys” (1934). This monumental work was published in 1965, the same year as Adele Earnest’s “The Art of the Decoy.” These three early works were the bibles of the decoy world until they were followed, almost ten years later (and two years after Mackey’s death), by Dr. George Ross Starr’s “Decoys of the Atlantic Flyway” (1974).

As noted by various reviewers, when “American Bird Decoys” hit the book stores, decoy collecting was still a somewhat new hobby, seriously undertaken by a relatively small core of serious collectors.

Few people had a collection to rival his and few had handled as many decoys as he had. In the book, he would discuss the differences in the various regional styles and, perhaps, more importantly, describe why these differing styles developed. He went into the lives and personalities of individual makers and how each of them added their personal touches to the prevailing styles.

Much of the information in the book recorded, for the first time, previously unknown information.

Certainly, some mistakes have emerged with the passage of time, but these were honest errors which will occur when the knowledge base of any subject is still in its infancy.

He also authored multiple articles for publications such as the “Decoy Collectors Guide (1963 - 1968) and “North American Decoys” (1967 – 1970) as well as for periodicals such as “True” magazine (1964) and others.These writings exhibited his extensive knowledge of the field and his willingness to share this information with others. They also covered a wide scope of topics ranging from advice to new collectors to articles on specific carvers; items related to specialty decoys such as “wing ducks;” and stories on factory decoys.

Birds from his collection were also the subject of an early book on decoys as folk art, published the year of his death by his close friend, Quintina Colio.

First published edition cover 12

Second published edition cover

Richard Bourne calling the first Mackey auction

The Auction At the time of his passing, much of his collection had been sold or traded. The bulk of what remained was auctioned off in 8 sessions over a two-year period in 1973 and 1974 by Richard Bourne in Hyannis, Massachusetts. This was to be a groundbreaking event that made headlines throughout the decoy community. Over 2,400 items were sold for the then unheard of price of almost $661,000.00, and a new world record was set for the sale of a single decoy at auction, $10,500 to Texas collector Dr. James McCleery. Ironically, Mackey had once offered to sell this very bird for $450.00. This same decoy shocked again when it sold for $467,500.00 in the Guyette & Deeter/Sotheby’s McCleery auction in 2000 which generated almost $11,000,000.00 in sales.

Bill Mackey would probably not have been surprised!

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Article from The New York Times in 1974 covering the early Mackey auctions Bird Decoy Collection Being Auctioned

By Rita Reif Most of the bird decoys collected by the late William J. Mackey Jr. “were stacked like cordwood in the basement” of his Belford, N.J., home, recalled Quintina Colio this week. But some, she said, decorated the shelves of his 18th-cneutry American cupboards and were arranged on the top of his historic Philadelphia Chippendale lowboy that is believed to have once belonged to George Washington.

Miss Colio, a decoy expert and collector too, assisted the connoisseur and scholar of the craft by photographing his collection and writing the folk art chapter of his book, “American Bird Decoys” (Dutton, $12.50). This classic of the field will be very much in evidence next week when 600 of the 2,600 shore birds and ducks that remained in the collection at Mr. Mackey’s death in 1972 are auctioned at Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc. in Hyannis, Mass.

The two days of sales, opening Tuesday at 10 A.M., will be the fifth and sixth sessions held there to dispose of this, the largest and most important decoy collection ever formed. (Liquidation will be completed on Aug. 20 and 21.) Although several of the upcoming lots may go for as low as $15 and $25 and the bulk for prices in three figures, repeating last year’s auction performances, no one interviewed this week expects that the record prices registered last July will be topped.

Even the Canada goose, a pine carving by Charles E. (Shang) Wheeler that was one of Mr. Mackey’s favorites and is in virtually mint condition (it never served time in a marsh), and the pintail drake and hen by Lem and Steve Ward may not exceed the $8,000 paid for the great blue heron carved by A. Elmer Crowell and the $10,500 fetched for the Hudsonian curlew carved by William Bowman. Mr. Bourne estimates that the Wheeler work may bring $4,000 to $7,000 and the Wards’ from $1,500 to $2,000 each. All three were carved in the nineteen-thirties. But others in the sale date to the mid-19th century or earlier and all, regardless of age, are collected with fervor usually accorded antiques.

Mr. Mackey, widely credited with focusing attention on the artistic merit of decoys, especially shore birds, began collecting when, as one bird buff put it this week, “a truckload of decoys went for 50 cents.”

“He saw them as tools of the sport but also appreciated very simple, beautiful lines in a carving,” observed Miss Colio, adding that she regretted she did not bid last year on the late 19th-century snipe, Mr. Mackey’s first decoy purchase made about 35 years ago, which started his collection, and went unrecognized for well under $100.

The development of Mr. Mackey’s eye for expertly carved gunners; bait may well be rooted in his earlier interest in 19th-century American furniture, according to his brother Donald Mackey, Mayor of Mantoloking, N.J. That, coupled with William Mackey’s early enthusiasm for duck shooting and hunting, made him aware of the craft, the highest expressions of which were accomplished on this continent between 1850 and 1940 and are prized as folk art.

“Anyway, more decoys changed hands at night than at the sales,” said Dr. James M. McCleery with a hearty laugh. The Pasadena, Tex., pathologist, who paid the record price for the curlew las summer, stayed at the Craigville Motel, two miles from the auction galleries, and thoroughly enjoyed the swapping of sandpipers for plovers, yellowlegs for broadbills that took place among other collectors staying there.

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The Family and the Decoys They Kept

William J. Mackey, Jr. and daughter Kitty in the kitchen. Hudson flyer, lot 291 in this sale, on mantel

Kitty and a young Bill posing in front of the Mackey home. Kitty is holding lot 7 in this sale

Not many people in the decoy world knew about the inner workings of the Mackey family.

The reason it’s of importance is that it helps to understand why this last group of decoys, “the family collection,” is so significant.

When I was in 7th or 8th grade and my brother was younger, my mother and father separated and from then on we lived separate lives. That would have been in the late Fifties. My father remained in the Belford, NJ house and my mother, brother and I moved 20 minutes away to Fair Haven, NJ where we lived until my father’s death in 1972.

My brother and I saw a lot of our father and went on lots of adventures with him. My brother went on fishing trips on the Mullica River and crab fishing in the Shrewsbury River, which was closer to home. I loved to go looking for arrowheads with him in streams around his house and once in awhile, I would corral him into taking a friend and me to a Broadway show. What I remember most, though, were the Sunday night steak dinners that Dad would prepare for us in the kitchen of the old house. My brother and I would sit at the kitchen table and listen to him tell us what he’d done the previous week and show us any new decoys he picked up for the collection as we ate our steak. Life went on like this until my father died in July of 1972. Then things really changed.

My mother, brother and I were the inheritors of my father’s estate —-financial assets and all possessions. The Belford house was left solely to my mother so it only made sense for her to move back into the house with the 2,000 decoys. “The family collection,” as we called it, came about during this time period when my mother, brother and I, along with John Hillman, the New Jersey decoy expert and collector and good friend, worked tirelessly to catalog the 15

2,000 decoys. We went over every bird in the collection, recorded each in a ledger and tagged the bird to match.

It actually was a great experience because we saw and touched just about every bird in the house, which included bathrooms, living room and two cellars.

As we were going about this task, we realized it would be impossible to part with all the decoys. After all, they were my father’s legacy, his life, his amazing accomplishment.

They were a tribute to him and they were practically members of the family, since they literally had been with us all of our lives.

Kitty seated at dinner with Indian burl bowl, lot 244 in this sale.

Shelving at the entry way of the Mackey Home

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With Johnny Hillman’s help, we decided to keep 100 decoys for ourselves—-the family collection. We wanted them to be a William J. Mackey, Jr, collection in miniature. This group of birds were chosen for a variety of reasons: rarity, excellence, age (the older the better), carvers, value as folk art, and, without even thinking about it, appreciation and love. Value entered into it but it certainly was not the overriding element—-after all, there never had been a market value for decoys until our auctions at Richard A. Bourne’s auction house in Hyannis, Ma, so no one really knew their worth.

After all the other birds left the house and went to auction, my mother and the family collection remained in the house until her death in 1978. My brother and I were my mother’s heirs and, by that time , we had taken up residences in different states. We both met at the old house in Belford and had to divide up the family collection between us . That was in 1979. So, that brings us up to the coin flip.

A Flip of the Coin

It started with a coin toss—a quarter, to be exact. It was 1979 when my brother and I stood in a room, filled with one hundred decoys and nothing else. The house where this took place was a colonial period farmhouse in Belford, New Jersey, where our father, William J. Mackey, Jr, the acclaimed collector and expert on historic bird decoys, had lived. We called these 100 decoys “the family collection” because these were the birds we could not bare to send to the auction block. They were rare, they were great examples of their species and carvers, they were working decoys, some were folk art but truly more than anything else, they were our best and brightest.

There were no advisers, consultants, referees or friends. Just my brother and me and the silent on-looking birds awaiting their fate. The first to go were the Williams whistling swan and the Mason premier wood duck. The Williams swan is to be sold in this auction and the Mason wood duck was sold to acclaimed collector Dr. James McCleery in 1998.

Once the swan and wood duck were eliminated, it took about a half hour to divvy up the rest. The picks were done in rapid-fire succession, so fast, in fact, that the process was a complete blur.

So, that is how it went. After the division, there were no discussions, misgivings or regrets.

You could say, it was more like mission accomplished. One half of the birds went to Massachusetts with my brother and the other half went to an apartment in New York City with me. The decoys have remained in those locations since their departure from the house in 1979 ——40 years.

Now, after all those years, it’s time to bring them out of their closets, vaults and trunks and put the family collection together, again, for one last time. It’s their moment to shine.

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We e k ly O nline Au c t ions End ing E ve r y T hu r sd ay N ig ht G u a r a nt eed co n d i t i o n re p o r t s , m ul t i p l e p hot os , q u i ck s h i p p i n g , g reat d eal s o n q ual i t y i t e m s Sold $1,495 Mason Factory

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Recent Sales

Session One

Thursday, April 25, 2019 11:00 PM Lots 1 - 288

Shorebirds 1-7 Contemporary 8 - 21 22 - 34 Miniatures 35 - 43 New Jersey & Delaware River 44 - 48 Jim Schmiedlin Midwest 49 - 60E 60E - 61 Oscar Peterson 62 - 74 Fish 75 - 82 Ward Brothers Decoratives 83 - 89 Items of Interest 90 - 99 Virginia North Carolina 100 - 103 Sporting Art 104 - 115 Illinois River 116 - 124 Maryland 125 - 136 Ward Brothers 137 - 143 New York 144 - 148 Mason Decoy Factory 149 - 164 Sporting Art 165 - 187 New Jersey 189 - 201 Shorebirds 202 - 221 Illinois River & Midwest 222 - 240 Items of Interest 241 - 263 Factory 264 - 273 Contemporary 274 - 281 Miscellaneous Decoys 282 - 288

Session Two Friday, April 26, 2019 10:00 AM Lots 289 - 517

Decoratives 289 - 307 New England 308 - 317 Shorebirds 318 - 328 Ontario 329 - 341 341A - 348 Illinois River Mason Factory Shorebirds 349 - 355 New England 356 - 362 Pacific Coast 363 - 368 Shorebirds 369 - 384 Canada 385 - 397A Ward Brothers 398 - 407 Louisiana 408 - 413 Sporting Art 414 - 420 Miniatures 421 - 433 Sporting Art 434 - 447 Bronzes & Decoratives 448 - 463 Shorebirds 464 - 475 Guns 476 - 479 Duck Calls 480 - 506 Miscellaneous Decoys 507 - 517

Please read conditions of sale in the back of catalog

SESSION ONE

Thursday, April 25, 2019 - 11:00 pm

“ There are preeners, runners, feeders, and apparently some with a bit of an itch.”

- William Mackey

1

1.

Two important and very recognizable yellowlegs from Massachusetts, last quarter 19th century. Each created with flowing lines. The most photographed of the two appears to be picking a feather from the middle of its back. The other with a slightly forward looking pose.

12” long. Both in very old original paint that has been applied in a thick palette; neck of the straight head decoy has been broken and reattached; original bills on both have been reset, one by Russ Allen.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Displayed at Museum of American Folk Art, 1966.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., p. 41, exact decoys pictured.

(8,000 - 12,000)

PLATE 19. Cape Cod version of a preening yellowlegs.

Fashioned from one piece of wood except for the bill. A notable piece of folk art by an unknown but skilled hand.

Other examples from the same rig have survived.

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3

2

2.

Folk sculpture shorebird, New Gretna, New Jersey. Two piece with wire nail bill. Wonderfully round carved head. 8.5” long. Multiple layers of old paint that have flaked away on numerous parts of body; piece missing from front of face; square nail has been inserted into underside.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(2,000 - 4,000)

3.

Root head yellowlegs from North Carolina. Body is flat sided. 12” long. Most of paint is missing; small cracks and shot marks; piece missing from front of breast.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., title page.

(3,000 - 4,000)

PLATE 6. Primitive shore-bird decoys, probably intended to simulate yellowlegs.

Left: decoy from New Gretna, New Jersey, with wrought-iron bill and support. Right: Root head from Assateague Island, Virginia; head removable. Both probably before 1870.

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PLATE 37. Size and original paint classify this unique decoy as a Snowy Egret. It was carved from a single piece of wood about 1890. Once shot for its plumage and as food, the Snowy Egret is now a common summer visitor along the Middle Atlantic coast

Exact decoy photographed at the St. Paul exhibit in 1967 22

4

4.

Snowy egret from North Carolina, last quarter 19th century. Made from a single branch or root. Approximately 19” long. Worn old paint appears to be original; numerous cracks; approximately 2” long shallow chip missing from one lower side.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr. p. 57, exact decoy pictured.

“American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, intro, exact decoy pictured.

(12,500 - 17,500)

23

5.

Lumberyard style yellowlegs, New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. Two piece body that is joined with small wooden dowels. Raised carved wingtips. Removable dovetailed head and glass eyes. 9.5” long. Near mint original paint; one small shot mark; bill has been shortened.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., p. 72, exact decoy pictured.

(2,000 - 3,000) 6.

Folky feeding yellowlegs from New Jersey, circa 1900. Well defined head. 13” long. Original paint on back; white on underside extending to head was strengthened a long time ago; numerous shot scars; a few rubs.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., p. 34, exact decoy pictured. “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 72, exact decoy pictured.

(3,000 - 5,000)

5

6

PLATE 103. A contribution by a Barnegat carver to American folk art. A yellowlegs of unknown age.

5 Detail Basket of shorebirds in Mackey house. Lot 24 on top.

24

7.

Five shorebirds and a powder horn. Yellowlegs similar to those from the Matthews Rig, original paint with wear and shot scars. Dowitcher with hole through tail and old repaint, and head broken and reattached with bill replacement and shot scars. Three yellowlegs, probably same maker, old worn paint, some of which is original, worn to bare wood on much of decoys, two have broken bills. Unmarked powder horn. All approximately 11.5” long.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, intro, exact decoy pictured.

(3,500 - 4,500)

Composition of hunting equipment. Five Yellowlegs decoys made by an unknown Long Island carver, a powder horn, a shot bag for no. 7 shot, and a sterling silver snipe whistle. All circa 1880. A calling card from Wm J. Mackey, Jr. “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio.

7

25

Contemporary Carvings 8.

Rigmate pair of ringnecks, Bob White, Tullytown, Pennsylvania. Signed and dated 1987 on underside. Both have bobwhite quail weights. Both have slightly turned heads. Raised wingtips and carved tail. Heads are slightly turned. 13” long. Excellent and original.

(1,200 - 1,500)

9.

Rigmate pair of mallards, Bob White, Tullytown, Pennsylvania. Signed and dated by Bob “1998”. Both have bobwhite quail weights in underside. Carved in a classic Delaware River style with tucked heads, raised wing primaries, and carved tails. 17” long. Excellent and original.

(1,200 - 1,500)

8

9 10. Wood duck drake, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. Slightly turned head. Raised “V” wingtip carving.

12.5” long. Very good and original.

Literature: “Decoys: Sixty Living and Outstanding North American Carvers” Loy Harrell, Jr., exact decoy pictured.

(1,750 - 2,250)

11.

Rigmate pair of wood ducks, Marty Hanson. Made at his Prior Lake location.

Stamped “Marty Hanson decoy” on underside. Heads are slightly turned. Raised split wingtips. 13” long. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200)

10

11 26

12

13

12.

Hollow Canada goose carved in style of Walter Brady, Cameron McIntyre, Stockton, Virginia. Signed “CTM”.

Raised “V” wingtip carving. Inserted bill that is doweled through to back of head. 21.5” long. Original paint that has been aged; very short vertical crack in neck base.

(2,000 - 3,000)

13.

Pair of canvasbacks, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. Both have slightly turned heads. 17” long. Original paint that has been aged; structurally good.

(3,000 - 4,000)

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14

15

16

17

18

14.

19

Running curlew carved in the style of the one time world record Philips rig curlew sold by Guyette & Schmidt in 1997, Frank Finney, Virginia Beach, Virginia. “FF” carved in underside. Relief wing carving.

22.5” long. Original paint with slight discoloration and wear; a few tiny dents.

(950 - 1,250)

15. Walter Brady style curlew, Cameron McIntyre, Stockton, Virginia. “CTM” is carved in the underside.

17” long. Raised “V” wingtip carving. Bill is splined through to back of head. Original paint that has been aged slightly; structurally good.

(950 - 1,250) 16.

28

Godwit in resting pose, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. Relief wing carving. 14” long. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200)

17. Yellowlegs with removable head, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. 13.5” long. Original paint that has been aged; structurally very good.

(800 - 1,200) 18.

Running yellowlegs carved in style of Obediah Verity, Cameron McIntyre, Stockton, Virginia. “CTM” carved in underside. Relief wing carving and carved eyes. 13” long. Original paint that has been aged; lightly hit by shot.

(650 - 950)

19.

Dove with raised wingtips, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. 12.5” long. Original paint that has been aged; structurally good.

(800 - 1,200)

20

21

20.

Pair of mergansers, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. 15” long. Original paint that has been aged; structurally good.

(2,000 - 3,000)

21. Widgeon drake, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. Slightly turned head. Good paint detail.

13.5” long. Original paint that has been aged; tiny chip missing from top of one edge of tail.

(2,000 - 3,000)

29

Miniatures

22. Rare miniature greenwing teal drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois, circa 1925. Painted by Edna Perdew. 4” long. Excellent and original. (4,000 - 5,000)

22

23. Rare miniature bluewing teal drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Painted and signed by Edna, initialed on side “EHP ‘38”. Glass eyes.

4.5” long. Excellent and original.

(4,000 - 5,000)

23 Detail

30

23

24

25

24.

Miniature pair of mallards, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Mounted on wooden base. Each has raised wings.

Hen’s head is slightly turned. Both have carved cheeks and glass eyes. Excellent paint detail by Edna Perdew. 5.25” long. Very good and original.

(4,000 - 5,000)

25.

1/3 size preening mallard hen, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Original paint by Edna Perdew. Body is approximately 7” long. Very good and original.

Literature: “Charles Perdew,” Ann Tandy Lacy.

(5,000 - 8,000)

31

26 26. Seven miniatures, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Three flying mallards on burl bases and four swimming mallards. Mounted on Birdseye maple and in Plexiglas case. Case size 12” x 5 1/2” x 6 1/2”. Included are two letters from George Miller to Perdew ordering the carvings and asking about their status at a later date. Very good and original.

(2,500 - 3,500)

26 letter included

27.

27

32

Set of four flying miniatures, A.J. Dando. Signed. A turkey, a goose, and a pair of pheasants. Goose dated ‘55, turkey dated ‘52. Turkey’s wingspan is 9.5”, goose is 10.75”, pheasants are 5.25”. Very good and original.

(1,250 - 1,750)

28

29

30

31

Exact carving used in shorebird illustration

by Milton Weiler.

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33

28. Miniature snipe, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Crowell’s rectangular stamp is under the base. 3” long. Some touchup on bill, otherwise very good and original.

(2,000 - 3,000) 29.

Fairly large miniature black bellied plover, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Crowell’s circular ink stamp is on the underside of the base. Carving is approximately 3.75” long. Tip of bill has been very slightly blunted; otherwise excellent and original.

(1,500 - 2,500)

30.

Miniature laughing gull, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Crowell’s rectangular stamp is under the base. 3.5” long. Very good and original.

Literature: “Songless Aviary,” Brian Cullity.

(1,250 - 1,750)

31.

1/3 size swimming brant carved in style of Nathan Cobb, Jr., Cameron McIntyre, Stockton, Virginia. Signed

34

“CTM”. Original paint that has been aged; structurally good.

(800 - 1,200) 32. Miniature woodcock, Russ Burr, Hingham, Massachusetts. In nestled position. 3.5” long. Strong original paint; structurally very good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(500 - 700) 33.

1/4 size bluebill drake, Tom Schroeder, Detroit, Michigan, 2nd quarter 20th century. Good detail feather and wing carving. 7” long. Strong original paint protected by a coat of varnish.

(400 - 600)

34.

Miniature brant, probably by the O’Neal Family, Ocracoke, North Carolina. 4.25” long. Very good and original.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(400 - 600) 33

John Dawson

1889 - 1959 Trenton, New Jersey

35

Rigmates to lot 35, previously sold by Guyette & Deeter, Inc.

Merganser drake by John Dawson.

Sold at the Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. April 2004 auction for $115,500.

34

Merganser hen by John Dawson. Sold at the Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. July 2004 auction for $63,250.

“Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania can be proud of the work turned out by the decoy makers of the Delaware River region. Most of them came f rom the Jersey side of the Delaware, but there are honors enough for both states. The lower reaches of the river f rom Trenton to the broad expanse of Delaware Bay are a small, compact world of ducks and their hunters. There is a choice of f resh, brackish, and saltwater environments and a corresponding variety in the species of ducks obtainable.

With the stage set and decoys in place, the gunner began his busy day. Rowing would take him upstream to his station, there to wait for the arrival and decoying of the birds. Once they lit among his stools the cautious, calculated sculling began. The boat must approach to within gunshot – about 30 to 40 yards – before alarming the birds. One false move or sound meant failure and better luck next time. Professional rivermen could not afford mistakes. After picking up his kill, the hunter would again row back to his station to await the next opportunity. This method certainly explains the fact that, as mentioned above, Delaware River decoys are as nearly perfect as a decoy can be. It was necessary not only to fool the quarry f rom the air but also to continue the ruse as the birds made contact with their fake counterparts on the water.

Most of the hunting along the Delaware was on the river itself, and blinds were seldom used. Here generation after generation of hunters developed the technique of sculling into almost a f ine art. After the selection of a location, about forty decoys were anchored between the edge of the channel and the shore.

His trade was that of a skilled potter, and he was also an able carpenter and woodworker. Dawson, who had an unusual artistic sense, has left us some of the most beautifully painted decoys known. The carefully drafted plumage patterns and choice selection of colors make a John Dawson decoy as desirable as any.”

- William Mackey

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35

35.

Rare rigmate pair of American mergansers, John Dawson, Trenton, New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century. Hollow carved. 18” long. Original paint with fine detail and minor wear; structurally very good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William Mackey, Jr., p. 95, color plate 5.

(80,000 - 120,000)

36

John Dawson as a young man and middle age.

Born in Trenton, John Dawson married Rose Sandor and the couple raised four daughters. He lived in Trenton for his entire life. His occupation was listed as “painter” in the 1905 census, but he spent most of his life as a “kilnsman,” working for the Scammel Pottery Company in Trenton.

All of his decoys were well made and artistically painted, most with bold geometric patterns, but he is probably best known for his mergansers which would have to be described as racy or stylish or modern, even by today’s standards. An avid hunter, he enjoyed chasing the migrating mergansers late into the season when the Delaware River was trapped in ice. He made his hollow “ice ducks” with stable, flat bottoms which could be placed on the edge of the ice and lure the passing birds. During The Depression, Dawson began to sell his decoys commercially through local hardware and sporting goods shops for two dollars apiece (which he split with the store owner). He stopped making decoys and discontinued his duck hunting in the 1930s and turned his attention to fishing and hunting small game with his favorite pointers and setters.

v. Spring shooting for mergansers was a sport highly regarded in South Jersey. The unknown maker of this female Redbreasted Merganser (foreground), and male Common Merganser, lavished unusual care on this swift handsome pair.

37

36 Detail

36.

Incredible merganser, probably from the Delaware River. “Mackey” stamp on underside.

Hollowed out from the center line to almost an egg shell thin top with wooden cross braces inside. Exaggerated crest carved from wood has been applied to back of head. Shoe button eyes. 19” long. Nearly all the paint has worn away to expose a raised wood grain over the body; damage at top of back; a few small cracks otherwise structurally good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 19, exact decoy pictured.

36

38

(6,000 - 9,000)

Breaking from the traditional carving styles of the Bordentown area, Archer made mostly solid decoys with flat bottoms, and his racy mergansers are no exception. These decoys are thought to have been made around 1910 for his own personal use. Archer was a foreman at the Bristol, Pennsylvania Shipyard with a reputation as a skilled hunter and trapper. He was known as the best sculling oar maker in the area. His recorded sales of oars boast a total of nearly one thousand.

Samuel Archer, holding an owl decoy and flanked by two Herters crows

36A

36A. Very rare rigmate pair of mergansers, Sam Archer, Bordentown, New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century.

16” long. Carved wooden crests and shoe button eyes.

Original paint; very minor wear; small amount of shrinkage on one side of drake’s breast; a few small dents.

Literature: “Great Book of Decoys,” Joe Engers, editor, p. 132, exact pair pictured. “Floating Sculpture,” Harrison Huster and Doug Knight, page 15 exact decoy.

(9,500 - 12,500)

36A Detail 39

36B

36C

36B. Greenwing teal drake, Philadelphia School, or John Blair, Sr. Center cut hollow with raised neck seat and shoe button eyes. Four pegs in underside where the lower half of the body has secured the top. 12� long. Worn original paint on much of body; about 3/4� of the neck appears to be an old replacement.

40

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(3,500 - 4,500)

36C. Hollow carved pintail drake, John Blair, Jr., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last quarter 19th century.

Original paint with minor wear; tiny spot of touchup on one side, and also at neck seam and tail; a few small dents.

(5,000 - 7,000)

37 Detail

37.

English/Dawson canvasback hen, last quarter 19th century. Lowhead style.

Carved by John English, Florence, New Jersey, repainted by John Dawson in 1920. 14” long. Original paint with minor flaking and wear mostly on breast, tiny chip at end of tail.

Provenance: Dave Campbell collection.

Stamped “DSC” in underside.

Literature: “Floating Sculpture,” Harrison Huster and Doug Knight.

(9,000 - 12,000)

37 Like many that grew up along the Delaware River, Dawson enjoyed the outdoors – duck hunting included. Around 1900 when he was in his twenties, his uncle gave him a rig of decoys that needed “sprucing up.”

These decoys are now known as the English/Dawson decoys. Carved and originally painted by John English, John Dawson “tuned them up” for another round of hunting. Some of the decoys were stripped and painted, some were just painted over the old surface.

41

Delaware River 38. Rigmate pair of pintails, Tom Fitzpatrick, Delanco, New Jersey, 1st half 20th century. Drake has relief wing carving and carved tail.

Both are center cut hollow with tack eyes. 17” long. Strong original paint with minor wear.

(2,000 - 2,500)

38 39.

Hollow carved pintail drake, John McLoughlin, Bordentown, New Jersey. Slightly turned head. 21” long. Original paint with very slight wear; structurally good.

Provenance: Miller collection.

Formerly in the collection of Ken O’Connell.

(1,250 - 1,750)

39 40. Mallard hen, John English, Florence, New Jersey, last half 19th century. Loop feather carving with raised wingtips and fluted tail as exhibited on all of the classic English decoys. Mackey stamp appears twice on underside. 16” long. Paint appears to be a second coat from a gunning period. Small amount of wood filler on underside of tip of bill.

40

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,500 - 2,500) 41.

41 Detail on back

41 42

Redhead drake, Frank Buchner, Erie, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. Unique among Buchner carvings. Missing the typical relief carved anchor in back. This example exhibits a patriot shield with a star in the middle. Tail is made of two pieces. 12” long. Multiple coats of paint; crack through neck; large knot near breast that has shrunken with wood loss.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,500 - 2,500)

42.

Very rare and early widgeon drake, John Blair, Sr., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Center cut hollow with raised neck seat and tack eyes.

So called “Classic style Blair.” Original pad weight.15” long. Original paint on head; very old paint on body is a mix of old working and original paint; original feather painting pattern is visible on back; crack on back of head, otherwise structurally good.

(3,000 - 4,000)

42

43.

Rare swimming merganser hen, John English, Florence, New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. Formerly in collection of David Campbell, “DSC” stamped in underside.

15” long. Original paint with minor wear; professional touchup to speculums; small dents in back.

Literature: “Floating Sculpture,” Harrison Huster and Doug Knight.

(3,500 - 5,500)

43

42 Detail

43 Detail 43

Jim Schmiedlin

1945 - 2015 Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania

Jim Schmiedlin pictured helping the ducks through winter at his home in Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania.

Photo credit Todd Schneider

44 Detail

Personal remark by Jim on underside of lot 44.

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44

44.

Exceptional working pintail drake in alert pose with remarque, Jim Schmiedlin, Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania. Signed, “To my friends Don & Loraine, Best wishes,” and dated 1/2007. Also branded “JAS” in underside. Remarque of flying pintails on underside as well. Extra fine carving detail. Slightly turned head. Approximately 19” long. Very good and original.

(4,000 - 6,000)

45

45

45.

Pair of gunning model scoters, Jim Schmiedlin, Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania. Hen is in resting pose. Both are signed and have “JAS” stamped in keel. Drake is 16.25” long. Excellent and original.

Provenance: Miller collection.

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46

46.

Exceptional pair of ring necks, Jim Schmiedlin, Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania. Both are signed and branded “JAS”, with hunting info on underside. Both have relief wing carving and detailed feather carving. Drake has slightly turned head. Hen is in rare reaching pose. Drake is 16” long. Original paint with slight wear and a couple of tiny dents.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(3,000 - 4,000)

(7,000 - 9,000)

47. Pair of mergansers, Jim Schmiedlin Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania. Branded and signed. Drake has hunting story on underside.

Relief wing carving. Each has a slightly turned and lifted head. Drake is 18” long. Original paint with minor wear; several tiny dents.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(5,000 - 7,000)

47

48.

Gunning model white wing scoter drake, Jim Schmiedlin, Bradfordwoods, Pennsylvania. Signed and branded “JAS”.

16.5” long. Slightly turned head. Original paint with very minor wear; structurally good.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(1,750 - 2,250)

48

47

Midwest

49

49.

Very rare rigmate pair of bluewing teal, Paul Lipke, Whiting, Indiana. His earlier carving style. Both have fine form with detailed feather paint. 12” long. Near mint original paint; both bills have very slight roughness on one edge; vertical hairline crack in drake’s breast.

(7,500 - 9,500)

50.

48

Bluewing teal drake with lifted head, Paul Lipke, Whiting, Indiana. “PL” stamp in weight. Hollow carved. 12.5” long. Very good and original. (2,500 - 3,500)

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51

52

53

54

55

56

51.

Pair of mallards, Ben Schmidt, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1950. Both with feather stamping, turned heads, and carved wingtips. 17.5” long. Strong original paint; drake has a dent in top of head.

(1,200 - 1,500)

52.

Widgeon hen, George Sibley, Whitehall, Michigan, circa 1900. Slightly turned head. 13” long. Original paint with minor wear; very minor roughness at tip of bill.

(1,250 - 1,750)

53.

Widgeon drake, Ben Schmidt, Detroit, Michigan. Signed and dated 1957, although the decoy appears to be older.

Approximately 13” long. Near mint original paint; structurally very good.

(650 - 950)

54.

Pair of oversize canvasbacks, Frank Strey, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Approximately 18” long. Both have slightly turned heads. “FE” is carved in the underside of the hen. Near mint original paint with some discoloration, mostly on drake; a few tiny dents otherwise structurally good.

(650 - 950)

55.

Hardboard Canada goose silhouette with movable head, Enoch Reindahl, Stoughton, Wisconsin. Approximately 33” long. Detailed feather paint. Original paint with a few small flakes missing; structurally good.

(800 - 1,200)

56.

Mallard drake, Adam Hartung, Port Clinton, Ohio, 2nd half 19th century. Hollow with bottom board and tack eyes. Neck is inletted into the body. 17” long. Paint appears to be a mix of very old original paint with in use touchup that has been taken down in some areas; cracks in body and neck.

(600 - 800) 49

Captain John Schweikart 1870 - 1954 Detroit, Michigan

John Schweikart is credited with being among the earliest of carvers in the St. Clair Flats. By the 1880s, Detroit was a busy city. Throughout this era, the Schweikart family business, which included an ice company, a commercial fishing venture, and a tavern, all flourished. After a period of prosperity, Walter, Sr. began to search for a remote retreat where he and his sons could escape the city for some fine hunting and quiet. He claimed a tiny island in the Flats and named it Strawberry. Thirteen years after his father’s death in 1904, John took ownership of this hunters’ paradise for himself.

As a young man, John Schweikart worked his way up in all of the family businesses. He is listed in the 1904 Detroit city directory as president of the Schweikart Boat Works. Working with his brother Carl, a master boat builder, John had learned how to work with his hands and continued the family tradition of respect for craftsmanship and pride of workmanship, a skill set he carried over to the decoys he produced.

Author and collector Bernard Crandell, had this to say about his work.

“Schweikart cans, with their bull-size necks and authoritative stare, have the commanding presence of a top sergeant about to dress down a platoon of rookies at boot camp. They are oversize and not only highly visible from above but, with their strong wide bodies, appear charge of their domain.”

57 Detail 50

Letter that accompanies lot 57

57

57.

Classic canvasback drake, John Schweikart, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1900. Bold and bull canvasback with reared back head. Attached tin wingtips and collapsible copper keel. Hollow carved with bottom board. 15” long. Strong original paint that is flaked away on a few areas of the body; some neck filler loss at neck seat; light wear on top of head.

Provenance: Accompanied by a “letter of object” from Julie Hall from whom this decoy was purchased. Julie and Michael Hall purchased the decoy directly from the Schweikart family.

(15,000 - 20,000)

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58

59

58.

Hollow carved canvasback drake, Augustus Moak, Tustin, Wisconsin. Moak’s best style. Beveled on the underside. 17” long. Original paint with good patina and very minor wear; reglued crack through neck with a very narrow band of touchup at crack.

(5,000 - 8,000)

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59.

Canvasback drake, Augustus Moak, Tustin, Wisconsin. Stenciled “J. Burns” on underside. Slightly turned head. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; two shot scars on top of tail; lightly hit by shot on one side.

(3,500 - 4,500)

60 Detail

60

60. Early snow goose from Wisconsin with great folk art appeal. Stamped “Bay Club.” Decoy is approximately 17” tall. Appealing old in use repaint; structurally good.

Provenance: Meyer collection. Formerly in the collection of Bob Timberlake. Part of a small rig found by Dave Spengler in Door County, Wisconsin in the 1970s. This is the only one with the “Bay Club” brand. A rigmate is pictured on page 257 of “The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys,” Joe Engers.

(8,000 - 12,000)

53

60A

60B

60C

60D

60E

60A. Bluebill hen, Walter Sibley, Whitehall, Michigan.

Hollow carved with slightly turned head. Original paint with minor flaking and wear; structurally good.

(1,250 - 1,750) 60B. Mallard drake, Robert Elliston, Bureau, Illinois, last quarter 19th century. Original paint with minor flaking and wear on most of the decoy; old touchup on head; and some of black area under tail; small dents.

Provenance: Purchased by consignor from Pete van Tright. Previously owned by Bill Hagger, and before that Joe French.

(1,000 - 1,400)

60C. Mallard drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois circa 1930s. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; old touchup at body seam; a few small dents.

Provenance: Purchased by consignor from Pete van Tright.

(1,200 - 1,500)

60D. Mallard drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. From the Zering rig, branded “JNZ.� Most of decoy has original paint with minor wear; protected by an old coat of varnish; paint on head appears to be second coat; small dents.

(1,000 - 1,400) 60E. Pair of bluebills, Miles Pirnie, Detroit, Michigan, 2nd quarter 20th century. Drake has slightly turned head.

Original paint with minor wear; structurally good.

(800 - 1,200)

54

60F. Rare and unique carved figural sun bathers, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan, 1st quarter 20th century. Two male figures in period sun bathing attire. One with some type of swim cap. Mounted on wooden base. Tallest figure is 9.5”. Both have detailed anatomical carving to head and hands. Each in original paint surface, covered in a coat of varnish that has darkened with age and has flaked in some areas; appealing crazed surface is more evident on smaller figure; areas of glue visible where feet are connected to base.

60F

Provenance: These were the first non fish pieces identified as Oscar Peterson by the owners. They were gifts to them by Peterson. They called them “The sun bathers,” and they were originally accompanied by a beach ball made to scale made by Peterson, made of red and white cloth. From the collection of Bill and Betty Turnley, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Literature: “Michigan’s Master Carver, Oscar Peterson - 1887 - 1951,” Ron Fritz, p. 88, exact two figures pictured.

(2,000 - 3,000)

60G 60G. A pair of dugout canoes, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan, 1st quarter 20th century. Each is carved from one piece of wood and painted dark green on the outside and on the larger boat, on the seat. Both are protected by a coat of varnish that has pooled and darkened and crazed. One measures 11”, the other 9”. Structurally good.

(600 - 800)

55

Oscar Peterson 1887 - 1951 Cadillac, Michigan

Born November 14, 1887 in Grayling, Michigan, Oscar Peterson soon relocated to Cadillac, Michigan, where he lived his entire life until his death in 1951. It is said that he was a kind, shy person that often gave away his carvings to friends. He prided himself in the fact that he never used special tools, only a drawshave, ordinary chisels, a pocketknife, and sand paper. The scope of his carving is amazing. Over the years, Peterson produced items including fish decoys, trade signs, pincushions, vases, fishing lures, decorative plaques, and even the carved figures in this sale. Peterson’s love of nature and, specifically, the bounty found in Northern Michigan, is commonly represented in nearly all of his artwork. Today, Oscar Peterson is celebrated as one of America’s great folk artists.

Many accredited museums across the country own pieces by Peterson including; American Folk Art Museum, New York, New York; Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia; Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York; Cleveland Art Museum, Cleveland, Ohio; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Shelburne Folk Art Museum, Shelburne, Vermont; and The Smithsonian, Washington DC.

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61

61.

Early and important Oscar Peterson relief carved plaque, Cadillac, Michigan, 1st quarter 20th century. Deeply carved image of cock and hen ringneck pheasants perched in a tree grazing on goose berries. Straps on back are inset wood strips indicating a very early period plaque for Peterson. Initial board was nearly 2” thick has been carved away so that the pheasants are reliefed approximately 1” from the background. Measures 22” x 15”. This is likely a companion plaque to a similar piece with grouse that was sold in our April 2012 sale. Strong original paint that is covered by Petersons typical coat of varnish; small area of rub to high point on cock pheasant; several tiny cracks are visible; some areas of varnish crazing on board.

(45,000 - 65,000)

57

62. Rainbow trout spearing decoy, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan. Curved wooden tail carved eyes and gills. 9” x 1.5” x .75”. Several small spots of touchup at tip of tail; minor paint loss at metal fins, otherwise very good and original.

(3,000 - 5,000)

62

63.

Perch fish decoy, Oscar Peterson, 1st half 20th century. 7” long x 1.25” tall x .75” wide. Glass eye model. Strong original paint protected by a coat of varnish; some black paint around eyes appears to have been added after the varnish coat.

(2,500 - 3,500)

63

64.

64

65. Pike spearing decoy, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan. Curved wooden tail. Tack eyes, carved mouth and gills.

Metal fins. 8.5” x 1.5” x .75”. Minor paint loss at weights; small amount of touchup at the very bottom of the tail. (3,000 - 5,000)

65 58

Brook trout spearing decoy, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan. Curved wooden tail, carved mouth, tack eyes, and metal fins. 9” x 1.75” x .75”. Original paint with very minor wear; minor crazing; structurally good.

(4,000 - 6,000)

66

67

68

69

70

71

73

72

66.

Rare and unique working sturgeon fish decoy, John Zachman, 1952. A large sizing decoy measuring 41” long. Inserted metal fin and belly weight on underside. A well executed carving that displays sturgeon side and top armor. Carved gills and carved eyes. Natural wood crack in underside; very small bend at tip of metal tail, otherwise very good and original.

(4,000 - 6,000)

67.

Shiner fish decoy, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan, 1st half 20th century. Tack eyes. 9.5” long x 1.25” tall x 7/8” wide. Original paint with a coat of varnish that has darkened slightly; tack eyes have rusted; slight staining to paint around that area; paint loss at fins. (1,500 - 1,800)

68.

Fish decoy, Lake Chautauqua, New York, circa 1900. Trout with carved mouth and gills. Tack eyes and metal fins. 8” long. Original paint that has darkened slightly; tail is a working replacement; otherwise original and good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

70.

Perch fish decoy, Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan, 1st half 20th century. Tack eyes. 7” long x 1.25” tall x .75” wide. Original paint; covered by a coat of varnish that has yellowed slightly, mostly on underside; chip at bottom of tail; small area of paint missing from one fin.

(600 - 800)

71.

Wall plaque carving of a brook trout, Mike Valley, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Signed on the backboard.

Made in the style of Lexow from Minnesota. Excellent carving with fine details and inserted metal fins. Plaque measures 18”. Small area of paint loss to one fin, otherwise very good and original.

(400 - 600)

72.

Wall plaque carving of a brook trout, Mike Valley, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Signed on the backboard.

Made in the style Lexow from Minnesota. Excellent carving with fine details and inserted metal fins. Plaque measures 18”. Very good and original.

(400 - 600)

73.

Sucker fish decoy, Hank Walters, Detroit, Michigan, 2nd half 20th century. Carved gill and mouth. Painted eyes with metal fins. Signed “Hank Walters” on underside.

11.5” long. Strong original paint; a single very small drip of paint on top of back.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 68, exact decoy pictured.

(1,250 - 1,750) 69. Perch carved wooden fish decoy, Larry Joseph Peltier. Metal fins. Decoy is 7” long. With glass eyes and curved tail. Original paint with minor wear; some paint has flaked from the weights and metal fins. (950 - 1,250)

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 91, exact decoy pictured.

(400 - 600) 59

P. D. Malloch,

Perth, United Kingdom

74 Detail

Caught by Harold Tennant (18651935). Tennant was a member of Parliament, Parlimentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in England. He was also Secretary of State for War 1912-1916.

74 Detail

60

According to Ron Swanson’s book, “Fly-fishing as a sport or a peaceful pastime had been practiced by a small number of individual since the fifteenth century, but it was not until the reign of George IV of England (1820 - 1830) that it started to become fashionable. During King George’s short reign, angling became a court amusement attracting the interest of the upper classes and some writers who passed on the delights of the latest sporting activity. As fishing for sport gathered momentum, the idea of preserving specimens of particularly large or important fish also became popular. The science of taxidermy that had been around for centuries, was undoubtedly the first method used to preserve trophies, but until recently this ancient technique was not a very permanent way to preserve a fish. In fact, for nearly two hundred years the finest British taxidermists enclosed their stuffed or ‘put up’ fish in airtight glass cases so they would be preserved a little longer.” The emergence of carved and painted trophy fish can be directly related to the problems associated with taxidermy

74

74.

Important salmon plaque, P.D. Malloch. Mounted on original wooden backboard. Salmon is 51” long, backboard is 59” long. Fine fin carving detail and scale detail. Original paint with minor wear; thin crack through top of tail fin; several small dents and scrapes.

(9,500 - 12,500)

61

Decoratives by the Ward Brothers Crisfield, Maryland

75

75 Detail

62

75. Exceptional pair of canvasbacks, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1968 on underside. Inscription on undersides both read “This canvasback to me Lemuel T. Ward is the best my hands has ever accomplished after 51 years of carving.” Hen has a turned head that is slightly reared back.

A softness to the head is accomplished with delicate paint feathering. Carved extended tail and carved wing primaries. Along with separation between wings and side pockets on both.

Texturing on drake’s head is accomplished by a heavy layering of lead paint. 16” long. Both are excellent and original.

(7,500 - 10,000)

76

76.

Decorative pair of widgeon, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1960 by Lem Ward on underside, with the note “Special Grade”.

Balsa wood with each exhibiting raised and split wingtips. Heads are slightly turned. Highly detailed paint feathering, with dropped carved tail. 12” long. Very good and original.

(6,000 - 9,000)

76 Detail

63

77

64

77 Detail

77.

Full size “sun bathing” Canada goose, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1968. Lifted wings with fine feather detail. 24.5” long. Very small amount of paint shrinkage on upper breast, otherwise very good and original.

Provenance: Karsnitz collection.

(16,000 - 20,000)

65

78

78.

78 Detail

66

Full size preening pintail drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and identified as Deluxe grade on underside. Lifted wings with fine feather carving detail. Good paint detail as well.

17” long. Original paint with good patina; several small areas of paint shrinkage, mostly on front quarter of decoy; structurally very good.

(6,000 - 9,000)

79. Ruddy duck drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1969. Raised primaries and secondaries. Slightly turned head. 11.75” long. Original paint; very slight wear; several pin feathers at edge of tail are missing.

Provenance: Karsnitz collection.

(3,000 - 5,000)

79

80.

Red breasted merganser drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland, circa 1970s. Head is slightly turned and heavily carved. Raised wingtips and extended carved tail. Hollow body. 16” long. Small area of sap bleed around a knot near back of tail; remnants of wood filler near underside of decoy on one side; otherwise very good and original.

(3,000 - 4,000)

80

81. Pair of calling mallard bookends, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Approximately 10.5” long. Original paint with very slight wear; structurally good.

(1,250 - 1,750)

81

67

Poem on underside reads, “To Tom and Sarah George, I am glad that I live, That I struggle and strive, For the place that I know, I must fill, I am thankful for sorrow, I’ll meet with a grin, What fortune may send, Good or ill, I may not have wealth, I may not be great but I, Know I will always be true, For I have in my life, That courage you gave, When first I rubbed shoulders, With you.”

82 Detail

68

82.

Snow goose in resting pose, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed made “For Tom George,� and has a poem on the underside. Carved primaries and secondaries with crossed wingtips and slightly turned head. Near mint original paint; cracks in filler near tail and at back of head; short hairline surface crack in lower breast.

(15,000 - 20,000)

82

69

Items of Interest

83

84

85

87

86

“The unexpected can be obvious, but why not bait with corn? That is, carved and painted wooden ears of corn? How one can circumvent the law! To date, this is the most surrealist form of a decoy, found in the Mid West.”

A display of decorative powder cans and shot, the type used before the development of the breechloader.

83.

84.

85.

Three shotgun shell boxes, Peters Cartridge Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. All 12 gauge. All with buff box and round labels. Teal box has some inpainting on front label, other two have edge wear and have darkened slightly.

(600 - 800) Shotgun shell box, 12 gauge, Pointer Smokeless Powder, Meriden Fire Arms Company, Meriden Connecticut. Buff box with full wrap label. Some edge wear to box; label has darkened slightly with some stains and rough edges.

(350 - 450) Three sporting items. A full 8 gauge shell, a full Winchester 4 gauge shell, and a Winchester shot tower advertising piece. Labeling numerous Winchester brands with an open shell window. Measures 6” in length.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,000 - 1,200) 70

86.

Two ears of corn, 1st quarter 20th century. Shorter ear is by unknown maker, longer is by Newt Rule of Beardstown, Illinois. Longest is 11.5”. Strong original paint with light wear.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 86, exact carvings pictured.

(600 - 800) 87.

Group of 18 powder tins and one cricket box. Various makers and conditions.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(400 - 600)

88

88.

DuPont poster, Ballistite. With image by Charles De Feo. Retains top and bottom bands. Measures 29” x 19.5”.

Professionally matted and framed. Professional restoration with in painting to all four corners and a few other miscellaneous tears.

Provenance: Paul Tudor Jones II collection.

(4,000 - 6,000)

89

89. 1925 US Shotshell Cartridges poster, Copyright 1924. With all calendar pages intact. Scene of duck hunter in layout boat with decoys and US cartridge shotgun shells visible in boat. Professionally framed. Image size approximately 16” x 35 1/2”. Retains top and bottom bands; excellent and original; one of the best known examples of this poster.

Provenance: Formerly in the collectiom of Paul Tudor Jones II. Formerly in the collection of Dr. James McCleery.

Lot 91 in Guyette & Schmidt/Sotheby’s January 2000 auction catalog.

Literature: “Top of the Line Hunting Collectibles,” Donna Tonelli, p. 232, exact poster pictured.

(4,500 - 5,500)

71

John Williams

1857 - 1937 Cedar Island, Virginia

The Mackey collection exhibition IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences, 1966, Manhattan.

This “Look Down Swan” by John Williams, prominently displayed, is one of the most recognizable swans known. Photo source“Decoy Collector’s Guide,” Sorenson, 1966-67 annual, p. 48.

“John Williams (1857-1937) spent most of his life on Cedar Island in Back Bay. This tiny island, right in the middle of the flyway, enabled John Williams to observe wildfowl as closely as any man before him or since. Year after year, millions upon millions of birds of many species passed within his sight and hearing. John enjoyed his way of life and in later years he became a renowned, successful guide and an authority on the local sporting scene. As a decoy maker he is known to have been a specialist. This is the one term proper to describe a carver whose claim to fame now rest securely on his swan decoys, which differ one f rom the other, as a rig cleverly capturing the movement and life of the actual birds.

Every head and neck is carved in a graceful, natural position. To carry the effect even further, the cygnet, or young swan, is gray, so the purist, John Williams painted one of his blocks (Plate 141) that color. The gray paint is original, so credit must go to the maker for this unique touch, which makes the decoy a classic. His little Ruddy Ducks represent the other extreme in size, but reflect equal credit on the carver. These active, shovel-billed ducks have a comical look and manner that John’s knowing hands captured in wood. He made a few other decoys but nothing compare with what must have been his two favorites. All were made for his own use. The folk art of American is forever richer because John Williams lived and carved on Cedar Island.”

- William Mackey

72

PLATE 141. Two of the monumental Whistling Swans hewn and carved by John Williams of Cedar Island. Each of the known examples is treasured as an example of American folk art.

90 Detail

“Coastal Carolina, for our enjoyable purpose, begins at Back Bay, an arm of Currituck Sound which juts a score of miles into Tidewater Virginia.

Since Back Bay’s and Currituck’s physical and ecological unity is obvious, Virginia can well share her claim to this small watercowl paradise with her sister state of North Carolina. So for our purposes, Back Bay and Currituck Sound have a bond that not even a state line can dissolve. Wildfowl fly between the two connecting bodies of water oblivious of man’s jurisdictional problems down below.

The Outer Banks, a sandy strip that begins just north of the Virginia line and continues down the Carolina coast for hundreds of miles, is the barrier between bay and ocean that created one of the f inest and largest wildfowl havens on the Atlantic coast.

It will pay to expand a little on these matters. The latitude of this Carolina coastal region and the sweep of its magnif icent bays, which were uniformly shallow, made a wintering ground for diving ducks, geese, brant, and swans second to none.

Other visitors to this winter haven that have left their mark on decoy history are the Whistling Swan and the Ruddy Duck. I have found decoys for both species in greater numbers f rom the Virginia-North Carolina state line south to Manteo, North Carolina, than anywhere else in the country.”

- William Mackey

73

90.

“Look down” swan, John Williams, Cedar Island, Virginia, last quarter 19th century. Appealing old in use repaint; age split in back; cracks; lightly hit by shot.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 45, exact decoy pictured.

(175,000 - 225,000)

90

74

Born on Knotts Island, Williams was the son of Captain John and Francis Dudley Williams. As a young man he was described as a master carpenter and is credited with building some of the finest homes in the area. By about 1880, he built and operated a hunting camp on Cedar Island and he began his farming, guiding and market gunning career. In 1894 he met and married Bettie E. Simpson. The couple resided on the Island in a large two-story home John constructed for her there and the couple raised four daughters; Hattie, Ocie, Lettie and Claudia.

The fertile soil on the Island allowed John to become a successful farmer raising plentiful crops for both his family and the market. He also constructed a comfortable lodge for his sports consisting of a large club room, kitchen and six bedrooms capable of accommodating up to twelve guests. Additional structures included a smokehouse, stable, barn, well and ice house. This elaborate layout, in addition to the two sink box batteries he owned and operated, required the participation of every member of his immediate family, as well as his brothers and additional hired help.

In 1914, Williams sold the Cedar Island property to the son of millionaire railroad tycoon Jay Gould but remained on the property as caretaker until 1920. At that point he and the family moved to Munden Point on the shores of the North Landing River where he continued to operate three battery rigs with his son-in-law, Reginald Waterfield.

The scale of Williams operation obviously required large rigs of decoys. He undoubtedly made decoys of several species, some with the help of his friend Ivy Stevens. It is, however, his majestic swans and magnificent ruddy duck decoys that capture the attention of both decoy and American folk art collectors today. Living on tiny Cedar Island he became a keen observer of the migrating waterfowl and this is reflected in the realistic postures he created in his majestic swans. The small rig that he carved accurately mimicked the life-like, natural poses seen in a group of their live brethren. Certainly the most charming (and rarest) of these swans was the one in the “downward looking” form.

Bill Mackey was one of the first to recognize the outstanding qualities of these carvings and the Williams swans became a focal point in his collection. This swan is pictured in plate 141 in his book and it was chosen to be one of the highlights in the prestigious 1966 exhibit at the IBM Galleries in downtown Manhattan, the influential 1967 exhibit at the Paine Art Center in Wisconsin as well as the United States exhibit at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan.

The very few surviving similar swans from the rig are pictured in books such as “Decoys – A North American Survey” by Kangas, and “Bird Decoys of North America” by Shaw as well as gracing the cover of “Gun Clubs & Decoys of Back Bay and Currituck Sound”.

After his death in 1937, many of John Williams personal belongings, including his decoys, were sold at an estate sale with most going to local gunners or clubs to continue their useful life. Cedar Island is now uninhabited and is being reclaimed by Back Bay and the sea.

This swan has remained a treasured possession of the family and is offered here for the first time since the death of Mr. Mackey.

Swan by John Williams. Sold in 2018 for $348,500

Swan by John Williams. Sold in 2011 for $131,500

75

Ira Hudson

1876 - 1949 Chincoteague, Virginia

91

91. Exceptional three piece hollow body style brant, Ira Hudson, Chincoteague, Virginia, 1st quarter 20th century. Fine feather paint detail.

Little over 17” long. Original paint with good patina and very minor wear; structurally good.

Provenance: From the Kruger rig.

Literature: “Southern Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. “Ira Hudson and Family,” Henry Stansbury.

(9,500 - 12,500)

91 Detail

76

91A

91A. Root head swan, last quarter 19th century.

Hollowed out from the underside. 28� long.

Original paint with minor to moderate wear; numerous cracks; shallow chip missing from one side of head; black paint is a second coat.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of William J. Mackey Jr. Displayed at the IBM exhibit inNew York City.

(6,000 - 9,000)

IBM exhibit in New York City.

Exact decoy shown at exhibit.

77

The abundance and variety of waterfowl on and near Cobb Island is credited for the highly successful market and sport hunting in the area.

The decoys used by the Cobb family were of rugged construction, consistent with the severe conditions that often plagued the barrier island over the years. Nathan Jr. produced ducks, geese, and shorebirds in a multitude of poses which created a sense of realism to the rig. The bulging neck crop created at the inlet neck construction point, combined with a slightly nestled head and the signature notched tail, are but a few of the characteristics which set Cobb decoys apart from other Virginia decoys.

91B

78

91B. Hollow carved bluebill drake, Nathan Cobb, Jr., last quarter 19th century. Inlet head, carved bill, and glass eyes.

Raised V wing carving. Serifed “N” carved in underside. A mix of original paint and old repaint; filler added to tiny tail chip; one eye is replaced; very small rough spot in back and in one lower side.

91B Detail

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of William J. Mackey, Jr. Formerly in collection of William Purnell, Jr., who acquired it from Mackey in 1966. “P” brand in underside.

Literature: “Southern Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. “Decoys” Gene and Linda Kangas. Print Cobb Island decoy, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Nathan Cobb, Jr., Septtember 27, 1825 - January 1905, exact decoy pictured.

(17,500 - 22,500)

91B Detail 79

91C. Rare preening brant, Doug Jester, Chincoteague, Virginia. 16” long.

Original paint on back and sides, the rest has old in use repaint; structurally good.

Provenance: Meyer collection.

Literature: “The Art of the Decoy,” Adele Earnest, p. 80, exact decoy pictured.

(3,500 - 5,500)

91C

91C Detail

Exact decoy included at “The Art of the Decoy Exhibition,” 1966 at the Museum of American Folk Art.

80

Nathan Cobb, Jr.

1825 - 1905 Cobb Island, Virginia

92

92.

Solid body brant, Nathan Cobb, Jr., Cobb Island, Virginia, 2nd quarter 19th century. Raised “V” wingtip carving, inlet head with inset hardwood bill, and carved eyes. Backward “N” carved in underside. 20” long. Old in use repaint; with some original showing; cracks in body; one crack has had two nails in it to keep from opening more.

Provenance: Meyer collection.

(8,000 - 12,000)

92 Detail

81

Charles Birch

1867 - 1956 Willis Wharf, Virginia From the mid 19th century into the early 20th century, the Eastern Shore of Virginia produced some of the finest early waterfowl hunting anywhere in North America. Many of the decoys produced during that period are highly sought after by today’s collectors. Names that include the likes of Ira Hudson, Nathan Cobb, Charles Clark, Dave Watson, and Walter Brady to name but a few, produced decoys for both the market hunter and, later, the sport hunters that frequented the Eastern Shore.

Willis Wharf, located on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, was the home of Charles Birch.

Birch moved from Maryland to Willis Wharf shortly after the turn of the century, and was employed as a waterman and commercial decoy maker. He produced nearly every species of waterfowl that were commonly sought after by hunters in that area, including black ducks, brant, geese, redheads, bluebills, and pintails.

Birch made both solid and hollow decoys. While his paint patterns were simplistic, his decoys exhibited exceptional form with serpentine necks and very fluid lines.

93 Detail 82

93. Exceptional hollow carved brant, Charles Birch, Chincoteague, Virginia. Striped feather paint in lower sides. Tack eyes. 17” long. Original paint with minor wear; structurally very good; several small areas of discoloration on lower half.

Literature: “Southern Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. (22,000 - 25,000)

93

83

Ira Hudson

1873 - 1949 Chincoteague, Virginia Perhaps as a sign of the times in which Ira Hudson lived or because of the remoteness of his world, the family did not know the exact date of his birth. While it is assumed to be between 1875 and 1877, most references show it to be 1873. He apparently thought he was born in Delaware. He was actually born in Bishopville, Maryland to Ananias Hudson and Mary Elizabeth Beebe and was reportedly given the middle name of the family’s favorite minister. His family was accustomed to working with their hands and earning a living around the water.

In a 1900 census, his father was listed as a “house carpenter” and his uncle as a “lighthouse keeper.” These family occupations apparently influenced Ira’s choice of careers for he is listed as a “waterman” in 1900 and as an “oysterman” in 1910. He married Eva Bowden and the couple raised twelve children on Chincoteague.

Ira never achieved any level of great financial wealth, however, the family never seemed to be deprived of a comfortable existence. Family was very important to Ira and, even in his later years, he enjoyed getting together with them on Sundays. His success was due in part to Hudson’s willingness to do whatever was necessary to provide for their well-being. He clammed, fished, oystered, and raised his own chickens. He built boats, took on carpentry projects, and he carved decoys. It is this last endeavor that brought him some degree of fame during his life, and even higher acclaim after his death.

He hand chopped all his early decoys. In 1940, because the family had no electricity in their home, he acquired his first gas powered band saw. His earliest decoys were his work alone but in later years, family members, most notably two of his sons, Norman and Delbert, would assist in the finishing and painting of the birds. In Ira’s mind, he was not creating “art” but rather utilitarian objects that were needed to attract the migrating flocks of ducks and geese. He certainly possessed an artistic flair as is evidenced in some of his finest working pieces, and it is evident in his decorative flying and standing carvings.

The pintail was a common visitor to Chincoteague, and Ira carved a number of decoys of this species to attract them into gunning range. Hudson certainly must have admired this species. The long slender tails of the males, as well as the graceful shape of their heads, provided the inspiration for some of his most creative sculptural efforts and they produced the perfect palette on which he exercised his best painting technique.

94

84

94 Detail

94.

Rare pintail drake, Ira Hudson, Chincoteague, Virginia. Very streamlined with long tail. Good scratch paint detail. 20” long. Original paint with good patina; minor shrinkage and wear, mostly on top of tail and one side of breast; thin crack in underside.

Provenance: Chua collection.

Literature: “Southern Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr.

(30,000 - 40,000)

85

95

96

97

98

99

95.

Hollow carved black duck, Charles Birch, Willis Wharf, Virginia. 16.5” long. Original paint with moderate discoloration and wear; structurally good; small rough spot on one edge of tail.

(1,500 - 2,500)

96.

Carving of a brant head, Nathan Cobb, Jr., Cobb Island, Virginia, last quarter 19th century. Shoe button eyes. Unpainted and never matched up with a body. 8” long. Imperfection in wood on one side and top of head; small area where paper label is still attached.

86

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,000 - 1,500)

97.

Two hollow carved black ducks, Charles Birch, Willis Wharf, Virginia. 17” long. Worn original paint; small dents; rust to eyes.

(1,500 - 2,500)

98.

Black duck from North Carolina. 15” long. Worn paint appears to be original; slit in underside; several small dents; chip missing from edge of bill.

(400 - 600)

99. Bluebill drake found on the eastern shore of Virginia. 12” long. Worn old paint with bare wood showing; small dents and shot marks.

(300 - 400)

Lee Dudley

1860 - 1942 Knott’s Island, North Carolina

Exact Dudley mallard pictured in William J. Mackey, Jr.’s basement.

100

100. Very rare mallard drake, Lee Dudley, Knotts Island, North Carolina, last quarter 19th century. Branded “E. Flagg”, “FB Rice”, and “J Bryant”. Old in use repaint; neck crack repair; bill chip repair.

100 Detail

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of William J. Mackey, Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: Andresen.

“Gunnin’ Birds,” Kroghie (15,000 - 20,000)

87

102. Stylish ruddy duck, North Carolina, 2nd half 19th century. Original square nail protruding from breast. Head of decoy is slightly reared back.

Tail cut similar to those found on Dudley decoys. Under tail it is written “Ruddy Back Bay VA, ex Henley”. 10.5” long. Mostly original paint with traces of additional coats; worn to bare wood on much of the decoy; with numerous rough spots, gouges and shot marks; tight crack in bill where a small amount of paint was added at some point; bill chip repair; small section of wood filler was added to chip in tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(4,000 - 6,000)

102

102 Detail

88

Ike O’Neal

Ocracoke, North Carolina

103. Root head Canada goose, Ike O’Neal, Ocracoke, North Carolina. “WLT” is carved in the underside. Old in use repaint with moderate flaking and wear numerous cracks; small chip missing from one side of head.

Provenance: Purchased by the consignor from a member of the O’Neal family in the 1960s on Ocracoke Island.

Literature: “Gunnin’ Birds,” Kroghie Andresen.

(6,500 - 9,500)

103

89

Sporting Art 104

104. Large oil on canvas, Lynn Bogue Hunt (18781960). Well executed image of cock and hen ringneck pheasants taking flight. Professionally framed.

Image measures 21.5” x 30”. Signed in the lower right “Lynn Bogue Hunt”. Gallery sticker on back from Sportsman’s Edge, New York, New York. Excellent and original.

(8,000 - 12,000)

90

105

105. “On the Bear River Marshes,” an oil on canvas by Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878 - 1960). Signed. Image size approximately 16” x 22”. Signed by the artist. Dent approximately 1/2” long in mountains near left edge; tiny dent in water, otherwise excellent and original.

Literature: “A Book on Duck Shooting,” Van Campen Heilner, p.

158, exact illustration, titled “On the Bear River Marshes”.

(12,000 - 16,000)

91

106

106. Gouache on paper, Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960). Powerful image of a golden eagle hunting a flight of Canada geese. Signed at bottom. Eagle is descending upon a goose, whose neck is twisted and mouth open as he descends to escape. Image is professionally framed, protected in glass. Image size 29” x 21”. Excellent and original.

(12,000 - 18,000)

A devastating scene on this scarce Remington calendar. This popular image was used on both posters and calendars dating back as far as 1919.

92

107

107. Oil on canvas Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960). Important illustration image of gunner using live tethered geese as decoys with flocks of live geese descending in morning sky. Signed on left. Measures 29” x 14.5”. Two small areas of conservation painting in the blue sky.

(8,000 - 12,000)

93

108

108. Oil on board, Francis Jaques (1888-1969). Signed in the lower right. Image of pair of mallards swimming through the rippled water. Likely a spring mating courtship. Appropriate period frame. Measures 15.25” x 11.5”. Two hairline cracks at corners with very small amount of conservation.

(6,000 - 8,000)

94

109

109. “Honkers Over Horicon,” an oil on canvas by Owen Gromee (1896-1991). Signed and dated 1963. Image size 24” x 30”. Very good and original.

(6,500 - 9,500)

95

110. Original artwork illustration from Winchester Arms, James Dwyer. Signed in lower right.

Image depicting hunters at morning breakfast. Professionally matted and framed. Behind glass. Image measures 20” x 29.5”. Excellent and original.

(1,500 - 2,500)

110

111.

“Duck Hunters,” a remarque by Bret Smith (b. 1958). Original print by Bret Smith that has personally been enhanced. The artist has partially painted over the print, thus creating a full size remarque. Signed. Image size 24” x 30”. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,000)

111

112. Oil on masonite, Richard Plasschaert, Minnesota (b.

1941). A Midwestern scene with three pheasants working their way through a wind break between fields. Signed lower left.

Professionally framed, behind glass. Measures 17” x 23”. Near mint.

(1,500 - 2,000)

112 96

113

113. Large watercolor, Roland Clark (1874-1957). Signed in the lower left and dated 1929. Image depicts flocks of pintails landing in marsh.

A perfect example of Clark’s talent moving within mediums. This watercolor is a perfect execution. Professionally framed and triple matted. Image size 22.5” x 17”. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,500)

114

114. Gouache on paper board, Richard Plasschaert, Minnesota (b. 1941). Signed in the lower right. Image depicting mallard hen returning to nest which has been visited by a skunk. Professionally framed. Image size 29.5” x 44.5”. Excellent and original.

(1,500 - 2,500)

115. Oil on canvas by unknown artist from the school of Alfred Montgomery, a famous Midwestern painter of still life corn scenes, 1st quarter 20th century. Measures 17” x 23”. In vintage frame. Original and good.

(1,200 - 1,500)

115 97

Illinois River

116

117

116.

Very rare early preening mallard hen, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois, circa late 1890s. Three piece body style.

14.5” long. Original paint by Edna Perdew; with minor shrinkage at neck and upper breast; thin crack through neck; numerous spots of touchup; at one time weight was removed to add a thin lead strip underneath it, white paint was added to edges of the weight to try to seal it.

Provenance: Recently found in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(6,500 - 9,500)

98

117. Very early mallard drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Three piece body construction, circa late 1890s.

18” long. Original paint by Edna Perdew; touchup around a crack in the neck; several paint flakes on head and a few other spots on the body; at one time the weight was removed to have a thin additional strip of lead put under part of it at that time white paint was added to the area to seal it.

Provenance: Recently found in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(4,000 - 6,000)

118.

Rigmate pair of mallards, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Hen has slightly turned head. Both retain Perdew weights. 16” long. Original paint with very minor wear; structurally good; small spot of touchup on one side of hen’s neck.

(5,500 - 8,500)

118

119. Very rare bluebill drake, Vern Cheesman, Macomb, Illinois, 1st quarter 20th century. Fine comb paint detail and feather paint. 12” long. Original paint with minor wear; a few tiny dents.

Literature: “Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois,” Paul Parmalee and Forrest Loomis.

(5,000 - 7,000)

119

118 Detail

119 Detail 99

120. Pintail hen and drake, Cline McAlpin, Chicago, Illinois. The hen has McAlpin weight on underside and is branded “JAD” for John Dunham. Drake has slightly turned head. Drake is 16” long. Near mint original paint; several tiny dents.

(1,250 - 1,750)

120

121. Mallard drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Slightly turned head. 15.5” long. Near mint original paint; several specs of paint have been dripped on the decoy; retains Perdew weight.

(2,000 - 3,000)

121

122. Very rare mallard drake ice duck, Charles Schoeneider, Sr., Peoria, Illinois, 1st quarter 20th century. Hollow carved with metal foot. 18.5” long. Paint has been completely restored in the style of Schoenheider by Bill Gibian.

(2,000 - 3,000)

122

123. Canvasback drake, Bert Graves, Peoria, Illinois. Comb painting on white areas. Feather paint detail at wingtips. 18” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; structurally good. (2,000 - 3,000)

123 100

124

124. Rigmate pair of mallards, Charles Walker, Princeton, Illinois. Both have relief wing carving. Drake has slightly turned head. From the Zering rig, #25 at the Princeton Fish and Game Club, and so marked. 17” long. Original paint with minor wear protected by an old coat of varnish; old in use repaint on the speculums and white areas of drake; structurally good.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(7,500 - 9,500)

124 Detail

101

Maryland

125

126

127

128

129

130

125. Very early greenwing teal drake from the Upper Chesapeake Bay, last half 19th century. Similar to Charles T. Wilson. 12” long. Tack eyes with very old paint and multiple layers that has crazed; very old gunning paint; wood filler has been applied to replace missing piece of neck and bill; rough area at tip of tail; exposed square nail on back of head.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(2,000 - 4,000)

126. Canada goose, James T. Holly, Havre de Grace, Maryland, 1st quarter 20th century. 24” long. Original paint on head; body has multiple coats of working paint; cracks in back.

(1,800 - 2,200) 127. Three decoys, Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, Maryland. All are signed. 1/2 size canvasback drake, full size goldeneye drake, and full size greenwing teal drake. All have slightly turned heads. Largest is 12.5” long. Original and good.

(1,200 - 1,500) 102

128.

Two decoys, Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, Maryland. Pintail drake and oldsquaw drake. Both are signed and have slightly turned heads and relief wing carving. 19” long. Pintail drake has small scuff on lower side, otherwise good.

(950 - 1,250)

129. Bluebill drake, Will Heverin, Havre de Grace, Maryland, 1st quarter 20th century. “LP” carved under the tail for Lou Pinnock. 14” long. Near mint original paint; the decoy was rigged but barely used; one side of tail has been slightly blunted.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mid Atlantic Region,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. (900 - 1,200)

130. Canvasback drake, Lloyd Sterling, Crisfield, Maryland. Balsa body with slightly turned head. 14.5” long. Very good and original.

(900 - 1,200)

131

132

133

134

135

136

131. Pair of ruddy ducks, Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed. Both have slightly turned heads and relief wing carving. 11.25” long. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200) 132. Rare redhead drake, Will Heverin, Charlestown, Maryland, 1st quarter 20th century. 15” long. Barely used; near mint original paint on body with a few tiny spots of discoloration; small paint flakes missing from head; very good structurally.

(800 - 1,200) 133. Pair of bluewing teal, Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, Maryland. Both are signed, “Hunting decoy series 1996.”

Both have slightly turned heads and relief wing carving.

11” long. Excellent and original.

(800 - 1,200)

134. Pair of buffleheads, Oliver Lawson. Signed “Hunting decoy series, 1990.” Both have slightly turned heads and relief wing carving. 10.5” long. Drake has several tiny spots on back of head where paint has bubbled.

(800 - 1,200) 135. Pair of red breasted merganser, Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated “Hunting decoy series, 1990.” Both have slightly turned heads and relief wing carving. 17” long. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200) 136. Bluebill drake, John Brittingham, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1968. Slightly turned head.

Relief wing carving. 15” long. Original paint with very slight wear; shot scar above one eye.

Provenance: Karsnitz collection.

(500 - 800) 103

Ward Brothers

Crisfield, Maryland

137 Detail

104

137 Detail

137

137. Exceptional 1930 model black duck, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Slightly turned and cocked head. Fine feather paint detail. 18” long. Original paint with very minor discoloration and wear; several tiny dents; tiny chip missing from tip of bill; small amount of neck filler missing from back of neck seam.

Provenance: Part of a rig of black ducks and mallards found in the basement of a home in Flint, Michigan by early collector Ed DeNavare.

Literature: “Ward Brothers Decoys,” Ron Gard and Brian McGrath.

(17,500 - 22,500)

105

138.

Pinch breasted pintail drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. 17.5” long.

Slightly turned head. Old in use repaint with minor wear; small cracks; slight roughness to one edge of bill.

(2,500 - 3,500)

138

139. Canada goose, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland, circa late 1920s. Straight head model with slight ridge on back. 25” long. Appealing old in use repaint; with minor wear; small dents and cracks.

(2,500 - 3,500)

139

140. Pair of shooting stool model bluebills, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed by both Lem and Steve with a poem written on underside.

Both have good paint detail and slightly turned heads.

14.5” long. Very good and original.

(2,500 - 3,500)

140

141. 1936 model black duck, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Slightly turned head. Good paint detail. 17” long. Original paint with minor wear; numerous small dents; small chip missing from edge of tail; hairline crack in center of tail; slight separation at neck seam; slight wear to edges of bill.

(3,000 - 4,000)

106

141

142

142. Canada goose, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland, circa 1932. Carved from cedar with deep ice groove behind neck. Tail extends approximately 3” over rear of body.

Head is slightly turned and is as fat as a baseball. Detailed bill carving at mandibles, nostrils, and where it meets the face. 25.5” long. Original paint on back and head; white under tail has been strengthened and possibly some areas at breast; a few shot scars and dents; even wear on body; rubs at tip of bill, and small areas of head and tail.

(8,000 - 12,000)

142 Detail

107

143 Detail

143 Detail

108

143 Detail

143

143. Excellent 1936 mallard hen, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Head is turned approximately 30 degrees. Extra fine paint detail. Made for VL & A Sporting Goods Store, Chicago, Illinois. ‘VL &A’ ink stamp under tail. Measures 17 ½” long. Near mint original paint; filler on top of head has risen slightly; tiny chip and edge wear on tip of bill; small dent near tail; filler added to a defect in wood on underside when the decoy was made.

(16,000 - 20,000)

109

New York

145

146

147

145.

Oversize bluebill drake, Chauncey Wheeler, Alexandria Bay, New York. Marked “G. Bennet” on underside.

There is a small “A” stamped in the underside. 17” long.

Original paint with minor wear; a few small dents and shot marks.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Robert Congden who purchased it in the July 1975 Richard Bourne decoy auction.

Literature: “Chance,” Harold Rieser.

110

(2,000 - 3,000)

146. Hollow carved black duck from Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. Approximately 15.5” long. Carved eyes, ice groove behind neck. Original paint with some scratch loop feather painting on the lower sides; minor wear, mostly on extremities; crack at neck base; seam between neck and head separated slightly.

(650 - 950) 147. Wood duck drake, Roy Conklin, Alexandria Bay, New York. Well executed carving with carved crest and fine patina. 13.5” long. Strong original paint; tight crack in neck; small amount of inpainting on very top of back of decoy.

(800 - 1,200)

147A

147A. Hollow carved red throated loon, Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. 19.5” long. Original paint with minor wear and good patina; small shallow area that was filled on the back when the decoy was made, some of that filler has lifted; short crack in underside.

(3,500 - 4,500)

147A Detail 111

147B

147B Detail

147B. Full size flying goldeneye drake, Chauncey Wheeler, Alexandria Bay, New York.

Mounted on oval plaque. Plaque is 25” long. Goldeneye is 22” long. Detailed feather carving on tail. Original paint with some shrinkage on the white areas; tiny sliver of wood missing from the wingtips; varnish on plaque has bubbled somewhat from heat.

112

Literature: “Chance,” Harold Reiser.

(9,000 - 12,000)

148. Very rare bluewing teal drake, Stevens Brothers, Weedsport, New York, last quarter 19th century. Stevens ink stamp on underside.

13” long. Original paint with minor wear; professional touchup on top center of head, front of bill, and small spots near each speculum; very small tail chip repair with touchup in that area; another spot of touchup on the underside.

Literature: “Stevens Decoys,” Shane Newell, front cover. “Stevens Brothers Decoys,” Peter and Peggy Muller.

(8,000 - 12,000)

148

148 Detail

148 Detail 113

149. Pair of canvasbacks, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade. Both are branded “FGF” in the underside. 16” long. Original paint; good patina and very minor wear; hairline crack in one side of drake; very slight touchup in one side of drake’s neck seam.

(3,500 - 4,500)

149

150. Rare surf scoter, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan, 1st quarter 20th century. Glass eye model with desirable hump on bill. 15” long. Strong original paint with some neck filler replacement. (2,500 - 3,500)

150

151. Rare early style pintail hen, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade, circa 1905.

18” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; worn to the primer coat in several spots; a few small dents.

Provenance: Early West Coast collection.

(2,000 - 3,000)

151

152.

Unrigged redhead drake, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade. 16” long. Near mint original paint with minor discoloration on back; seam separation at side; very small dent in bill.

152 114

Provenance: Formerly in collection of George Thompson. Thompson collection stamp on underside.

(2,000 - 2,500)

153. Very rare merganser hen, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade, circa 1905. Brand in underside has a large “S” in the middle and initials “PASW” surrounding it, indicating it is from the Smith Rig, Hyannis, Massachusetts. A little over 18” long. Near mint original paint; a few tiny dents; small knot in one side.

(10,000 - 15,000)

153

153 Detail 115

154

155

156

157

158

159

154. Pair of canvasbacks, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade, Seneca Lake models. 17” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; lightly hit by shot; crack in underside of each; hen has a thin crack through the neck and thin cracks in the head; small chip missing from top of bill.

(1,500 - 2,000) 155. Pair of canvasbacks, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Challenge grade. 16” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; drake has a thin crack in the underside; both have a few tiny dents and shot marks; slight separation at neck seams.

(1,250 - 1,750) 156. Canvasback drake, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade. 15.5” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; small dents; small amount of touchup at neck seam.

(1,250 - 1,750)

116

157. Canvasback hen, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade. Branded “T.E.R.” 15.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; hit by shot; head is loose.

(1,000 - 1,400) 158. Black duck, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit Michigan. Rare hollow challenge grade model. 16.5” long. Original paint; minor to moderate wear; head is loose; small shallow tail chip with working touchup.

(650 - 950) 159. Bluebill drake, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Challenge grade with wide “spoon” bill. 14” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; touchup to numerous small spots on head, breast, and neck seam; lightly hit by shot.

(650 - 950)

160 Detail

160. Rare rigmate pair of bluewing teal with snakey head style, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. Premier grade. Both have slightly lifted heads, hen is turned about 10 degrees to one side.

13” long. Near mint original paint; each has a small amount of inpainting at neck seam and drake has several very small spots of touch up on head; structurally very good.

Literature: “Mason Factory Decoys,” Russ Goldberger and Alan Haid.

(15,000 - 18,000)

160

117

161. Rare Canada goose, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade. 24.5” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; crack in one side as well as the underside; professional bill repair with touchup in that area; slight separation at a knot in the back.

(10,000 - 14,000)

161 Detail

161

The Mason Decoy Factory discontinued their line of geese in 1913, probably due to the lack of available wood in the size required. They suggested that their customers purchase their brant decoys instead. While the geese had always been advertised as challenge grade, they have premier bill carving and the finest paint detailing available at the factory, usually reserved for the premier grades.

118

162 Detail 162. Very rare rigmate pair of mallards, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Hand carved, circa 1895. Spectacular paint by William Mason. Premier grade. Early snakey head style. 17” long. Original paint; strong detail and very minor wear; both retain Mason weights; each has very small and shallow tail chip repair; hen has small amount of touchup at neck seam and front of breast.

Literature: “Mason Factory Decoys,” Russ Goldberger and Alan Haid (10,000 - 14,000)

162

119

163 Detail

163

163. Rare bufflehead hen, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Challenge grade model. Measures 12 ½� long. Original paint under a thin coat of varnish with minor discoloration and wear; crack in underside; tight cracks and minor roughness on tail; small amount of glue visible at neck seat; touch up on one side of head around a reset eye.

(5,000 - 7,000)

120

164

164. Exceptional pair of mallards, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade, circa 1910. Both retain Mason weights. 18” long. Near mint original paint; several tiny dents; drake has a thin line of touchup at the body seam on one side.

(6,500 - 9,500)

164 Detail

121

Sporting Art

165

165. Oil on board, David Maass (b. 1929). Three bluewing teal pitching into timbered marsh scene. Professionally matted and framed. Image size 25.5” x 19.5”. Signed lower left. Small restoration to an area approximately .5” near top edge, otherwise very good and original.

(5,000 - 8,000)

122

166

166. “Grouse in the Snow” a well executed oil on board, David Maass (b. 1929). Signed “Maass” in lower right. Image of ruffed grouse flying with other perched at creek side in birch forest. Image measures 24” x 36”. Professionally framed. Excellent and original.

(8,000 - 12,000)

123

167

167. “Canvasback Flight,” an oil on Masonite, David Maass (b. 1929). Migration of canvasbacks pictured against windswept waters edge. Signed lower left. Professionally matted and framed. Image size 23” x 35.5”. Excellent and original.

(8,000 - 12,000)

124

168

168. “Pintails in Lassen County,” an oil on canvas board by Harry Curieux Adamson (1916-2012). Signed and dated 1946 with original Maxwell Gallery sticker on frame. From 3732 Sutter St., San Francisco. Image of pintails taking flight from marsh with two hunters in approaching rowboat. Period artistic frame. Image measures 23” x 29.5”. Very good and original.

(10,000 - 15,000)

125

169 169. Oil on canvas, Lynn Bogue Hunt (18781960). Large and colorful image depicting hunter and flock of greater scaup approaching decoy set. A colorful palette for Hunt, and a large active scene.

Professionally framed.

Image measures 23” x 31.5”. Very good and original. (4,000 - 6,000)

170. Unique gouache illustration by Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960). Original artwork framed on right, of hunters with black ducks and teal, and on left accompanying cover from the 1931 season of “Game Laws,” by Field and Stream. Image measures 11.5” x 8”. Excellent and original.

(3,000 - 5,000)

170

126

171 171. Unique oil on canvas, William H. Machen, Toledo, Ohio, last quarter 19th century (1832-1911). Pair of dead hanging bufflehead.

Possibly the only bufflehead painting by Machen.

Image measures 17” x 16.5”. Craquelure in areas around birds; small amount of inpainting near the “Mac” of the signature.

(5,000 - 8,000)

172

172.

“Snow Geese,” a watercolor by Chet Reneson (b. 1934). Signed.

Image size 18” x 28”.

Professionally matted and framed. Very good and original.

(2,500 - 3,500)

127

173 173. “Goldeneye - Niagara River Mist burn off near Goat Island,” an acrylic on board by Leonard Rusin, Tonawanda, New York. Signed and dated May 1986. Image size 24” x 24”. Very good and original.

(2,500 - 3,500)

174 174. “Near Stuttgart Arkansas,” an oil on canvas, Hugh Monahan (1914-1970). Signed and dated 1956 in lower right.

A classic timber mallard scene. Professionally framed. Measures 19” x 23.5”. Abercrombie and Fitch, Madison Avenue, New York sticker on back of canvas. Excellent and original. (2,500 - 3,500)

128

175 175. Oil on canvas, Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960). Image of three Canada geese at lake shore calling to descending flight. Signed in the lower left. Framed with brass plaque reads “Geese, Lynn Bogue Hunt, from the Seagram Collection”. Image measures 14.5” x 20.5”. A light protective varnish has very slightly darkened; a few small abrasions to area under flying geese.

(2,000 - 3,000)

176 176. Gouache on paperboard, Jack Dumas (1915-1998). Image of rainbow or possibly steel head trout leaping while angler in background is fighting fish in a boat with the name “Smith River”.

Signed in the lower right.

Image measures 16” x 23.5”. Matted and framed, behind Plexiglas. Very good and original.

(2,000 - 3,000)

129

177 177. “Preparing for the Flight,” a watercolor

by David Hagerbaumer (1921-2014). Signed.

Image size 21” x 29”.

Professionally matted and framed. Very good and original.

(2,000 - 3,000)

178 178. “Brush Creek Covey,” an oil on canvas board, Martin Wayne Willis (1914-1991). Signed and dated in lower right with copyright ‘79. Image of relocating covey against autumn brush with creek and roadside.

Professionally matted and framed. Measures 23” x 34”. Excellent and original. (2,000 - 4,000)

130

179 179. Oil on board, Richard Plasschaert, Mewulm, Minnesota (b. 1941). Image of red fox pouncing in pursuit of fox squirrel. Winter scene with thick palette that creates an appealing texture for both the snow and fur.

Professionally framed. Image size 23.5” x 48”. Excellent and original. (2,000 - 3,000)

180 180. Oil on canvas, Daryl Poulin (b. 1947). Signed in the lower left. Trail of buffalo with shaded pines in background.

Professional fancy frame. Measures 23.5” x 48”. Excellent and original.

(2,000 - 4,000)

181

181. Oil on canvas, Fred Everett (1892-1957), Binghamton, New York. Image depicting field hunter with double barrel shotgun being surprised by a rising rooster. Painting shows great depth due to the thick palette used on the canvas. Professionally framed. Excellent and original.

(2,000 - 4,000)

131

183

184

182

182. Oil on canvas, Signed J. Barnett with copyright lower left. Hawk perched on branch. Professionally matted and framed. Image measures 36” x 29.5”. A few small dents in frame; image is excellent and original.

Provenance: Miller collection.

185

(1,000 - 1,500)

183. Oil on canvas of leaping and hooked small mouth bass, Richard La Barre Goodwin (1840-1910). Signed “R La Barre Goodwin” in lower right. Period oak frame. Image measures 23.5” x 16.75”. Repair to area of tail measures about .75”; one small puncture in canvas otherwise original and good.

(800 - 1,000) 184. Watercolor on paper, Les Kouba, Hutchinson, Minnesota (1917-1998). Dated 1947. Signed in lower right. Mallards landing in corn field. Professionally framed with double matte.

Image size measures 18” x 22”. Excellent and original.

(800 - 1,200) 185.

132

Two oil on canvas paintings, Angus Shortt (1908-2006). One with flights of mallards landing in hay fields with tied haystacks, Signed in the lower right. Professionally framed and matted. Image size 19” x 23”. Scene is of pintails in flight over marsh scene, signed lower right, measures 19.5” x 23.5”. One has a small tear to canvas along left hand side , approximately 2” in length, otherwise very good and original. (800 - 1,200)

185

186

186

186. Match set of oil paintings on board by Michelangelo Meucci (1840-1909). Each depicting a bounty of game. One with pheasant, mallard, and shorebirds, the other with hare and songbirds.

Each measures 38.5” x 15.5”. Both signed lower right. Picture with pheasant has a small amount of inpainting on blackbird and magic marker marks on breast of mallard; both are lightly crazed; small areas of damage to frames.

187. Match set of watercolors, William B. Gillette, New York, New York (18641937). Both depicting hooked fish and both signed W.B. Gillette, 1897. One is pike and one is a small mouth bass.

Professionally framed with quadruple matting and expensive artistic frame. Both images measure 15.5” x 9.5”.

(1,200 - 1,600)

187

Provenance: Miller collection.

(800 - 1,200)

187

133

Harry V. Shourds

1861 - 1920 Tuckerton, New Jersey “ This appealing term has lately been misused. For example, to add a sleeper decoy or a “tip-up” to an otherwise average stand of decoys, and regard it as a “conf idence” decoy, is stretching a point. Basically, it must be assumed that every decoy in successful use gives an air of conf idence. Any discordant feature or decoy that does not inspire conf idence on the part of the incoming bird or birds means the loss of a shot and an empty bag.

What, then, is a “conf idence” decoy? There is only one bird that is not shot in its own right and is helpful in luring birds of another species within gunshot. The only true “conf idence” decoy is a gull decoy. Generally a Herring Gull decoy is used; sometimes a Great Blackbacked Gull (Plate 159). Used in conjunction with a rig of duck decoys, f rom one to four gull decoys lend an air of conf idence or contentment to the layout. Veteran Black Duck hunters have used this stratagem for generations. Gulls in general are sagacious birds, and long before the day of decoys perhaps the generally unwary ducks found less trouble awaited them when they had the added protection of a gull sentinel. Gull decoys were made and used in the Midwest and along the entire length of the Atlantic coast.”

- William Mackey

189

134

“A town of considerable importance in New Jersey during the American Revolution was Tuckerton. Located west of Little Egg Harbor Inlet, Tuckerton’s deep-water channels made it a port for the southern-central region of the state. The town soon became famous for the excellent f ishing and hunting areas in its vicinity, and it prospered f rom these natural assets.

Of all the men who made and sold decoys in the Tuckerton area, one stands out. Harry V. Shourds was born October 3, 1861 and died January 6, 1920. Thus his life-span covered the great era in hunting and f ishing on the Jersey coast. From all of the evidence available today, he was the greatest professional decoy maker of New Jersey.

Although he was a house painter by trade and on occasion acted as guide for both hunting and f ishing parties, his basic livelihood came f rom the making of duck, geese, brant, and shorebird decoys.

Seemingly every decoy Harry Shourds made became a silent salesman. As a young man he devoted all his time to the making of decoys of all varieties. During the f irst two decades of the twentieth century, through the efforts of this one man, Tuckerton could be said to be the handmade decoy capital of the United States. I am sure Harry Shourds carried his honors lightly. They were hard-won honors, and meant continuous effort.

In 1920, when he died, his decoys were floating in every famous wildfowl gunning area in the United States. This we know f rom the fact that records exist showing that f rom the railroad station in Tuckerton hundreds of crates of Shourds’ decoys were sent to Maine, the Carolinas, and all of the states in between, and one memorable shipment went to California. Today Harry Shourds’ decoys are prized by collectors. The neat, trim, careful work turned out by his capable hands has the quality of art.

Most of the duck decoys that Shourds sold, for example, went for six dollars a dozen complete with weights.”

- William Mackey

The Joel Barber architectural drawing of the Macky Shourds Herring gull.

135

189

189. Important hollow carved herring gull, Harry V. Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey. Carved bill, eyes, and extended wingtips. Inset rectangular weight. Decoy was used as both a stick up and a floater. 18.5” long. Original paint with minor wear and discoloration; crack through neck, with a filled chip at one side.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 75, exact decoy pictured.

(75,000 - 100,000)

136

Confidence gull by Harry V. Shourds from the McCleery collection. Sold at the Sotheby’s/ Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. January 2000 sale for $207,000

There seems to be little, if any, argument that Harry V. Shourds was one of the best, if not the best, of the New Jersey carvers, and the quality of his work places him in the esteemed position of being one of the greatest carvers of all time. He carved decoys commercially for a variety of species, but his herring gulls are the rarest of all his work. Throughout his lifetime, he was known to have produced only two floating examples of this species, and both were designed as working confidence decoys.

Hunters rightfully believed that the presence of a gull in or near the rig would instill a sense of calm and well being to birds that might be attracted to the decoy spread.

Numerous authorities rank these two seagulls by Shourds as representative of the rarest and best of all North American carvings. Perhaps Jim Doherty stated it best: “It [the gull] ranks among the elite decoys in America and is an iconic symbol of New Jersey’s waterfowling history… Collectors recognize the importance and rarity of seagulls as confidence decoys because so few of them were ever made in any of the coastal hunting regions.”

Bob Shaw, ex-curator at the Shelburne Museum, when referring to the Shourds gull pictured in his book, notes: “The hooked bill and the split tail indicate the extra care that Shourds lavished on this unusual bird, while the symmetrical precision of the form and paint are typical of the master’s hand at its best… The gulls are arguably Shourds’ masterpieces, representing the essence of his deceptively simple style.”

In “American Decoys,” this particular gull’s effectiveness as a confidence decoy is described by Quintina Colio as follows: “’Trust’ and ‘belief ’ are part of the description for the word ‘confidence’ and gulls are the only true confidence decoy – as traitorous as a decoy can be. Set out among duck decoys, it gives an air of general contentment as the gull is known for its alertness and wariness.”

In noting the rarity of these carvings by Shourds, Kenneth Gosner, Curator of Zoology at the Newark Museum, features a drawing of this very decoy in color plate 1 of his book and states in the text: “In addition to the usual output of coastal maker, Harry V. made even smaller numbers of buffleheads, hooded mergansers, old squaws, and mallards. The two known herring gull confidence decoys are rarer still.”

The importance of this decoy cannot be overstated. None other than pioneer collector Joel Barber thought enough of it to do a scaled drawing for John Updike. It possesses all the attributes required of an exquisite example of this art form; exceptional rarity, carved by a premier American maker, impeccable provenance, and original condition. It rightfully deserves its place in the ranks of the royalty of American bird decoys.

137

Rhodes Truex

1860 - 1934 Absecon, New Jersey

Born Levi Rhodes Truex, he was a baymen and fisherman who took a job in Atlantic City to work as a bridge tender. This new job gave him more time to carve decoys, and he used spare cedar and paint from bridge repairs in his decoy making. His mergansers are finely crafted interpretations of the species, with their carved extended crests and delicate bills, polka dot feather painting, and thin tails.

Levi Rhodes Truex, c.1930

190 Detail 138

190

190. Very rare rigmate pair of mergansers, Rhodes Truex, Absecon, New Jersey. Carved eyes and wooden crests. 18” long. Near mint original paint with good patina; slight separation at hen’s body seam, mostly in breast area.

Literature: “Classic New Jersey Decoys,” James Doherty, Jr. “Levi Rhodes Truex,” John Clayton, Decoy Magazine Article, Sept/Oct 2013, exact decoys pictured.

(14,000 - 18,000)

139

191

191 Detail 191. Classic black duck, Rowley Horner, West Creek, New Jersey. Tack eyes, ice dip behind neck, and incised wingtip carving. 17” long. Near mint original paint with fine loop feather paint detail; a few tiny dents.

140

Literature: “Classic New Jersey Decoys,” James Doherty, Jr. (5,000 - 7,000)

192

192. Black duck, Harry V. Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century. Branded “TFP” for Theodore F. Parsons, a Bayman from Tuckerton, New Jersey. Good feather paint detail and tack eyes. 16.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; moderate wear to parts of the underside; a few tiny dents.

Provenance: Formerly in collection of David S. Campbell. “DSC” stamped behind weight.

Literature: “New Jersey Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. (9,000 - 12,000)

192 Detail

141

Charles Huff

1846 - 1925 East Long Branch, New Jersey The Twin River area of the New Jersey shore is located at the very northern end of the state. Its proximity to New York City meant that it was a natural magnet for sportsmen in the early years and drew the attention of numerous hunters. Very rapidly it also attracted huge surges of tourists wishing to escape the confines of the bustling metropolis. Quickly, hotels and guest houses were established, along with local guides and equipment, to cater to the tourist as well as the visiting sportsmen. It was here, in 1861, that Charles P. Huff, the patriarch of the family, decided to move from Brooklyn, NY to East Long Branch, New Jersey with his wife, Mary Craig, and their two sons, Charles H. and George W. Huff. He soon found employment in his chosen trade, the boat building business. In 1868, along with his son Charles, he opened Huff ’s Boatyard behind their home on Liberty Street.

In 1876, young Charles married Annie (Anna) Hulick, and the couple raised three children, Edna, Anna, and Oscar.

Charles H. and wife, Anna c. 1915

The family was very successful in constructing and maintaining a variety of boats, including a good number of sneakboats. It was only logical that the family establish a guide service as an adjunct to the boatyard. The guiding required large rigs of decoys and, thus, the family purchased decoys from some of New Jersey’s finest carvers. In addition to these purchased blocks, the woodworking skills required in a boatyard soon lent themselves to members of the family producing a large number of decoys themselves which, while adhering to regional norms, were of their own design and making. It is believed that Charles made his first decoys as early as the 1860s. Much of his hunting was done on the Shrewsbury River or in the Seabright Channel. His work was usually marked with a carved “XX” on the bottom or a superimposed carved “CH” with a slash on each side. Still others bear the hot brand of “CH & GW Huff” or “CH & GW Huff Boat Builders, East Long Branch, NJ”

193 Detail

142

193 Detail

193

193. Extremely rare rigmate pair of buffleheads, Charles Huff, East Long Branch, New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. Both are branded “G.H.” & “G.W. HUFF”. 12” long. Original paint with minor to moderate discoloration and wear; a few small dents.

Literature: “Classic New Jersey Decoys,” James R. Doherty, p. 130, plate 244/245, exact decoys ictured. “New Jersey Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. (12,500 - 17,500)

143

193A. Brant, Harry V. Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century. 18” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; crack through neck.

Literature: “New Jersey Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein Jr. (5,000 - 7,000)

193A

194. Merganser drake, Harry V. Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey. 16” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; bill has been repainted; small crack partway through head.

Literature: “New Jersey Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. “Classic New Jersey Decoys, James Doherty, Jr. (4,000 - 6,000)

194

144

195

196

197

198

199

200

195. Black duck, Tom Fitzpatrick, Delanco, New Jersey, circa 1920s. His earlier round body style with low head pose. Feather paint detail. Raised “V” carved wingtips and fluted tail. 16” long. Original paint with minor wear to the paint and wood at extremities of the feathers.

(1,000 - 1,400) 196. Merganser hen, Henry Grant, Tuckerton, New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century. 16” long. Appealing old in use repaint; structurally very good.

(1,200 - 1,500) 197. Bluebill drake, Stanley Grant, Tuckerton, New Jersey. 15” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; small dents; slight separation at body seam.

Literature: “New Jersey Decoys,” Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. (950 - 1,250) 198.

Heron, Hurley Conklin, Manahawkin, New Jersey. “H”

branded in underside. Body is made from two pieces of wood. Inserted bill. 28” long. Has never been painted; structurally good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(600 - 800)

199. Mallard drake, John English, Florence, New Jersey. Well executed feather and tail carving. 17” long. Very old working repaint.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(800 - 1,200) 200. Lowhead style black duck, Tom Fitzpatrick, Delanco, New Jersey, circa 1930s. 16” long. Original paint good feather paint detail and minor wear; both speculums have old touchup; detailed feather carving; very slight roughness to edges of tail.

(1,200 - 1,500) 145

“ The rarity of early gull decoys and especially those in original paint can make them an anchor of even the most advanced decoy collections.”

- Dr. George Ross Starr

201 Gilbert Edward Wallace (1873 - 1917) Forked River, New Jersey The stories that accompany an old decoy sometimes take strange twists, and Bill Mackey got this one almost right!

Gilbert Wallace was indeed a “physician/surgeon” but he also built a marine railway and boat yard, and he had an interest in cranberry growing, lumbering, and other business affairs. He did die from a gunshot wound to the abdomen, but it was apparently an accidental discharge from one of his own pistols which he was showing to a friend. He may never have been an official game warden but, in 1896, the State of New Jersey did authorize “Volunteer Game Wardens.” The NJ State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife has no record of him ever being “killed in the line of duty.” Shorebirds, similar to the so-called “lumberyards” have been found with the same brand.

References: Clayton, John, New Jersey Decoys Newsletter.

Unpublished manuscript. Privately printed on web site

146

A rare pair of herring gulls in juvenile plumage.

They were made and used by G.E. Wallace, a game warden from Barnegat, New Jersey. 1900.

“American Decoys,” Quintina Colio

201 Detail

201. Pair of working gull decoys, George Wallace, Forked River, New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. Branded “GEW” twice on underside of each. For George Wallace, Forked River, New Jersey. Note on underside indicates made by Falcon Burk. Large full bodies with split tails with crossed wingtips. 17” long. Old thick paint that has flaked away evenly in small areas; both have cracks in bodies; stick holes in underside for positioning in the sand.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 76, exact decoys pictured.

(7,500 - 10,000)

147

Shorebirds

202

202. Root head yellowlegs, Gus Cranmer, New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. 10” long. Original paint; minor wear; structurally very good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(6,000 - 9,000)

202 Detail

148

203

203. Robin snipe, Harry V. Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey. 8.25” long. Original paint with very minor wear; structurally good.

Provenance: Formerly in the Noyes museum collection. Collection ink stamp is on the underside.

Literature: “Classic New Jersey Decoys,” James Doherty, Jr. (8,000 - 10,000)

203 Detail

149

204

204. Extremely rare dowitcher, Harry V. Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey, circa 1900. A rare species for Shourds.

Underside displays Mackey stamp and the writing “Dowitcher H Shourds, Tuckerton, New Jersey, owned but seldom used by Howard Cranmer, 1910.” 10” long. Strong original paint; small hole in top of head; and crack in neck; appears to indicate head was broken off and reglued a long time ago.

204 Detail

150

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(8,000 - 10,000)

205.

Large curlew from New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. Inserted hardwood bill and tack eyes. Raised neck seat. 18.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; underside of tip of bill is missing.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoy,” William J. Mackey, Jr., plate 23, exact decoy pictured.

“American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 67, exact decoy pictured.

(5,000 - 8,000)

205

PLATE 23. Eskimo, Hudsonian, and Longbilled Curlews, in that order from the top, illustrate approximate size differences. Bills are original. Overall length of “long-bill” is 19 inches. All before 1900.

William J. Mackey, Jr. holding New Jersey curlew. Lot 205 in this sale.

“ The curlews usually found are Hudsonians, and occur throughout their coastal range. The length and f railty of the bills make an original bill a prize for the collector. Decoys of the Long-billed Curlew and the now almost extinct Eskimo Curlew are exceedingly rare.”

- William Mackey 151

206

207

206. Large curlew from Cape May, New Jersey. 17” long. Original paint with feather detail and minor wear; small area of discoloration on one side of tail; small paint drip on one side of head.

Provenance: Meyer collection.

(2,500 - 3,500)

152

207. Large curlew, John McAnney, New Gretna, New Jersey, circa 1900. 20” long. Somewhat flat sided. Original paint and minor wear; hit by shot; bill appears to be an old replacement; thin crack partway through neck; filler added to base of bill and to the hole where bill was splined through back of head.

(3,000 - 5,000)

208.

Two sanderlings from New Jersey. One by a member of the Barkelow Family, Forked River, New Jersey. Other is an unknown maker with uniquely round head. Measures 7.5” in length. Barkelow has carved eyes, slight hump in back, and unusual but classically stylish head form. Barkelow has mostly original paint covered by an old white wash that has been partially removed; paint loss on bill and areas on back; other has strong original paint; a few tiny shot scars.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 71, exact decoy pictured.

(5,000 - 7,000)

208

PLATE 135. Ira Hudson saw all shore birds with thin necks in an extended, alert position.

Consequently, most collectors find his snipe without heads. The delightful yellowlegs by him at left in this photo was most impractical, and few survive intact. The little “peep” at right, an unidentified “beach bird,” would only come from Barnegat, New Jersey.

153

209

209. Rig of six “lumberyard” yellowlegs, New Jersey, last quarter 19th century. Carved eyes. One is flat sided. Driftwood is 21” long. Original paint with minor to moderate wear; bills are professional replacements; small amount of touchup by Russ Allen on one head.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(5,000 - 7,000)

209 Detail

154

210

211

210. Yellowlegs, Calvin Gaskell, Stacey, North Carolina, last quarter 19th century. 10” long with carrying hole through tail. Original paint with minor wear on most of the decoy; thin wash of a second coat has been applied to the white areas; lightly hit by shot.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(4,000 - 6,000)

211.

Two yellowlegs, Josiah Westcott, last quarter 19th century. Outer Banks of North Carolina. Written on underside, “1903 Kitty Hawk.” Both have bills splined through to back of head. 10.5” long. Have weathered greatly; traces of original paint has mostly worn away; numerous

212 shot scars and body cracks; wood putty added to underside for stick hole support.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,200 - 1,500)

212. Two sanderlings from Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. 6.5” and 5” long. Both are in feeding pose. Good old paint, some of which is original; iron bill in one appears to be an old replacement, the same bird has a hairline crack in the back.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 71, exact decoy pictured.

(3,000 - 5,000) 155

213

A Terrapin, a Hatchet, and a Shorebird It was a hot and sunny Chincoteague day in July of 1960… I was 9 or 10. Dad and I drove down a dirt road with a shell pavement that stopped when it ended in a creek — it was the perfect place to launch a scow. On the left side of the road was a small house and barn, and on the right, a large enclosure that went into the creek and was surrounded with chicken wire — that was the (diamondback) terrapin turtle pen. Mr. Hancock always had turtles for the restaurants in Baltimore to make soup.

We greeted Mr. Hancock, and it was obvious to me that he and my dad had a good relationship. We were in front of the barn talking, and Mr. Hancock said, “I have something for you, Mr. Mackey.” He walked into the barn past a tree trunk chopping block with a hatchet stuck in it. I was very interested in that hatchet!

Mr. Hancock came out of the barn, and from behind his back, he swung this small, blue decoy. Mr. Hancock said he had found this in the marsh after a winter storm on Assateague Island. Even I could see that this was not like any decoy I had seen before. Both men were tickled by this bird! They must have talked for half an hour.

Everything about the bird excited them – the beauty, the grace, the color, the construction, and the age. I felt the excitement as they chatted and threw ideas back and forth. I remember them trying to figure out the hand that made the bird, but neither of them could. It was, and is, unique. The bird just shouted beautiful folk art – even to a kid. Mr. Hancock said my dad could have the bird, and he was smiling from ear to ear.

Mr. Hancock then took me across the road to show me the terrapins. He could call them out of the water and up on the mud bank for some food. I never thought a turtle would do that!

We had stayed too long, and Mr. and Mrs. Hancock were very nice to me. We left their home with a trunk full of decoys, and between us on the front seat was that little blue gem. It was a great day… my only regret is that I never got to swing that hatchet! That is as it was. We have had the decoy every day since that sunny day in July.

Sincerely yours, Doc Mackey 156

213. Very rare preening greater yellowlegs from Virginia, last quarter 19th century. Found floating in a marsh on Assateague Island, Virginia. Relief wing carving.

Bill is pinned into the body. Approximately 10.5” long. Worn old paint; small cracks and shot marks; base of neck is a professional repair done for William J. Mackey, Jr. by Miles Hancock.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr. p. 53, exact decoy pictured. “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, intro, exact decoy pictured.

(10,000 - 14,000)

PLATE 34. Extraordinary folk art is this fanciful castaway found floating in a marsh on Assateague Island. No history available, but probably made about 1895. Only 7 inches long, its small size and traces of original paint indicate that it probably represents a yellowlegs. With its odd pose, it would serve to vary a rig.

In “American Vernacular” by Maresca and Ricco, the authors, when discussing decoys, note that: “[carvers] used broad gestures to establish their forms, then refined them to capture an essential motion of the bird, often preening. A heron decoy of unknown origin from 1900 might well have been sculptured by a rural Brancusi… The differences between hyperrealism and stylization are not so great. Both are self-consciously artificial, departing from the animal model and from practical necessity and reveling in the representation itself.”

–Maresca William Mackey obviously though very highly of this decoy and considered it to be one of the crowns of his collection. Of all his decoys, this derelict was clearly recognized as “special” by Mackey, and it was a cherished possession since the day he received it as a gift from Miles Hancock. It is proudly displayed with a full page photo on page 53 of his ground-breaking book.

He, himself, describes the decoy as:

“Extraordinary folk art is this fanciful castaway found floating in a marsh on Assateague.” –Mackey He was proud to include it, whenever possible, when birds from his collection were offered for display to the public. It was lot 94 in a major exhibition at the St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. In that catalog, the decoy had the following description: Lot 94. Greater Yellowlegs/ Assateague Island, Virginia. Of unknown age and origin but in the opinion of many, perhaps the finest of folk art.” –Mackey Exhibition Catalog In the section of her book where she discusses decoys as “Mainly Sculpture,” art editor, Quintina Colio features this decoy with a full-page photo described with the caption: “…one of the finest examples of primitive art.” -Colio In the text she states: “There are other decoys having a purity of line with a simplistic geometric flat pattern which projects recognition of the species of waterfowl from a great distance… These dimensional, polychrome sculptures by primitive artist have all the spirit… the capacity to touch and move us, and to leave us with a lasting impression of beauty.”

“Each line relays through the eye the feel of the knife and the brush… part of the joy of decoys is this simple evocativeness.”

“Decoys are not an art that lends itself to simple reduction… An aesthetic experience, decoys are like blueprints for endless luring, for cutting away the superficial appearance and, from that stage, revealing the idea for a lasting ornament.” -Colio This very decoy is prominently pictured in plate 19 on page 43 of art gallery owner, Adele Ernest’s early book “The Art of the Decoy.” In the forward to this seminal work, Mary Black, the then director of the Museum of Early American Folk Art in New York City, describes how Adele’s work:

“Most important(ly)… establishes the decoy as a fascinating, unique, and indigenous folk art.”

In the book itself, within the section where Adele discusses decoys as “A Folk Art Unique in History,” she proclaims: “Others [decoys] are impressionistic, the actual shapes being modified by the carver’s feelings, experience, and sensitivity to birds. It is not the material or the style that matters: It is what happened in the hands of the man that made it. The one question is: Does the decoy catch the bird in body and spirit? If it does, we may truly call it art.”

–Earnest “Iconic” can be an easily overused word but it aptly applies to this decoy as a legendary example of the decoy as “a truly unique and original indigenous American folk art form.”

157

Obediah Verity

1813 - 1901 Seaford, Long Island, New York

214 214. Extremely rare feeding robin snipe in spring plumage, Obediah Verity, Seaford, Long Island, New York, 3rd quarter 19th century. Relief wing carving and carved eyes. Original paint with minor wear; small area of discoloration on back; lightly hit by shot.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr. “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 73, exact decoy pictured.

(35,000 - 45,000)

“ The group in Plate 85 are in the style of H.F. Osborn, a pioneer Bellport gunner and decoy maker. These attractive and practical patterns found many imitators, and decoys with minor variations in the carving a plumage patterns have turned up all along the South Shore.”

- William Mackey 158

Obediah carved decoys for a variety of species of shorebirds, but it was the opinion of Henry Fleckenstein that 75 percent of his carvings were of plovers, due to the fact that most other species would be attracted to a rig of those birds. He also carved his decoys in a few different poses, such as “uprights,” “reachers,” and “feeders.” Among all of these combinations of species and forms, the rarest would include an example of a feeding robin snipe, such as the one offered here. According to Fleckenstein:

“Few robin snipe or knot decoys that were made by Verity have been collected…

Verity are the ultimate in Obediah Verity snipe.”

Feeders by

A search of the major references indicates that very few feeding dowitchers exist in collections, and only a small number of upright robin snipe by Obediah have been collected. A feeding robin snipe by Obediah, however, must be considered extremely rare considering the following observations:

- None exist in the collections of “The Museums at Stonybrook” on Long Island.

- None were found in the comprehensive collection of Dr. James McCleery.

- None were exhibited in the definitive collection of Verity shorebirds at the Ward Museum nor in the Donald O’Brien collection exhibited at The Museum of American Folk Art. - None are included in the section of Long Island shorebirds in “The Great Book of Decoys.”

- None are mentioned in Fleckenstein’s “Shorebirds” or in Levinson and Headley’s “Shore birds – The Birds, the Hunters, the Decoys.”

- None are mentioned in “Birds of a Feather – Wildfowl Decoys at the Shelburne Museum.”

This exceptionally rare decoy provides the opportunity to own what must be considered one of the crown jewels among Long Island shorebirds.

159

215

215. Sanderling, Obediah Verity, Seaford, Long Island, New York, 3rd quarter 19th century. Deeply carved eyes, shoulder, and wingtips. On underside written in ink, “Sanderling, Henry Osbourne Bellport, Long Island.” Early collectors believe this was the maker. 7” long. Original paint that was worn to bare wood on one wing, top of head; small area of restoration to both of the places done a very long time ago.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(4,000 - 6,000)

160

PLATE 81. Cork Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, the work of that excellent sportsman-carver, Thomas Gelston of Long Island. Abercrombie and Fitch, the New York sporting goods store, carried these birds as a stock item. The ones illustrated were purchased there in 1916

216. Running greater yellowlegs, Thomas Gelston, Quogue, Long Island, New York. Stamped Mackey on underside. 14” long. Original paint with cork loss at tail near stick hole; moderate wear.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 52, exact decoy pictured.

(2,500 - 3,500)

216

“ The name of Thomas H. Gelston occurs f requently when Long Island sportsman are under discussion. Gelston lived the full, rounded life of a gentleman hunter. Apparently a man of independent means, he enjoyed himself to the fullest and turned a hobby into a vocation, making some superb shorebird decoys along with a goodly number of ducks. For some qualities, such as light weight, cork is very practical. Tom Gelston turned to it when he made the yellowlegs in Plate 81.”

- William Mackey 161

217

218

219

217. Four shorebirds. Two sanderlings and two yellowlegs.

Two have Mackey inventory stickers on side. One with split tail is identified as Edgar Van Winkle, New York City, Newark Marsh 1874. 7” long. One sanderling appears to be in restored paint; one is in old paint and is missing bill; two yellowlegs are silhouettes in original paint.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(800 - 1,200)

218. Peep, possibly from Long Island, New York. Mackey stamp on underside. Plump dropped belly. Bill extends to

162

back of head. 6” long. Paint has worn away, bill is likely an old replacement.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(600 - 900)

219. Two yellowlegs decoys. Largest is probably from Long Island, with relief carved wings and root head. Other is a silhouette style in original paint. Other has multiple coats of old paint, several gouges, shot scars, and cracks. 9” long.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(500 - 800)

220

220.

Yellowlegs from Long Island, New York. Similar to work of William Bowman, Lawrence, Long Island. In rare tucked head pose with carved thigh and split tail. 9.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; some of paint on back appears to be old working repaint; lightly hit by shot.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

PLATE 31. Both the Black-bellied Plover, on the right, and the Dowitcher represent well-fed birds ready for a nap. Both are cleverly carved to minimize breakage. The Dowitcher has the rare “thigh” detail carved from solid wood.

Both are from Long Island, New York.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., p. 51, exact decoy pictured.

“American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 72, exact decoy pictured.

(4,000 - 5,000)

163

Ira Hudson

1876 - 1949 Chincoteague, Virginia

221

164

221 Detail

221. Greater yellowlegs, Ira Hudson, Chincoteague, Virginia, 1st quarter 19th century. Scratch loop feather painting on back with very delicate, thinly carved neck. 13” long. Strong original paint with an area of one side of shoulder and head that appears to be a very early restoration; knot running through both sides of body have swollen and some wood filler missing in that area; small areas of flaking.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

(20,000 - 30,000)

165

Illinois River & Upper Midwest 222. Rare preening mallard drake, Walter “Tube” Dawson, Putnam, Illinois. 15” long. Original paint with minor wear; structurally good.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Joe French, French’s number 491 is on the underside.

(2,000 - 3,000)

222 223. Pair of mallards, Hiram Hotze, Peoria, Illinois. Structurally good. Hen is branded “J.R.P”. 16” long. Original paint on most of the decoys; professional touchup to drake’s head and small area on hen’s back.

Provenance: Svoboda collection.

(2,000 - 2,400)

223 224. Early round body style mallard drake, Robert Elliston, Bureau, Illinois, circa 1880s. 17” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; several shot holes in one side have been touched up; thin crack through neck.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(2,500 - 3,500)

224

225. High neck bluebill drake from the Illinois River or Wisconsin. 13” long. Original paint with minor to moderate wear and comb detail; crack partway down the underside; two tiny spots at neck base have touchup; very lightly hit by shot.

(1,200 - 1,500)

225 166

226. Redhead drake, Robert Elliston, Bureau, Illinois, last quarter 19th century. 15” long. Original paint that has darkened with age; minor wear; weight is missing; a few small dents.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(2,500 - 3,500)

226

227. Rare canvasback drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Raised wingtips. Comb paint detail on back. Feather paint detail on wings. 17” long. Near mint original paint; weight is missing.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(4,000 - 6,000)

227

167

228

229

230

231

232

233

228. Early white sided mallard drake, Bert Graves, Peoria, Illinois. Retains Graves weight. 17.5” long. Original paint with good patina and minor wear; worn area to the primer on one lower side; a few small dents.

(1,250 - 1,750) 229. Mallard drake, Bert Graves, Peoria, Illinois. Retains Graves weight. 17” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; a few tiny dents.

(1,000 - 2,000) 230. Oversize bluebill drake, Frank Buckner, Erie, Pennsylvania. Detailed feather wing and tail carving.

16” long. Old overpaint has been taken off to original in numerous places; lightly hit by shot.

(800 - 1,200)

168

231. Folky bluebill drake, Frank Buchner, Erie, Pennsylvania. Classic Buchner carving with detailed “anchor in the back.” 16” long. Original paint with strengthening to areas of white; numerous shot scars; crack in neck; wear to bare wood on sides of head, neck, and tail.

(800 - 1,200) 232. Wood duck drake similar to work of Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Slightly turned and lifted head. 13” long. Old in use repaint; structurally good.

Provenance: Staplin collection.

(900 - 1,200)

233. Very rare red breasted merganser drake, Otto Garren, Canton, Illinois. 15” long. Strong original paint with varnish that has darkened and visible on mostly white areas of body.

(800 - 1,000)

234

235

236

237

238

239

234. Mallard hen, Robert Elliston, Bureau, Illinois, circa 1880s. 17” long. Original paint with moderate wear; crack through tail and neck.

Provenance: Svoboda collection.

(1,000 - 1,400)

235. Canvasback drake with inlet head. “WHC” carved in underside. 16” long. Original paint with minor wear; several tiny dents and shot marks; crack in underside; professional touchup on lower neck.

(600 - 900) 236. Rigmate pair of pintails, Hector Whittington, Oglesby, Illinois. Stamped and dated 1974. Signed by Whittington on underside. Both have slightly turned heads. Drake has strong combing on grey area of back. Drake is 18.5” long. Excellent and original.

(800 - 1,000) 237. Sleeping mallard hen, Ralph Johnson, Detroit, Michigan. Good paint detail. 15” long. Original paint with

240

minor wear; moderate wear on lower sides; small dents.

(650 - 950) 238. Merganser drake, Charles Schoenheider, Jr., Peoria, Illinois, 2nd half 20th century. 20” long. Unused.

(500 - 700) 239. Canvasback drake, Frank Strey, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1st quarter 20th century. 18” long. Original paint; flaking on areas of back; several cracks; one of which on underside has been secured by two metal plates.

(400 - 600) 240. Mallard drake, Charles Schoenheider, Jr., Peoria, Illinois. Weight and line tie have been removed form underside. Signed by Schoenheider. Unusual back preening model. 13” long. Strong original paint; green paint on head has crazed evenly; glue marks are visible on one side of body seam.

(400 - 600) 169

Items of Interest

241

244

245 241. Rooster windmill weight on original ball shaped base, Hummer Manufacturing, Elgin Wind and Power Pump Company. This particular model was made for the Ten Foot Mill. Rooster has manufacturing name molded to one side. 19.5” tall. Surface is original.

(1,500 - 2,000) 242. Cast iron flat tailed horse windmill weight, Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company, Beatrice, Nebraska. Figure stands above base, nearly 15”. Traces of early brown paint.

(1,800 - 2,200) 244. Early native American burl bowl. Very dry untouched surface. Measures 13” x 4.5” tall.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,750 - 2,250) 170

242

245

246 245. Matching pair of wall plaques by famous duck call maker, John Jolly. Carved wood duck that has been applied to the plaque. Jolly’s name and date 1928 on back. Other plaque has three flying Bobwhite quail. Each with painted background. Each plaque measures 20” long. Plaques were purchased directly from Jolly at his home. Two of the quail have damage and reglued wings.

(800 - 1,200) 246. Collection of 22 decoy leg holds. 22 leg holds by various makers. Most of which are framed. Included in display are aluminum tags which are leg bands from the State of Wisconsin. Some appear to be vintage, some appear to be replicas.

(1,000 - 1,500)

247

248 247. Full body copper weathervane. Figure of a running fox.

Green vertrigied surface. With a post that is a mix of black paint and green verdigrised. Length 33”. Structurally good.

(5,000 - 7,000)

248. Horse weathervane (Hackney style), 1st quarter 20th century. Probably Washburne & Company. Full body copper weathervane with cast zinc head. Copper has even verdigrised surface. 24” tall. Post is 33” long. No structural damage.

(4,000 - 5,000)

171

249 Detail

249

250 251

253

252 249. Incredible handmade wooden gun case, circa 1880. 6’ in length x 7.5” tall x 5” wide. An incredible piece of folk art.

A well built gun carrying case with full length firearm relief carved into the main panel. Inside is built specifically to handle the gun represented on the outside. It is padded and lined with a cloth that has mellowed with age. Top board is hinged on both top and bottom with locking period brass hinges. Outside is decorated with a network of rosewood nails and decorative brass strips. Surface is original and dry; no contemporary repairs.

(1,500 - 2,200) 250. Pair of miniature flying mallards mounted on the inside of piece of bark from over a burl knob that has a scene painted in it, Charles Perdew, henry, Illinois. 7.5” long. Original paint with very minor wear; two very small

chips missing from bark.

(200 - 300)

251. Three antique split ash baskets from the Northeast United States. The largest is 19” in diameter. All three have minor damage; good patina.

(400 - 600) 252. Early American eel trap. Split birch woven, probably New England, circa 1900. 22” long. Small areas of minor damage otherwise very good and original.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp (200 - 400)

253. Model of a duck skiff. 12” long. Original and good; mast has been broken; comes with push pole.

172

Literature: Formerly in the Perdew estate.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(200 - 250)

254

255

257

254. A pair of early native American bookends, 1st quarter 20th century. Carved in the form of thunderbirds, each holding a salmon. Probably tourist items from the Pacific Coast. Multi-colored paint with applied spread wings.

Approximately 8” tall.

(200 - 300)

256

258

257. Group of miscellaneous items from the Mackey estate. Some of which are photographed in “American Brid Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr. 13 miniature duck or goose carvings by unknown artists, two fish lures, one eskimo made of bone and one silver fish, C. Kausch, Bath, New York.

255. Footed wooden sewing box with carved birds. 9” tall. A few very small chips and rough spots otherwise original and good.

(250 - 350)

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

256. Carved wooden eagle from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. 21” tall. Detailed feather carving. Original surface with good patina; small surface cracks; two small splits on front side of base; two small filled holes in lower breast; small chip missing from tip of bill. (1,000 - 1,400)

258.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 92, many shown.

(300 - 500) Nine duck decoy weights. Various makers. One is marked “W.H.B. 1914”. Two are from the D.C. Sanford Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Two are stamped “SHT”.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(200 - 300) 173

259

261

260

263 262

259. Well made spear. Hand forged with five tines, at 5.5” in length. Spear is weighted and maker’s stamp appears on both sides. Difficult to read but appears to say “Morhardt.”

57.5” long. Well made with good patina.

(400 - 600) 260. Early relief carved panel of two swans. A bit primitive and folky with nice dry crazed surface. Decorative carved out areas on all four sides. Measures 14” x 24”. Areas of flaking; a few small dents and rubs.

(350 - 450) 261. Whirligig, 1st half 20th century. Probably a Hessian soldier. Applied arms with early square rusted hardware.

Measures 35” tall on base. Original paint; small break at front of soldier’s cap.

(300 - 500)

174

263A

262. Two butter molds. One depicting a song bird, another a swan. Larger is 3.25”. Larger mold has age cracks.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(200 - 300) 263. Framed decoy sign, John Tax Decoys, West Union, Minnesota. With standing mallard. Made and painted

by Mike Valley, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Stressed to show age. Measures 24” x 35.5”.

(300 - 500) 263A. Blue painted blanket chest. Elevated on turned feet.

Recessed panels on three sides. Measures 37” long x 21” tall x 18” deep. Original blue paint; repairs to feet; wear and stains on edges.

(300 - 500)

Factory

264

265

264. Pair of mallards, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Stamped “A.J. Davis” several times in underside. 17” long. Strong original paint protected by a thin coat of clear varnish; small area of touchup on center of drake’s back; numerous tiny spots of touchup on hen’s back, neck, and spot on head; structurally good.

(3,000 - 5,000)

265. Redhead hen, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Premier grade. 15” long. Original paint with minor wear; structurally good.

(2,000 - 2,500)

175

266

267

266. Canada goose, Dodge Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Original paint with minor wear; approximately 1.5” hole drilled through decoy at one time, plugged and touched up, age split in back has some filler missing from it.

(2,000 - 3,000)

176

267. Three flyers, Tuveson Decoy Factory, St. James, Minnesota. Canvasback drake, mallard drake, and pintail drake. Canvasback and mallard have original brass tags.

Each measures 23.5”. All in original paint with wear to canvas wing; mallard has tight crack on top of body; canvasback has areas where wood filler is missing.

(1,200 - 1,800)

267A

267A. Brant, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan.

Challenge grade Original paint with good patina and minor wear; small amount of touchup near one speculum; tiny dents and shot marks; crack in underside.

Literature: “Mason Factory Decoys,� Russ Goldberger and Alan Haid.

(4,000 - 6,000)

267A Detail

177

267B

267B. Very rare rigmate pair of widgeon, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Standard grade with glass eyes. 13” long. Original paint with minor to moderate wear; neck filler replaced; small surface cracks and dents.

Literature: “Mason Factory Decoys,” Russ Goldberger and Alan Haid.

(3,000 - 4,000)

267C. Yellowlegs with tack eyes, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. 12.5” long.

Original paint with good patina and a few flakes missing; structurally good.

(2,000 - 2,500)

267C

267D

267E

267D. Bluewing teal drake, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Standard grade paint eye model.

Original paint with moderate wear; most of neck filler is missing; small dents and cracks.

(400 - 600) 267E. Mallard hen, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Challenge grade. Original paint; minor discoloration and wear; small cracks.

(500 - 800)

178

268

269

271

270

272

268. Owl decoy, Swisher & Soules, Decatur, Illinois. Marked “Patent pending”. This is the rarest version of this two sided snowy owl. Wings are mechanical so that when a rod on the underside is pulled, the metal wings extend from each side of the body. 15” tall. Original flocked paint with some discoloration and small areas where paint is missing.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 78, exact decoy pictured.

(800 - 1,200) 269. Bluewing teal hen, Hayes Decoy Factory, Jefferson City, Missouri. 13” long. Original paint with minor wear; bill has been slightly blunted; separation at neck seam.

(900 - 1,200) 270. Herter’s Factory owl, Waseca, Minnesota, 1st half 20th century. Glass eyes with claw bill. 19” tall. Original paint with numerous rubs from use; one which has been darkened; strong wear near stick hole.

273

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. (1,000 - 1,500)

271. Rare widgeon drake, Dodge Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan, last quarter 19th century. 14” long. Original paint with minor wear on the top half, moderate wear on the lower half; lightly hit by shot; touchup to one side of neck filler.

(800 - 1,200) 272. Mallard drake, Dodge Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan, last quarter 19th century. Tack eye model.

16” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; some of the neck filler is missing; a few tiny dents; worn area on underside.

(650 - 950) 273. Pair of bluebills, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Standard grade with glass eyes. 13” long. Original paint with very slight wear; a few small chips and cracks in neck filler; both have been very lightly hit by shot.

(500 - 800) 179

Contemporary

274

275

276

277

278

274. Running sandpiper, Mark McNair, Craddockville, Virginia. Signed. Carved in the style of Obediah Verity with raised wing carving and carved eyes. 12” long. Original paint that has been aged; structurally good.

(650 - 950) 275. Godwit in alert pose, William Gibian, Onancock, Virginia. Signed. Relief wing carving with carved primaries. Small amount of paint shrinkage near signature, otherwise very good and original.

(500 - 800) 276.

180

Large carved wooden owl on post, Lou Schifferl. Signed.

Detailed feather carving. Approximately 30” tall. Original and good.

(650 - 950)

277. Pair of hunting model bluebills, Marty Hanson, Prior Lake, Minnesota. Stamped “Marty Hanson maker, Prior Lake, Minnesota”. Carved wingtips and fluted tail. 14” long. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200) 278. Canvasback drake, Leonis Odeon, Rock Island, Illinois. Dated 1972. A well carved and painted decoy with raised wingtips, including secondaries and carved tail. Head is turned and rasped. Well executed bill carving with detail extending to underside. 16” long. Strong original paint; structurally good.

(400 - 600)

279 279. Wood duck drake, Bob Kerr, Smiths Falls, Ontario. Kerr’s brand is on the underside, decoy is also signed and dated 2005. 17” long. Very good and original.

Literature: “Decoys: Sixty Living and Outstanding North American Carvers,” Loy Harrell, Jr. (500 - 800)

280.

Wood duck drake, Rob Capriola. Signed and dated 2006. 12” long. Very good and original.

Literature: “Decoys: Sixty Living and Outstanding North American Carvers,” Loy Harrell, Jr. (300 - 500)

280

281. Wood duck drake, Mike Valley, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Signed. 14” long. Very good and original.

Literature: “Decoys: Sixty Living and Outstanding North American Carvers” Loy Harrell, Jr., exact decoy pictured.

(300 - 500)

281

181

282

283

284

284A

285

282. Rigmate pair of red breasted mergansers, Hurley Conklin, Manahawkin, New Jersey. Both are branded “H.C.” in underside. Hen’s head is resting over back.

Drake’s head is slightly turned. 18” long. Excellent and original.

(400 - 600) 283. Canvasback drake, John Graham, Charlestown, Maryland, 3rd quarter 19th century. 14” long. Old in use repaint; cracks and dents.

(300 - 500)

182

284. Small gull, from New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century.

Relief wingtip carving. 11” long. Mackey collection stamp under tail. Worn original paint; structurally good.

(800 - 1,000) 284A. Flat sided root head shorebird. 10” long. Worn paint; small dents.

(150 - 250) 285. Four mallards, Paul Gibson, Havre de Grace, Maryland. Two are signed. Crack in one mallard drake’s neck.

(650 - 950)

286

287

288

286. Four decoys, Paul Gibson, Havre de Grace, Maryland.

All are signed. Original and good. (650 - 950)

288. Three decoys, Charlie Bryan. Signed. Original and good.

(800 - 1,200)

287. Four decoys, Madison Mitchell, Havre de Grace, Maryland. Pair of redheads and pair of mallards. Signed with electro pen. Original and good. (800 - 1,200)

End of Session One 183

Session Two

Friday, April 26, 2019 – 10:00 AM

289. Full size chickadee on branch with pine cones, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Signed and dated 1940, also “CR” is stamped in the base for Carolyn Rowland. Fine paint detail.

Carving is 6.25” long. Very good and original.

(2,500 - 3,500)

289

290. Pair of gunning model pintails, Roger Barton. Both have detailed wingtip and tail feather carving. Slightly turned head. Drake with slightly turned alert head. Hen is in resting pose. Drake is 17.5” long. Original paint with very minor wear; structurally good.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(3,500 - 4,500)

290

184

Ira Hudson

1876 - 1949 Chincoteague, Virginia

William J. Mackey, Jr. and daughter Kitty with this decoy hung in background

291

291. Full body flying mallard drake, Ira Hudson, Chincoteague, Virginia. Inserted wings, carved tail. A very mellow dry surface that has darkened slightly. 25.5” wingspan. Original paint has pulled from pitch bleed on underside of body; one foot is broken off and missing; some paint flaking near tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(7,500 - 10,000)

185

292. Highly decorative full body grouse, Dick Bonner, New Orleans, Louisiana. Mounted to a handmade base, emulating a birch tree dead fall and rock out cropping. Signed and dated October 2000. Highly decorative feet, one of which is raised above the log to create a sense of movement. Head is turned at a 45 degree.

Individually carved feathers are lifted away from a tail that is slightly upswept. 15.5” tall. Very good and original.

(2,000 - 3,000)

292

293. Full body pair of buffleheads, John Scheeler, Mays Landing, New Jersey. Signed and dated on underside.

Both birds are resting on a driftwood log. Nestled heads with spread feet and raised wingtips. Dated 1971, the exact year Scheeler won best in show at the Babylon, New York competition. In his lifetime, he won the world championship decorative life size competition seven times and over 200 first place and best in show awards at other competitions. Total length of driftwood is 14”. Strong original paint; one wingtip on hen has been broken and reglued.

(1,500 - 2,500)

293

186

294. Full body life size greater Canada goose, Dick Bonner, New Orleans, Louisiana. Signed and dated 2001.

Highly detailed feet are carved and mounted to a base that appears to be natural sandstone. The head is raised to a sentinel position. Each individual feather is carved and painted. Feathers, tail, and back half of body are raised and crossed.

Measures 33” tall. Strong original paint; two extended wingtips have small amounts of damage otherwise very good and original.

(4,000 - 6,000)

294

295. American merganser drake, Joseph Wooster, Buckeye Lake, Ohio. Carved in a sleeping pose with bill nestled between split feathers. Underside reads “Buckeye Joe strikes again! Joe Wooster ‘75.” First place “all mergansers” International Decoy Contest Davenport, Iowa. Detailed texturing with feather carved pattern extending from area on back throughout wings and tail. 16” long.

Small piece of each foot is visible near the rear of the decoy.

Delicate tail extends far beyond the base. Excellent.

(1,500 - 2,000)

295

187

Tom Schroeder Detroit, Michigan

296

296. Full size carved wooden passenger pigeon, Tom Schroeder. Branded.

Mounted on driftwood base, 15” long. Relief wing carving with some feather carving at wingtips. Very slightly turned head. Very good and original.

(8,000 - 12,000)

296 Detail

188

297. Greenwing teal drake, Tom Schroeder, Detroit, Michigan, 2nd quarter 20th century. So called hydrofoil model. Head is tucked and slightly turned. Detailed feather outlining over body and tail. 11” long. Strong original paint covered by coat of varnish; small area at tip of tail was repaired by Schroeder a very long time ago.

Literature: “Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the St. Clair Region,” Walsh Jackson, color plates 4 and 5, exact decoy. “Great Book of Decoys,” Joe Engers, editor, p.

216, exact decoy.

(10,000 - 14,000)

297 Detail

297

189

298. Bluewing teal drake, Tom Schroeder, Detroit, Michigan, 2nd quarter 20th century. Slightly turned head with fine feather outline carving. Migratory bird stamp from 1954 signed by Tom Schroeder has been applied to the underside. 10” long. Strong original paint protected by a coat of varnish.

Literature: “Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the St. Clair Region,” Walsh Jackson, color plate 4 and 5, exact decoy.

(9,000 - 12,000)

298

298 Detail

190

299. Decorative mallard hen, Dick Bonner, New Orleans, Louisiana. Signed and dated 2002 on underside. Realistically carved hen whose head is turned 45 degrees and slightly lifted.

Wings and tail appear to be shifting, many of which are raised.

Feathers are individually carved. 14” long. Very good and original.

(2,000 - 3,000)

299

300. Highly decorative standing full body mallard drake, Dick Bonner, New Orleans, Louisiana. Signed and dated 2002 on underside. A realistic carving, Bonner’s finest work. Highly detailed carved feet for standing on a handmade log. Head and curly tail feathers are painted with multiple color iridescent. Fine muscle structure, raised and separated wingtips and tail carving.

13”. Very good and original.

(3,000 - 4,000)

300

191

302

301

303

301.

Decorative golden plover, William Gibian, Onancock, Virginia. In walking pose with open bill. Relief wing carving and slightly turned head. 7.5” tall. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,000)

302. Full size standing barrows goldeneye drake, William Gibian, Onancock, Virginia. “Gibian” is carved on the underside. Slightly turned head. Good carving detail. 14.5” tall. Very good and original.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(1,500 - 2,000)

303. Exceptional gadwall drake, Jim Foote, Detroit, Michigan. Hollow carved. Signed and dated on underside 1972. Sticker on underside indicates second place 1972 national decoy contest. Textured carving with detailed feather paint. Head is tucked and slightly turned. 14” long. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200)

192

304

304.

* Two California quail on driftwood, Del Smith. Signed and dated 1991. 11.5” tall. Relief wingtip carving and good paint detail. One crest has been broken off and reattached otherwise very good and original. (1,500 - 2,000)

305. Full size standing speckled bellied goose, Robert Kerr, Smiths Falls, Ontario. Signed.

On wooden base, carving stands 14” tall. Detailed feather carving with crossed wingtips. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,000)

305

306. Very rare gunning model pintail drake, Larry Hayden, Farmington, Michigan. Signed and dated 1962 on underside.

Decoy is made of composite material with inserted hard rubber sprig, the sides of which are wood. Layered individual cut feathers creating an appealing texture ending with raised wingtips. Head is turned and pointed slightly down to emulate a feeding position. 22” long. Original paint; a few small dents.

(2,000 - 3,000)

306

307. Very rare pair of canvasbacks, John Zachman, Detroit, Michigan. Each decoy is signed

by Zachman on the underside and stated, “From my first hunting rig 1954.” Drake’s head is turned.

Both exhibit feather stamping and wing carving similar to that of Ben Schmidt, a mentor of Zachman.

16.5” long. Both in original paint; drake has a light coat of varnish that has slightly darkened.

(1,250 - 1,750)

307 193

Charles “Shang” Wheeler 1872 - 1949 Stratford, Connecticut

Sleeping Black Duck made by Charles “Shang” Wheeler of Stratford, Connecticut. Cork body with wood head and neck. Circa 1910.

“A duck with a turned back head commands a much fancier price than a conventional model. Since not one old duck in a thousand started life looking backward, the rarity, if authentic, is more desirable.”

308 194

308 Detail

308. Elegant sleeping black duck, Shang Wheeler, Stratford, Connecticut, 1st half 20th century. Cork body with fine hardwood scratch painted head and glass eyes. Meticulous feather painting and inserted wooden tail. Retains original Wheeler weight. Mackey stamp on underside. The name “Robert Stamford” appears twice on underside, probably a part of his gunning rig. 15.5” long. Strong original paint; small rub areas near head and tail; minor amount of cork loss where line tie once was.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, exact decoy full page photograph in dedication by Tom Marshall.

(15,000 - 20,000)

“Wheeler also made cork models, ranging f rom crude but very practical diving ducks to beautifully fashioned Black Ducks with tails of other wood, and heads and necks in the sleeping position.”

- William Mackey

Harold Hartel, William J. Mackey, Jr., and Bob Michelson during the St. Paul Exhibit.

195

Albert Laing

1811 - 1886 Stratford, COnnecticut

“Decoys of the Brant, which winters along the Atlantic coast, have received less attention than they deserve. Brant annually visited all the large bays and sounds f rom Pimlico in North Carolina to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. When they were able to get their f ill of eelgrass, the birds were at least edible; now, with eelgrass scarce in most of the wintering areas, they gorge on sea cabbage, and even the cooking of one is obnoxious. Never popular birds with the market hunters, because of the lack of demand for them, their numbers and their direct, slow flight made them favorites with the sports, who found them easy and satisfying targets. These little geese have a look and characteristic pose on the water that set them apart f rom all other waterfowl.

Brant decoys offer the collector a rather overlooked f ield in which there is an endless variety of styles, ranging f rom the primitive to the stylish.�

- William Mackey

PLATE 47. A most unusual Connecticut Brant. It was made by Ben Holmes and used by Shang Wheeler when he gunned the famous Brant bays of Virginia.

309 Detail

196

309. Important brant, Albert Laing, Stratford, Connecticut, mid 19th century. Hollow carved with Mackey stamp on underside. Head is attached to body with Laing’s classic 30 degree angular cut. Head is in a content side preening pose. One of the most unusual carvings by Laing that we have ever seen. 16” long. Multiple layers of old paint; numerous shot scars mostly to one side.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William Mackey, p. 68, exact decoy. “American Decoys,” Quinta Colio, p. 41, exact decoy.

(10,000 - 15,000)

“About 1865 Albert Laing, a native of Rahway, New Jersey, settled in Stratford, where he made his home for the rest of his life. No single individual ever exerted a more direct or lasting influence on the designing and making of decoys. Albert Laing must be ranked as one of our very greatest decoy makers, if only because he was a pioneer who showed others the way.”

- William Mackey

309

197

310

311

310. Black duck with slightly lifted head, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Good feather paint detail.

Decoy has the Iver Johnson Sporting Goods Store stencil on underside. 18” long. Near mint and original paint; small shrinkage on one side of breast; two cracks in underside; two small splotches of paint rubbed on one lower side.

(3,500 - 5,500) 198

311. Canada goose, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Pre brand. Approximately 24” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear on most of the decoy; filled age split in one side with significant touchup in that area; small dents; slight roughness to one lower side; two thin cracks in neck. (2,000 - 3,000)

312

313

312. Black duck Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Crowell’s oval brand is on the underside.

Slightly lifted head and good feather paint detail. 17.5” long. A few tiny dents.

(2,500 - 3,500)

313. Self bailing scoter, Joseph Lincoln, Accord, Massachusetts, 1st quarter 20th century. Beveled bottom board. 19” long. Original paint with very minor wear; a few tiny dents.

Literature: “Joseph Lincoln,” Cap Vinal, Jr. (2,500 - 3,500)

199

314 Detail

PLATE 54. Exaggerated decoy carving at its best.

The unkown maker must have observed the spring courtship of the Red-breasted Merganser before carving this wild, swift temptress. No others like it are known.

200

314

314. Rigmate pair of important mergansers from outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts, unknown carver. Carved extended crest with heads postured in a slight swimming motion. Each measures 19” long. Original paint on drake that is flaked away on most of body; hen appears to be second working coat that is crazed and flaked; several shot scars in hen including an early repair to the tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 16, similar example pictured.

(17,500 - 22,500)

201

Born in Rahway NJ, Laing was only nine when the family moved to Manhattan, NY, and his father, Hugh, established a successful business adjacent to the famous Fulton Fish Market. The family was soon living at “Langside,” a 110 acre property on the East River. By the age of 20, Laing began his market gunning career to supply fresh game to the market and, in so doing, became one of the earliest documented American decoy carvers. In about 1836, he began to employ the use of a battery, and he also seemed to have used some sort of punt gun. Eventually, he is reported to have carried his battery and the large rig of decoys to the Chesapeake and Philadelphia regions in pursuit of the more lucrative canvasbacks. Unfortunately, there is a large gap of time in his journal between 1838 and 1863 where his activities and location become vague. The New York City directory in 1857 recorded him as living back in Manhattan in the Bucklands Hotel.

In the 1870 census, he as listed as a “broker,” and in the 1880 census as “retired from the Hotel and Club business.”

He must have succeeded in whatever his business ventures were because, in 1863, he purchased a home and ten acres on the banks of the Housatonic River in Stratford, CT which became Albert Laing’s gentleman’s farm. By 1863, he was going on no more than five hunts per season, and he, apparently, ceased all hunting by 1871.

He was estranged from his family and was a childless bachelor. By age 75, he was going blind and becoming increasingly despondent. Albert Laing died from a single, self-inflicted gunshot from his own duck gun.

He may have given some of his decoys away over the years, and he likely lost or damaged some while hunting. His total lifelong production has been estimated at no more than 150. Early Stratford hunters such as Ben Holmes were aware of his carvings and rapidly adopted his designs. Upon his death, he willed his remaining rig of 111 decoys to the Beers family with the stipulation that they all be sold for $45!

His impact on decoy history is immense and almost unmeasurable. It is best described in the words of those that have written the most about him.

“No single individual ever exerted a more direct or lasting influence on the design and making of decoys. Albert Laing must be ranked as one of our greatest decoy makers.” When discussing a particular sleeping black duck: “The black duck by him in plate 46 is to a decoy collection what a Rembrandt is to an art museum.” –William J. Mackey, Jr. “Among collectors today, no name is held in higher esteem than Albert Laing. He is acclaimed as the father of the Stratford School and recognized as one of the greatest decoy carvers who ever lived.” –Henry C. Chitwood “Laing was an innovator, and he was the first, if not the first ever, to make hollow floating decoys – a model that became the norm in many parts of North America in the second half of the nineteenth century.” –Robert Shaw 202

315. Very rare hollow carved sleeping black duck, Albert Laing, Stratford, Connecticut, 3rd quarter 19th century. Approximately 15” long. Appealing old in use repaint by Shang Wheeler; a few tiny dents.

Literature: “Shang,” Dixon Merkt. “Connecticut Decoys,” Henry Chitwood.

(15,000 - 20,000)

315

203

316

316. Goldeneye drake, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts, 1st quarter 20th century. Crowell’s oval brand is in the underside. Slightly turned head. 15” long. Original paint showing crossed wingtips; good patina; minor wear; moderate wear on top of head; thin surface crack in underside.

204

Literature: “New England Decoys,” John and Shirley Delph.

(6,000 - 8,000)

A rare early drake canvasback

by A. Elmer Crowell

Back dust jacket cover for “American Bird Decoys,” by William J. Mackey, Jr.

317. Canvasback drake, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts, circa 1900. Carved crossed wingtips with carved tail and rasped head. Stamped Mackey on underside. With CWW brand. 15” long. Strong original paint; wear on body and top of head; crack in neck; chip missing from tip of bill that has been darkened.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William Mackey, p. 80 exact decoy pictured.

“American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 12, exact decoy pictured.

(9,000 - 12,000)

317

205

Shorebirds

318

318.

319

Running sandpiper from Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. 5” long. Original paint with minor wear; thin chip missing from underside of tail; a few tiny dents.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

(2,000 - 3,000)

319. Two yellowlegs, probably Long Island, New York, 1st quarter 20th century. One has carved relief wing and split drop tail. 10.5” long. One has original paint on brown areas on back; white on belly has old repaint; early repair to side of head; other has old gunning paint.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p.

61, exact decoy pictured.

(1,000 - 1,500)

206

321

321. Verity Family peep, Seaford, Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. Relief wing carving and carved eyes. 8” long. Original paint with minor to moderate wear; structurally good.

(2,500 - 3,500)

322

323

324

322. Two sanderling decoys from Long Island, New York. One is very much in the style of those found in the Rogers Rig. The other is cork with shoe button eyes and is in a feeding position. 6” long. Rogers style bird has original paint with additional paint spatter on small area of back; numerous shot scars; fading and wear to bare wood; crack at back of head; cork bird has old working paint; small area of damage at tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

(3,000 - 5,000)

323. Sanderling, unknown carver, Long Island, New York. Deeply carved wings and tail. Tack eyes and metal bill. 8” long. Mostly original paint on back; white on belly has been strengthened; repair to small area of tail; numerous shot scars.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,500 - 2,000)

324. Sanderling, Obediah Verity, Seaford, Long Island, New York. Raised, carved shoulders and wingtips. Mackey stamp on underside. 8” long. Bill is probably a very old replacement; traces of old paint; entire body has been hit by numerous pellets of small bird shot.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,200 - 1,500) 207

Daniel S. DeMott 1847 - 1930 Hempstead, New York

Daniel DeMott was the fourth of seven children born to Michael DeMott and his wife, Emaline Johnson. The family was living in the Rockville Centre section of Hempstead, and Michael’s occupation was listed as “farmer.” The rural nature of his father’s profession and his proximity to Jamaica Bay and the beaches and marshes of the Atlantic Ocean probably instilled a love of nature in the young Daniel. The area around his early home was once one of the largest oyster producing regions in the world and supported an active community of baymen and, ultimately, tourists, and year-round homes.

At the age of 21 he married Anna Augusta, and the couple had three children; Alma, Robert, and Perry.

His entire life was spent in Hempstead, which is comprised of a number of separate villages and hamlets, all with their own unique names. By 1870, his occupation was listed as “miller,” a profession he would rely on for about the next 40 years. During this period, his millwork included both “feed” as well as “wood.” As late as 1905, he was listed as living in the East Rockaway section of the town, employed as a “miller.” By 1910, however, while still living in Hempstead, he listed his occupation as “house carpenter” and would list “carpenter” as his primary field of work for approximately the next 20 years. It is believed that he carved his first decoys as early as 1865 to be used as necessary tools in his market hunting ventures which, presumably, were a supplement to his other sources of income. His carpentry experience certainly would have given him the materials, tools, and skills needed to produce some of the finest decoys carved on Long Island.

His wife died in 1926, and he retired shortly after that date and took up residence in the home of his brother-in-law in Oceanside, one of the many Hempstead villages. He is buried in Lynbrook Village, Hempstead, NY.

Daniel DeMott c.1870 (courtesy DeMott family)

326. Very rare black bellied plover in spring breeding plumage, Daniel DeMott, Hempstead, New York, circa 1870. DeMott’s earlier carving style. Original paint with very minor wear; hairline crack in underside; lightly hit by shot.

(12,500 - 15,000)

208

326

327 Detail

327

327. Large Verity Family black bellied plover, Seaford, Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. Relief wing carving and carved eyes. 12.5” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; several tiny shot marks.

(5,000 - 8,000)

209

William Bowman

1824 - 1906 Lawrence, Long Island, New York

PLATE II. Although almost every shore bird received the attention of the master decoy maker of Cape Cod, Elmer Crowell, some of his models of these species are seldom found. This Ruddy Turnstone (left) and Golden Plover by Crowell are two of the great rarities among American decoys. Indications of use prove they were not isolated examples, since rigs of at least a dozen were usual.

328 Detail

Not to be classif ied as typical examples of Long Island work. Though undoubtedly f rom this area, they indicate a skill in carving and painting that sets them apart. Considerable research has been done to trace their origin. The best evidence, supplied by George Pennell, who used some in his old rig, indicates that he got them f rom John H. Verity. He recalls that John made f ine shore birds and believes that he could very well have made these.

Only a handful are known, but those who have examined them are unanimous in the opinion that these are the f inest shorebird decoys that have been found anywhere.

- William Mackey 210

328

328. Very rare ruddy turnstone, William Bowman, Lawrence, Long Island, New York, last quarter 19th century. Shoe button eyes, relief wing carving, raised carved wingtips that touch. 10.5” long. Near mint original paint; chip missing at back of stick hole; half of the bill is a professional replacement by Russ Allen; small amount of touchup up to worn area at tip of tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., p. 65, exact decoy pictured.

“American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 69, exact decoy pictured.

(35,000 - 45,000)

211

Ontario 329. Hollow carved bluebill hen from the Markham rig. 15.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; thin crack in end of bill.

(4,000 - 6,000)

329

329A. Hollow carved bluebill hen, John R. Wells, Toronto, Ontario. Slightly lifted head with raised neck seat. Branded “JRW maker”. 16” long. Original paint with very minor wear; hit by shot.

329A

212

Literature: “Ontario Decoys,” Bernie Gates.

(2,500 - 3,500)

330

331

330. Long necked canvasback drake, Isaiah Brown, Port Rowan, Ontario, last quarter 19th century. Branded “TBC” for the Big Creek Club on Long Point. 17” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; small dents and shot marks; slight roughness to one edge of bill.

(5,500 - 6,500)

330 Detail

331. Rare canvas covered hollow carved redhead, Charles Reeves, Long Point, Ontario. Canvas is attached with tiny tacks tightly placed at seams. Branded “WPT” for William P. Thompson, Long Point Company member 1916-1922. 15” long. Original paint with minor wear; hit by shot; small amount of touchup to wood just above the canvas near the neck seam.

Literature: “Ontario Decoys,” Bernie Gates.

(4,000 - 6,000) 213

Tom Chambers 1860 - 1948 Toronto, Ontario

Thomas Chambers, seated second from right, with members of The Canada Club.

Tom Chambers is considered one of the premier North American carvers and one of the fathers of the Toronto school of carving. Sadly, very little is known of his life. Initially from Toronto, he spent most of his life in the Kent County/Walpole area. As a young man, he market hunted in the Toronto Bay waters.

He soon became the superintendent of the St. Anne Club on Lake St. Clair and served in that capacity until the clubhouse burned to the ground in 1900. He was then convinced by a group of the members of the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company (aka the Canada Club) to assume the superintendent’s position on their grounds. He was very successful there and held that position until poor health forced his retirement in 1942/43. During his tenure at the club, in addition to living on the grounds, he earned (a now paltry) $35 per month. He must have been held in high esteem by the members however, for one year he was given a $25 Christmas present.

He was of English ancestry and is described as being a “strapping, 200 pound, 6’1” individual” who was “a hard boiled old cuss.” The native guides who worked for him referred to him as “king Tom” for his dictatorial nature. He and his wife resided on the club grounds in a home located immediately adjacent to the club house. The couple had three children; May, Charlotte, and Bill. Charlotte was apparently quite competent and active in the running of the Club for she became its superintendent for a period upon her father’s retirement. He lived out the last few years of his life back in Toronto where he had spent his youth.

He produced decoys for at least 50 years. He carved both hollow and solid body lures with a few stylistic variations. His decoys were held in such high esteem that they were in great demand and sold for the then unheard of price of $75 per dozen at the height of the Depression in the 1930s. He produced decoys for a variety of species shot at the clubs for which he worked but he is credited with producing only two wood ducks. These two wood ducks are considered by many authors as among the very finest of all Canadian carvings. The rigmate to the outstanding example offered here today was in the prestigious Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. collection and was sold in 2017 for $270,000.

The extremely rare example being offered for sale here is the exact decoy pictured on p. 163 of Barney Crandell’s “Decoying – St. Clair to the St. Lawrence,” and on p. 233 of Bob Shaw’s “Bird Decoys of North America – Nature History and Art.” It was owned by Mr. George M. Hendrie of Hamilton, Ontario.

Hendrie was a member of the club from 1889 to 1943. He was well liked by his associates and was club president from 1911 to 1913. His was a very prominent family that was actively involved in the raising of thoroughbred horses.

214

332

215

332 Detail

332. Important hollow carved wood duck drake, Tom Chambers, Toronto, Ontario. Branded “Geo M Hendrie,” St. Clair Flats Shooting Company member 1889-1943. Subtle feather paint detail and carved wooden crest. Original paint with slight wear and good patina; several tiny dents; approximately 1/3 bill is a professional replacement; very tip of crest missing; hairline crack partway through neck.

Provenance: Chua collection.

Literature: “Decoys of Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid. “Ontario Decoys,” Bernie Gates.

216

(100,000 - 150,000)

George Hendri, pictured on the right, holding the punt pole.

Hendri’s stock certificate showing memberships valued at $1,000 as early as 1890.

The Wood Duck Aix sponsa Arguably, the wood duck is considered the most handsome of the North American species. Until the late 19th century, it was one of the most common species of duck in the United States. It is unusual among other waterfowl in that, along with the common goldeneye, bufflehead, and hooded merganser, it nests in the hollow cavities of large trees. It prefers sites located near the water with cavities high off the ground.

Widespread deforestation, overharvesting, and loss of wetland habitat all combined in the late 1800s to force many ornithologists to fear that the species was on the brink of extinction. Some states such as Massachusetts closed the season between 1911 and 1916. Fortunately, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 between the United States and Canada (and later with Mexico) gave the species continental protection when it was given protective status, and legal harvest was outlawed from that date until 1941. Manmade nest boxes were erected to replace the loss of natural cavities, limited harvests were introduced, and the birds were able to make a remarkable recovery. The species comeback ranks among the greatest of all wildlife conservation efforts.

Club records of wood duck harvests at the St. Clair Flats Club are a bit hard to ascertain. In the logs, wood ducks, shovelers, and widgeon were all lumped into the same group, likely because not many of them were shot. One can conclude that wood ducks were a rare sighting by reading this entry into the 1904 log where a hunter from the club remarked that he actually saw a wood duck while in the duck blind.

217

333

218

333 Detail

333. Very rare pair of hollow carved round head style redheads, Tom Chambers, Toronto, Ontario. Hen is branded “JTM” for James T. McMillan, St. Clair Flats Shooting Company member 1913-1946. Both have raised neck seats and fine bill carving. Near mint original paint; a few tiny dents and shot marks.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid. “Ontario Decoys,” Bernie Gates.

(7,500 - 9,500)

219

334.

Hollow carved redhead drake, Tom Chambers, Toronto, Ontario. Branded “BS Warren”. 16” long. Original paint with minor wear; slight separation at knot in one side of tail; a few tiny dents.

(2,500 - 3,000)

334

335. Oversize black duck, Ralph Smithers, Dunnville, Ontario, 1st quarter 20th century. 18.5” long. Relief wing carving with detailed feathering. Original paint with minor wear; several small dents.

335

Provenance: Peter Brown collection.

Literature: “Ontario Decoys II,” Bernie Gates, p. 45.

(950 - 1,250)

336. Redhead drake, George Warin, Toronto, Ontario, last quarter 19th century. 15” long. Original paint with combing detail; minor wear; moderate wear on top of head; a few tiny dents and shot marks.

(800 - 1,200)

336

337 220

337. Bluebill drake, Robert G. Renardson, Ontario, last quarter 19th century. Hollow carved with applied bottom board. Fancy feather paint on side pockets, similar to JRW. Comb painting on back. Deeply carved bill. 15” long. Strong original paint; wear at edge of tail; slight separation at neck seam.

(1,500 - 2,000)

338

338. Exceptional pintail drake from Long Point, Ontario, last quarter 19th century. Hollow carved with good scratch paint detail and tack eyes. Original paint with good patina and minor wear; some flaking on lower side and under the tail; small crack in one side of neck; professional repair to small chip in the tail; lightly hit by shot.

Provenance: From the Long Point Club. Branded “DS” for Dean Sage, club member 1887-1902.

Branded “HMS” for Harry M. Sage, club member 1902-1933. Branded “JSW” for Joseph S. Wheelwright, club member and president 1927-1941.

(7,500 - 9,500)

338 Detail

221

339

339. Hollow carved pintail hen, very similar to the work of John R. Wells, Toronto, Ontario. Subtle feather paint detail.

Raised neck seat showing front of neck in resting pose. 16” long. Original paint with good patina and very minor wear; moderately hit by shot on one side.

(4,000 - 6,000)

339 Detail

222

In the 1970s, there was a farm sale outside of Markham, Ontario. At the sale, a number of decoys were sold, which are now known as the “Markham Rig.” Some of the decoys were thought to have been made by Walker Moorley, and some by a talented unknown maker. The most interesting decoys in the group, attributed to the unidentified maker, had heavily carved mandibles and nostrils, as this decoy exhibits.

340

340. Redhead drake, Markham Rig, 1st quarter 20th century. Hollow with bottom board. Classic deeply carved and gouged mandible bill. 16” long. Strong original paint that has crazed slightly on one side; several rubs; areas where paint thinner dripped which is common to this whole rig.

(8,000 - 12,000)

340 Detail

223

Bob Jones

1861 - 1937 Demorestville, Ontario Demorestville is a village in the township of Sophiasburgh, Prince Edward County, Ontario. It once supported a thriving community of homes, shops, mills, businesses, and a canning factory.

Despite this seeming prosperity, it apparently had a reputation for excessive drinking and, at one point, developed the nickname of “Sodom” due to the visits by the surrounding lumberman to local establishments. One is reminded of this salty reputation today with “Gomorrah Road” circling the town. It was into this environment that “Bob” Jones earned a living and raised a family with his wife, Maggie, and their four children.

Until his mid-20s, Bob Jones made his livelihood by farming with his father. He then worked as a blacksmith in Demorestville from about 1890 to about 1920 when he moved back to a farm near Johnstown. Here, he worked the land, continued to blacksmith, and supplemented his income with trapping. In 1936, during the Depression, the family lost the farm and moved to Belleville.

Misfortune followed Jones when he was struck and killed while fixing a flat tire near Picton.

He obviously had great skill working with his hands because, in addition to working with metal, he carved a number of beautiful decoys for the local hunters and he, presumably, carved some for his own use. He produced decoys for various puddle duck species, many with creative poses such as “reaching or feeding,” “preening,” and some particularly interesting “up-lookers.” His crowning accomplishment, however, was a rig of “tucked head” redheads. The very best of these, such as the one represented here, were made for Mr. Jim Hart of Demorestville, and then they were acquired by Bruce Cole. Mr. Cole was killed in the First World War, and then they were finally included in the rig of Dr. Howard Cryan of nearby Picton. The decoys may have seen some use in the waters controlled by members of “The Fish Lake Company,” but when Dr. Cryan acquired them, he apparently used them very sparingly, if at all, for the next 40 years. The decoys eventually passed through the hands of a number of well-known US collectors, and this particular example eventually ended up on the shelves of the highly respected, prominent collector, Dr. James McCleery. Other examples graced the collections of such pioneering early collectors as Anthony Waring. Decoys from this rig must be considered some of the finest decoys ever to emerge from Canada. In the words of historian and authority Jim Stewart: “The decoys made by Robert J. Jones are some of the finest Canadian decoys. Their skillful carving shows the hand of a craftsman, their graceful form – the eye of an artist. In the Prince Edward County – Belleville region, no other carver matched the innovative variety of decoy poses created by Jones – and the quality of his carvings was matched by very few.” - James Stewart

Bob Jones c. 1900 224

341 Detail 341. Important hollow carved redhead drake in content pose, Bob Jones, Demorestville, Ontario. Very wide body. Head is in nestled pose with raised neck. Near mint original paint with good patina; subtle combing with feather paint at speculums.

Provenance: Chua collection. Formerly in collection of Jim McCleery, McCleery collection stamp on underside. Also auction label indicating it was lot 59.

Literature: “Call to the Sky,” Robert Shaw, p. 95, exact decoy pictured. “North American Decoys,” Summer 1978, p. 7, Byron Cheever. “The County Decoys,” Jim Stewart.

(25,000 - 35,000)

341

225

Illinois River Bert Graves 1887 - 1956 Peoria, Illinois

Robert Elliston’s untimely death in 1911, left many unfinished decoys unsold, and his wife, Catherine, out of a painting job.

When Graves purchased the business from Mrs. Elliston, he likely used the unfinished decoys first, as well as the patterns that Elliston had been using. This helps to explain why the early Graves decoys look so much like Elliston’s work. Graves also hired Catherine Elliston to help paint finished decoys along with his wife, Millie.

226

341A. Rare preening mallard hen, Bert Graves, Peoria, Illinois. Original paint by Catherine Elliston. “VBR” and “C.E.S.” were painted on underside a long time ago in small black letters. Approximately 14.5” long. Original paint with good patina and very minor wear; tip of tail has been very slightly blunted; two approximately 4” long hairline cracks in one lower side with a couple of dents there as well.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(20,000 - 25,000)

341A Detail

341A Detail

227

341B

341B. Exceptional mallard hen, Bert Graves, Peoria, Illinois. From the Caswell rig, branded “CJC” twice in underside. 17.5” long. Outstanding original paint by Catherine Elliston with good detail and patina; very small amount of touchup at two surface cracks in the head; some touchup to the underside of bill.

341B Detail

228

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(8,000 - 12,000)

342

342. White sided mallard drake, Bert Graves, Peoria, Illinois. From the Caswell rig, branded “CJC” twice in the underside. 17.5” long. Original paint with good detail and minor wear; small spot of touchup on one lower side; a long time ago some clear sealant was applied to the top of the head; several tiny dents and shot marks.

(4,000 - 6,000)

342 Detail

229

Charles Perdew 1874 - 1963 Henry, Illinois

343 Detail

343. Extremely rare and important pair of mallards, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois, circa 1924. Outstanding original paint by Edna Perdew. Both are stamped “Chas H Perdew, Henry Ill” on the underside and have early style Perdew weight. Hen is a sleeper. This is the pair of mallards that Perdew exhibited at the Wildfowl Decoy Exhibition in New York City in 1924. The exhibition ribbon is included. 15” - 16.5” long. Original paint with very slight wear; protected by an old coat of varnish; no structural flaws.

Provenance: Formerly in the Perdew estate.

Literature: “Perdew, An Illinois River Tradition,” Ann Tandy Lacy, cover, exact decoys.

(40,000 - 50,000)

230

343

231

344

344. Mallard drake, Charles Walker, Princeton, Illinois. Flat bottom style with relief wing carving.

Slightly turned head. “P.D. Trimble” is painted on the underside. 17” long. Original paint; minor wear; several tiny dents.

Literature: “Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid.

(10,000 - 15,000)

344 Detail

232

345

345. Very rare rigmate pair of bluebills, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois, circa 1930. Small heads with large yellow eyes.

Drake has Perdew ink stamp in underside.

Approximately 12.5” long. Original paint with fine combing and feather paint detail; minor wear; some roughness to edges of hen’s bill; weights are missing; each has two screw holes on the underside next to where the weights were, possibly from an additional weight; tiny dents; small rough spot on underside of hen where tie strap screw was pulled out.

Literature: “Decoys of Mississippi Flyway,” Alan Haid. “Decoy and Decoy Carvers of Illinois,” Paul Parmalee and Forrest Loomis.

(14,000 - 18,000)

345 Detail

233

346

347

346. Mallard drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Retains Perdew weight. 16.5” long. Several tiny spots of touchup on one side of head.

(3,000 - 4,000)

234

347. Mallard drake, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Some of Charlie’s better paint.

Relief wing carving and raised wingtips.

Near mint original paint with good detail and good patina; retains Perdew weight; two small holes in lower side.

(4,000 - 6,000)

348

348. Rigmate pair of widgeon, George Kessler, Pekin, Illinois. Stamped “EGB” in undersides. 13” long. Original paint with very slight wear and good patina; tiny tail chip missing from hen.

Literature: “Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois,” Paul Parmalee and Forrest Loomis. (5,500 - 8,500)

348 Detail

235

Mason Factory Shorebirds 1876 - 1921 Detroit, Michigan

Charles Thomas (2nd from L) at the North Shore Gun Club c. 1911 (Spear Brothers far right)

From the late 1800s to 1924, the Mason Decoy Factory of Detroit, Michigan produced, arguably, the finest factory decoys of their time. They offered a wide variety of “stock” decoys for ducks, geese, swans, crows, and shorebirds. Being astute businessmen, they also realized that there was a niche market for a line of special order decoys that would be very similar to any model sent to them by a potential customer. From their first published catalogue c. 1902/03, until at least their 1915 catalogue, they advertised this option with wording such as: “We can duplicate any special order decoy that may be needed.” Presumably, this service was available due to the company’s expanding machining capabilities and the ability of a competent painting staff to mimic someone else’s paint pattern and colors. Examples of special-order ducks exist as do a few special orders for shorebirds. Their regular decoys were only shipped in lots of one dozen, so it is logical to assume that this same requirement applied to shorebird decoys as well.

At some point between 1902/03 and 1918, someone obviously sent them an example of a willet that was carved and painted by Charlie Thomas of Assinippi Village in Norwell, Massachusetts. Charles Warren Thomas (1886 – 1946) must have made a decoy that worked well and only produced them for himself and perhaps a small group of friends. This would seem reasonable because, if someone wanted a rig of his decoys, why not go to Thomas himself instead of a far off factory. They must have worked well because, in addition to the Mason factory, the well-known local carver of exceptional decoys, Joseph Lincoln (1859 – 1938), was also either asked to carve a rig or two or, he chose to copy an example of Thomas’s work for his own use – a fine tribute indeed! Still other similar examples which mimic Thomas’s style, by less talented carvers, are also known to exist in small numbers.

Thomas was born in the Massachusetts coastal community of Scituate but spent the majority of his adult life living on Washington Street in the Assinippi Village section of Norwell. In 1892, he married Flora Gilbert Roberts and the couple had two children, Clement and Lora. Between at least 1900 and 1920 he, like many others on the south shore, including Joe Lincoln, listed his occupation as “cutter - shoe shop.” From 1920 on, his employment was listed in the Federal Census as “salesman or merchant - general store.”

His home on Washington Street was very close to the abutting Jacobs Pond and was on the main road leading from Assinippi to the nearby village of Accord in neighboring Hingham, Massachusetts, a mere two miles away. Accord was the location of the “North Shore Gun Club” on Accord Pond which was run by his friend, Joe Lincoln. Charles Thomas was a member (or at least a guest) at the club. The two men obviously knew each other and were aware of each other’s decoys. Jacobs Pond housed a number of stands over the years including “The Assinippi Gunning Stand” which was run by Earnest Loring. Loring was also a member of “The North Shore Gun Club” as were the well-known Spear Brothers, Chet and Ernie, of nearby Scituate Harbor. Charlie Thomas ran in good company!

236

Willet by Charles Thomas, lot 383 in this sale, used as a model for this Mason Factory willet.

349

349. Exceedingly rare special order willet, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. Glass eyes and iron bill. Modeled after a willet decoy made by Charles Thomas, Assinippi, Massachusetts. A large and impressive decoy, 15” long. Near mint original paint with slight discoloration and wear, mostly on underside; tiny dent in one side.

Literature: “Mason Factory Decoys,” Russ Goldberger and Alan Haid. “Call to the Sky: Decoy Collection of Dr. James McCleery,” Robert Shaw.

(35,000 - 40,000)

237

351

350

350. Rare whimbrel with iron bill, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Glass eyes.

17.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; lightly hit by shot; as with many decoys from this rig, front half of face and bill are professional replacements.

(5,000 - 8,000) 351. Extremely rare special order willet, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Glass eye model. Styled after a willet by Charles Thomas, Assanippi, Massachusetts. 15” long. Original paint with very minor discoloration and wear; several tiny dents.

Literature: “Mason Factory Decoys,” Russ Goldberger and Alan Haid. “Call to the Sky: Decoy Collection of Dr. James McCleery,” Robert Shaw.

(5,000 - 7,000)

238

355

353

354

352

352. Yellowlegs with tack eyes, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. 11” long. Original paint with very minor discoloration and wear; several tiny dents.

(2,000 - 2,500) 353. Very rare robin snipe, Dodge Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Shoe button eyes. 10.5” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; good feather detail; professional repair to a small chip missing from the bill filler by Russ Allen.

(3,500 - 4,500)

354. Dove in fall plumage, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan. Glass eye model with good paint detail. 11.5” long. Original paint with very minor wear and discoloration; several small spots of paint dripped on neck.

(2,500 - 3,500) 355. Yellowlegs, Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, Michigan, 1st quarter 20th century. Glass eye model with iron bill.

12” long. Strong original paint; shot scars; wear mostly on head and tail; small crack with wood filler added where bill meets face.

(800 - 1,000)

239

New England 356. White wing scoter, Gus Wilson, South Portland, Maine. Inlet head with carved bill and eyes. Relief wing carving. 16” long. Original paint; very minor wear; a few tiny dents; small worn spot on one speculum.

(1,500 - 2,000)

356

357. Black duck, Gus Wilson, South Portland, Maine. Inlet head with carved bill and eyes. Relief wing carving. 18.5” long. Strong original paint; minor wear on one side; approximately 5” crack in one side has been filled; crack in underside.

(1,000 - 1,400)

357

358. Wood duck drake, Mackey listed as New England but has some Upper Chesapeake Bay characteristics. Carved crest with high chine line. 9.5” long. Traces of both old and possibly original paint; glass eyes have been added; crack in one side of back; wood filler added to tip of bill.

358

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 1, exact decoy pictured. (1,500 - 2,500) 359. Two decoys. Bluebill drake, Connecticut school, and decoy from an unknown area carved in a feeding position. 13” long. Both are in working repaint; Connecticut bluebill has broken and reattached bill; large area of flaking and missing paint on back.

359

240

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(300 - 500)

360. Eider hen, Eben Weed Eaton, Isle au Haut, mid 19th century. Serpentine head with inletted and removable neck. 17.75” long. Old paint; crack in neck with a repair in that area; several gouges and shot scars.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p.

29, exact decoy pictured.

(8,000 - 10,000)

360

PLATE 187. American or Common Eider hen from Down East, that fulfills every requirement for a decoy and has strong esthetic appeal as folk art. This decoy, which is greatly oversized, is very old.

Cover phot of Decoy Magazine, March/April 2018, where author Gene Kangas identifies maker of these great, previously unknown, decoys.

241

Gus Wilson

1864 - 1950 South Portland, Maine

361 Detail 242

361

361. Exceptional preening eider hen, Gus Wilson, South Portland, Maine. His oversize Monhegan Island style with inlet head, relief wing carving, carved eyes and bill. 17.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; crack partway though neck base; crack in back; several short hairline cracks near tail; small tail chip repair and bill crack repair.

(20,000 - 24,000)

361 Detail 243

362. Very rare preening mallard hen, Gus Wilson, South Portland, Maine. Inlet head with carved eyes and relief wing carving. 15.5” long. Near mint original paint; good patina; structurally good.

Literature: “New England Decoys,” John and Shirley Delph. “Great Book of Decoys,” Joe Engers, editor.

(22,500 - 27,500)

362 Detail

244

362

245

Pacific Coast 363. Rare mallard hen, Charles Bergman, Astoria, Oregon. “DIMH Smith” stamped in to underside with nail. 17” long. Original paint with minor flaking and wear; slight wear to wood at top of head; professional bill replacement.

363

Provenance: collection.

Early Washington State

Literature: “Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast,” Michael Miller and Fred Hanson.

(2,000 - 3,000) 364. Very rare canvasback hen, Charles Bergman, Astoria, Oregon. 17” long. Restored paint on much of the decoy; minor wear and good patina; two small shot scars on tail.

Provenance: collection.

Early Washington State (1,750 - 2,250)

364

365. Mallard drake, Charles Bergman, Astoria, Oregon. Signed by Bergman on underside at a later date. 17” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; a few small dents; thin crack through neck.

Provenance: collection.

Early Washington State (1,500 - 2,500)

365

366. Rigmate pair of pintails, Emilio Andreuccetti, Sacramento, California. 14” long. Near mint original paint; structurally very good.

(1,250 - 1,750)

366 246

367

368

367.

Very rare pintail drake, Charles Bergman, Astoria, Oregon. 20.5” long. Original paint with minor to moderate discoloration and wear; thin crack through neck; numerous small dents; two very small spots of touchup at neck seam.

Provenance: Early Washington State collection.

(3,000 - 5,000)

368. Very rare greenwing teal hen, Charles Bergman, Astoria, Oregon. Good loop feather paint detail. 13” long. Original paint with minor shrinkage and wear; repaint on head and tail; worn to bare wood at several spots at neck seat; several small spots of touchup on lower sides.

Provenance: Early Washington State collection.

(3,000 - 5,000)

367 Detail 247

PLATE 51. Shore birds of unusual design. The plover at the top will flap its leather wings when a line that runs to the blind is twitched. The yellowlegs at left carries its own head and bill in the hollowed-out body. The third bird is hard to identify but is also hollow, with a detachable head. All are especially attractive to collectors.

PLATE 22. Pair of yellowlegs with demountable heads to prevent breakage as they were carried to and from the hunting grounds.

One is hollowed out, as shown, to contain the head in transit.

When and where they were made is unknown.

370

369

369. Hollow carved yellowlegs from Massachusetts, last quarter 19th century. Body is hinged and head fits inside body. Removable bill. Body halves are attached with a small metal clasp and screws. Shoe button eyes. 11.5” long when assembled. Original paint with minor wear, mostly on the breast and neck; small chip missing where bill joins head; bill appears to be an old replacement.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Bird Decoys,” William J. Mackey, Jr., p. 72, exact decoy pictured.

(2,000 - 3,000)

370. Black bellied plover, Massachusetts. Split tail, shoe button eyes, with mechanical wing flapping ability created by leather wings and a rotating dowel inserted through body that rotates when pulled from a string.

12” long. Strong original paint; brown leather wings are likely a later replacement; some discoloration and wood filler missing at knot in top of head.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

248

(2,000 - 3,000)

Melvin Gardner Lawrence Revere, Massachusetts

371

371. Greater yellowlegs, Melvin Gardner Lawrence, Revere, Massachusetts. Glass eyes with split tail.

12” long. Very strong original paint; very light wear; small spot of surface grime and light discoloration to a few small areas.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(7,000 - 10,000)

371 Detail

249

“ To those who knew him and were his neighbors, Elmer Crowell was more than a craftsman. He became a legend during his lifetime.

For half a century Elmer Crowell dominated the sporting scene on the Cape. Truly, he was America’s one indispensable decoy maker.”

- William Mackey

372

250

A running fat black-bellied plover in spring plumage, a sleeping greater yellowlegs and a least sandpiper by A. Elmer Crowell

372. Rare sanderling, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts, last quarter 19th century. Shoe button eyes. Only 6.25” long. Good feather paint detail. Original paint with minor wear; mostly on underside; hairline crack in one lower side; two tiny dents.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 50, exact decoy pictured.

(35,000 - 45,000)

372 Detail

251

373 Detail

373. Greater yellowlegs, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts, 1st quarter 20th century. A rare feeding position with tack eyes and split tail. A good example of Crowell’s dry brush feathering application. 14” long. Strong original paint that has crazed slightly in some areas; a few shot marks; remnants of a paper label on one side applied by Mackey; very small area of wood filler applied to chip in tail; approximately three very small dots that were lightly darkened.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 50, exact decoy pictured.

(12,000 - 15,000)

252

373

A sleeping lesser yellowlegs and a feeding greater yellowlegs by A. Elmer Crowell

253

374

374. Early black bellied plover from Nantucket, Massachusetts. Holes in underside for two side by side legs. Bottom edge is sharply chined. 10” long. Original paint; good detail and very minor wear; several tiny shot holes.

Provenance: Meyer collection.

(3,000 - 4,000)

375. Rare black neck stilt with iron bill and tack eyes. Carrying hole in tail.

14.5” long. Original paint with moderate wear; structurally good.

Literature: “The Art of the Decoy,” Adele Earnest, p. 59, similar examples.

(3,000 - 4,000)

Rigmates to this lot pictured in “The Art of the Decoy,” Adele Earnest, page 59.

254

375

376

376. Delicate black bellied plover, probably from Nantucket, Massachusetts. Body is hollowed from the underside. Wingtips are raised and split with a slightly dropped tail. A string hole is nestled between the wingtips. Bill is splined through the back of the head. A matrix of small dots work to form both eyes.

10” long. Strong original paint; several shot marks; tiny rubs.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p.

58, exact decoy pictured.

(8,000 - 10,000)

255

377

377. Golden plover, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts, 1st quarter 20th century. Tack eye model with split tail. Stamped “Mackey” on underside. 9.5” long. Strong original paint that has crazed slightly on breast.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 51, exact decoy pictured. “American Bird Decoys,” William Mackey, Jr., p. 64, color plate, exact decoy pictured.

(17,500 - 22,500)

256

378. Hollow carved eskimo curlew, Folger Family, Nantucket, Massachusetts, 3rd quarter 19th century. Shoe button eyes.

Relief wing carving with split tail. 13.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; a few small dents.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 51, exact decoy pictured.

(17,500 - 22,500)

378

Eskimo curlew from the Folger Family. Sold at the Sotheby’s/Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. January 2000 sale for $26,450

257

379

379.

Lesser yellowlegs from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Shoe button eyes. 10.5” long. Original paint with good detail and patina; very slight wear; small amount of touchup near stick hole.

(4,000 - 6,000)

380. Golden plover from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, last quarter 19th century. Slightly flat sided. Approximately 10” long. Original paint with minor wear; small amount of old touchup on part of one side of bill. (3,000 - 5,000)

380 258

381.

Black bellied plover from Toronto Harbor, last quarter 19th century. Original wire legs and wooden base. Approximately 11” tall. Near mint original paint; protected by an old thin coat of varnish; structurally very good.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Peter Brown.

(3,000 - 4,000)

381

382. Running yellowlegs, Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Massachusetts. Tack eyes.

Approximately 13” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; old overpaint has been taken off parts of head, neck, and breast; lightly hit by shot.

(3,000 - 4,000)

382

259

Charles Thomas

b. 1875 Assinippi, Massachusetts

383. Very rare oversize willet, Charles Thomas, Assinippi, Massachusetts, last quarter 19th century. Relief wing carving and shoe button eyes. Used as a model for Mason Factory special order willet. 16” long. Original paint with minor wear; tiny dent on one side; short, small cracks in lower breast.

Literature: “Decoys of the Atlantic Flyway,” George Ross Starr, color plate 6.

(6,500 - 9,500)

383

260

One of the most unusual and expertly crafted early hunting shorebirds is this black bellied plover, constructed with a removable head. The construction includes a finely crafted dovetailed style connection which slides easily front to back, which allowed the hunter to simply remove the head when the birds were not in use.

384

384. Hollow carved dowitcher with dovetailed removable head, from Massachusetts, last quarter 19th century. Shoe button eyes. 9” long. Original paint with minor wear; bill has been shortened; several tiny shot marks.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(9,500 - 12,500)

384 Detail

261

Canada 385. Canvasback drake, Duncan Ducharme, Delta Marsh, Manitoba. 13” long. Original paint with minor wear; moderately hit by shot; crack in back.

(2,000 - 3,000)

385

386.

Rigmate pair of Canada goose field decoys, Roy Mill, Kensington, Prince Edward Island. From his own hunting rig, “WRM” is painted under each tail. Both have relief wingtip carving. Sentinel has slightly turned head. 32” each. Original paint with very minor wear; each has an age split in underside; feeder has two cracks in the back and thin crack in neck.

Literature: “Decoys of Maritime Canada,” Dale and Gary Guyette.

(1,250 - 1,750)

386

387

387. Set of three black ducks in various poses, Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward Island. Longest is 19”. Original paint with minor wear; small amount of neck filler missing from back of preening decoy’s neck.

Provenance: Peter Brown collection.

Literature: “Decoys of Maritime Canada,” Dale and Gary Guyette, p. 155, exact decoys pictured.

(900 - 1,200) 262

388

389

390

391

392

393

388.

Solid body bluebill drake, Buck Crawford, Smiths Falls Ontario, 1st quarter 20th century. Branded “WJC”.

Relief wing carving and carved tail. 13” long. Original paint with minor wear; touchup to several shot marks on one side.

Provenance: Peter Brown collection.

Literature: “Ontario Decoys II,” Bernie Gates, p. 149.

(600 - 900) 389.

Long necked black duck from Belleville, Ontario. Relief wing carving and scratch paint detail. 17.5” long. Very good and original.

(650 - 950)

390. Hollow carved black duck from the Toronto Harbor area. Raised neck seat. Branded “DLVV”. 15.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; hit by shot; chip missing from top of tail; thin chip missing from edge of bill.

(650 - 950)

391. Bluewing teal drake, Billy Ellis, Whitby, Ontario. Original paint with minor flaking and wear; very small worn spot to bare wood at top of head on each side.

(650 - 950) 392. Mallard hen, Ken Anger, Dunnville, Ontario, 1st half 20th century. 17” long. Near mint.

(600 - 800) 393. Rigmate pair of goldeneye, Hormidas Thibert, Valleyfield, Quebec. Both have “HT” carved in underside. Detailed feather carving on wings. 13” - 14” long. Original paint with minor discoloration and wear; crack and two hairline cracks in hen’s back; chip missing from underside of drake’s bill.

(650 - 950)

263

394. Rare hollow carved mallard drake, last quarter 19th century. Very thin shelled, light weight decoy with serrated mandibles and good bill carving. By the same maker as the pair of redheads, lot 51, in our April 2003 auction. Original paint with minor shrinkage and wear; slight roughness to one edge of tail; tiny surface chip on the other edge; minor structural wear on part of the bottom edge of the decoy; lighty hit by shot.

Provenance: Fomerly in the collection of John Delph. Formerly in the collection of Somers G. Headly, and so stamped.

(7,500 - 9,500)

394

394 Detail

264

395. Very rare rigmate pair of hooded mergansers, Arthur Nolan. Both have lifted heads and fanned tails. Good scratch paint detail. 12.5” long. Original paint; very minor wear; two hairline cracks in one tail.

(12,000 - 15,000)

395

395 Detail 265

396. Hollow carved Canada goose, George Warin, Toronto, Ontario, last quarter 19th century. Branded “F.H. Walker” and “A.H. Buhl.” Square nail construction. Original paint that has darkened with age; minor wear; crack through back; thin crack partway through neck; small amount of touchup at crack in neck; two tiny tail chips.

(6,500 - 9,500)

396

396 Detail 266

397

397A

397. Hollow carved bluewing teal hen, Toronto Harbor, Ontario, last quarter 19th century. Shoe button eyes. Original paint with minor shrinkage and wear; very slight roughness to edges of tail.

(3,500 - 4,500) 397A. Two bluebills drakes believed to be early examples by Bud Tully, Peterboro, Ontario. Relief wing carving and very slightly turned heads. Near mint original paint; hairline surface crack in one side.

(2,000 - 3,000)

267

Ward Brothers

Crisfield, Maryland

398

398 Detail

268

398.

Classic 1936 model canvasback hen, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. High neck style with slightly turned head. 17.5” long. Original paint; minor wear; hairline surface crack in one side of neck; several tiny dents and shot marks.

Provenance: From a home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. (12,500 - 17,500)

399

399. 1936 model canvasback drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1932. Good form with slightly turned head and flared bill. 17” long. Original paint with good patina and very minor wear; hairline crack in tail; very slight roughness to one edge of bill.

(10,000 - 14,000)

399 Detail

269

400.

1932 model bluebill hen and drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed.

Ice dip behind head. Hen has slightly turned head with wide bill. 16” long. Original paint with minor to moderate wear; a few small dents.

Provenance: Formerly in collection of William Purnell, Ocean City, Maryland.

Purnell brand in underside.

(6,500 - 7,500)

400

400 Detail

270

401. 1936 model bluebill drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1932. Slightly turned and lifted head. Thick stippling on back. 15” long. Near mint original paint; some inpainting at the bill; structurally very good.

Literature: “Ward Brothers Decoys,” Ron Gard and Brain McGrath.

(6,500 - 9,500)

401

401 Detail

271

402

403

402. Canada goose, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland, circa late 1920s. Turned head with ice dip behind neck.

25” long. Old in use repaint; numerous cracks and dents; small chips on one edge of tail.

(2,000 - 3,000) 403. Well made reproduction of a Ward Brothers 1936 model greenwing teal hen. Slightly turned head. 13” long. Original paint that has been aged; slight separation at neck seam.

(1,500 - 2,000)

272

404

404. Black duck from Crisfield, Maryland, similar to work, of and possibly by, the Ward Brothers. Signed by the Ward Brothers. 18” long. Original paint with minor wear; crack in tail; extending on to the back.

(600 - 900)

405. Decorative preening mallard drake, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Well carved and lifted wings. Fluted tail. Signed and dated 1965. Letters of provenance available. Excellent original paint; small amounts of shrinkage on the front of both wings and small spot behind head; several tiny dog chew marks at one wingtip.

(3,500 - 5,500)

405

406. Decorative mallard hen, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Detailed feather carving with extended wingtips and fluted tail.

Slightly turned head. Signed and dated 1967.

Letters of provenance available. Near mint original paint; hairline crack in bill.

(3,500 - 5,500)

406 405 Detail

406 Detail

273

406A. 1936 model black duck, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Slightly turned and lifted head. Very good form. 17” long. Original paint with very slight wear; a few small dents mostly on back; very slight roughness to one edge of bill; neck repair.

(6,000 - 9,000)

406A

406A Detail

274

407. Very rare rigmate pair of widgeon, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. 1936 models with slightly turned heads. Both are from a hunting rig found near Anacortes, Washington in 1990s. Hen has slightly turned head. 15” long. Original paint with minor wear; small dents; both have professional bill replacements.

(12,500 - 17,500)

407

407 Detail 275

Louisiana

408

409

410

411

412

408. Mallard drake, Mitchell LaFrance, New Orleans, Louisiana. Relief wing carving. Stylized “R” is carved in the underside as well as nine digit number. 17” long. Original paint with minor wear; professional repair to a chip at the end of the bill appears to be have been done by LaFrance at a later date.

Provenance: Clyde Catha collection.

(3,000 - 5,000)

409. Back preening mallard drake, Mitchell LaFrance, New Orleans, Louisiana. Relief wing carving. 12.5” long. Original paint with minor wear; crack and small rough spot on one side; head and neck are professional replacements; inpainting on back.

(350 - 550)

276

410. Pair of teal, Earl Pearch, Houma, Louisiana Signed.

Raised carved wingtips. Very good and original.

(1,200 - 1,500) 411.

Pair of mallards, Charles Lynch, circa 1975. Very good and original.

(400 - 600)

412. Preening mallard hen carved in style of Mitchell Lafrance. Very good and original.

(400 - 600)

413

413. Extremely rare greenwing teal drake, Mitchell LaFrance, New Orleans, Louisiana. In preening pose with relief wing carving. Body is only 8” long. Original paint with numerous small scrapes; structurally very good.

Literature: “Louisiana Lures and Legends,” Brian Cheramie. “Louisiana Duck Decoys,” Charles Frank.

(20,000 - 25,000)

413 Detail 277

Sporting Art

414. “Boyhood Treasures,” an oil on board

by James Daly. Signed and dated 1994.

Image size 9” x 12”. Professionally framed. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,000)

414

415. “Defended Territory - Wolfpack,” an oil on canvas, Michael Sieve (b.

1951). Professionally framed. Image measures 21.5” x 37.5”. North American Timber wolves moving through wooded scene. Signed and dated 1980 in lower left. Excellent and original.

(1,500 - 2,500)

415

416.

416

278

Gouache on board, Richard Plasschaert, Minnesota (b. 1941). Image depicting three ringneck pheasants in flight alongside Midwestern hardwoods. Signed lower right. Professionally framed.

Measures 23” x 35”. Excellent and original.

(1,500 - 2,000)

417

418

419 417. “Quail Hunting in the Old Dominion,” an acrylic on board, George L. Connelly (b. 1908). Illustration art of two hunters. Signed lower right. Image depicting two hunters circa 1950 with setter. Measures 25” x 14”. Illustration for Sports Afield Magazine, story by Havilah Babcock, c. 1960s. Excellent and original.

(600 - 900) 418. “Along the Upper Yukon,” an oil on board by Ron Van Gilder, Minnesota (b. 1946). Image of Alaskan moose in meadow. Detailed background with mountains, marshy creek, and conifers. Signed lower right. Image measures 22” x 41.5”. Professionally framed. Excellent and original.

(600 - 900) 419. Oil on canvas of golden retriever mother and pup, Stanford Fenelle (1909-1995). Dogs resting alongside mallard decoys. Signed lower left. Professionally framed. Image size 21” x 29”. Excellent and original.

(600 - 800)

420

420. Oil on canvas, Ted Francis (1911-1994). Signed in the lower right. Illustration art of two anglers in row boat, in period clothing to 1930. Displaying license pins on hat and pants and fighting a fish with bait casting reel. Three areas of inpainting, one on stern of boat and on area of sky.

(500 - 800)

279

Miniatures

421. Shadow box model of four grouse in pine forest setting, A.J. King, North Scituate, Rhode Island. Signed.

Detailed feather carving and feather paint. 10.5” x 8.75” x 4.25”. Very good and original.

(3,000 - 4,000)

421

422. Shadow box model of four spruce partridge in forest setting, A.J. King, North Scituate, Rhode Island. Signed. Detailed feather carving. 10.5” x 8.25” x 4”. Very good and original. (3,000 - 4,000)

422

423. Shadow box containing six miniature doves with woodland background. A.J. King, North Scituate, Rhode Island. Signed. Shadow box is 8.5” x 10.5” x 4”. Very good and original.

(3,500 - 5,500)

423 280

424

425

426

427

428

429

424. Pair of miniature scoters, A.J. King, North Scituate, Rhode Island. Highly detailed feather carving. Base is 4” long. Very good and original.

(1,750 - 2,250) 425. Pair of lesser scaup, A.J. King, North Scituate, Rhode Island. Signed. Finely detailed feather carving and paint pattern. Base is 3.5” long. Very good and original.

(1,750 - 2,250) 426. Pair of miniature canvasbacks, A.J. King, North Scituate, Rhode Island. Signed. Finely detailed feather carving and paint. 4.5” base. Excellent and original.

(1,750 - 2,250)

427. Pair of miniature Canada geese, Ernie Muehlmatt. Signed and dated 11/72. Detailed feather carving. Feeder is a little over 8” long. On driftwood base. Small reglued crack in one wingtip, otherwise very good and original.

(600 - 900) 428. Pair of hooded mergansers mounted on wooden base. Leaded feet. 6.5” tall. Small area of paint loss on top of crest of both, otherwise very good and original.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(800 - 1,000)

429. Bluebill hen, Tom Schroeder, Detroit, Michigan, 2nd quarter 20th century. Detailed feather and tail carving.

7” long. Strong original paint.

(400 - 600)

281

430

432

433

431

430. Group of eight miniatures. By various carvers including, Dan Brown, Bobby Castleberry, Phil Galatas, Oliver Lawson. Sizes range from 3” to 6”. Original and good.

432. Two miniature carved flying goldeneyes, unknown carver, probably New England. Each measures 5” in length.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Provenance: Watson collection.

(800 - 1,200)

431. Canada goose, Ward Brothers, Crisfield, Maryland. Signed and dated 1962. Balsa construction, head is slightly turned. Fine feather painting. 9.75” long. Very good and original.

(400 - 600)

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 92, exact decoys pictured.

(300 - 400) 433. Miniature Canada goose, Doug Jester, Chincoteague, Virginia. 6” long. Excellent and original.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(200 - 300)

282

Sporting Art

435

434

436

437

434. “Chincoteague - June 1927” an etching by Roland Clark. Signed. Professionally matted and framed. Image size 6” x 8”. Very good and original.

(950 - 1,250) 435. “Woodcock with Young,” an acrylic on board, Carl Brenders. Signed. Professionally matted and framed.

Image size 8” x 5”. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,500)

437

436. “Swans” an acrylic on board by Dan Smith. Smith was the winner of the 1988 federal duck stamp competition.

Image size 7” x 10”. Professionally framed. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,000) 437. Four original pencil drawings by Larry Hayden. Two in each frame. Each image measures 6” x 7”. Images represented a Nate Quillen widgeon, a pair of bluebills in flight, a bluebill gunning decoy with double barrel shotgun, and a bluebill. Very good and original; a few very small imperfections due to stains in each of the four drawings.

(1,200 - 1,500)

283

438

440

439

441

438. Two sided oil on canvas by Victor Hartkopf (19091982). One side depicts covey of quail and the other side Rocky Mountain elk. Signed lower right elk side.

Professionally framed. 23.5” x 17.75”. Side with quail is very good and original; side with elk has three small areas of inpainting in sky above antlers.

(700 - 900) 439. Watercolor of greenwing teal, David Hagerbaumer (1921-2014). Professionally framed and matted. Image measures 16” x 21.5”. Excellent and original.

(800 - 1,200)

284

440. “Moving On,” a watercolor illustration, Gayle Hendrickson. Hendrickson was an artist for Brown & Bigelow Company, Minnesota. Image of hunter punting through marsh with boat loaded with decoys. Professionally framed and double matted. Image size 14” x 19”. A copy of the reproduction titled “Morning On” is attached to the back. Excellent and original.

(300 - 400) 441. Etching accompanied by original canceled strike by Brett Smith. Etching is titled “Dropping In.” Etching is signed by Brett. Both are professionally framed with double matting in shadow style frame. Etching measures 5” x 3.75”.

(700 - 1,000)

443

442 444

445

447

446 442. Oil on canvas, Donald Rust (b. 1932). Image of four sandhill cranes in flight in colored sky. Signed with copyright 2008 in lower right. Image size 19” x 23.5”.

Professionally framed. Very good and original.

(400 - 600) 443. Oil on canvas, Donald Rust (b. 1932). Image of Florida alligator sunning at water’s edge. Signed and dated lower left, copyright 2008. Professionally framed. Image size 20” x 23.5”. Very good and original.

(400 - 600) 444. “The Early Morning Start” an etching, J.N. “Ding” Darling. Signed “JN Darling 1931”. Image of punter pushing punt boat through the reeds with partner and decoys loaded on bow. Image measures 10.5” x 14”.

Professionally matted and framed with acid free backing. Very good and original.

(300 - 500)

445.

Oil on board, Meer. Image depicting white tail deer families in spring. Professionally framed and double matted.

Measures 14.5” x 16”. Excellent and original. (250 - 350)

446. Original artwork for Martin Fishing Reels advertising poster. 16” x 13.5”. Original and good.

(400 - 600) 447. Watercolor of canvasback flying over marsh, David Hagerbaumer (1921-2014). Signed. Professionally matted and framed. Image size 21” x 29”. Very good and original.

(450 - 750)

285

Bronzes and Decoratives 448. “Deux Chiens a’ Arret Devant une Perdrix,” a bronze sculpture of two hunting dogs and a grouse, Jules Mene (1810 - 1879). Signed. 16.25” long. Very good and original.

(1,250 - 1,750)

449. Greenwing teal drake bronze, William Schultz. Signed and dated 1977. Raised crossed wingtips. 10.5” long. Very good and original.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(1,000 - 1,400)

448 450. American merganser hen with lifted head, George W. Csefai (1937-1973). Signed. Detailed and layered feather carving at wings. Fluted tail and detailed crest carving. 21” long. Very good and original.

451. Pintail hen and drake, Steve Worona. Signed and dated 2000. Fine paint and carving detail. Hen is in sleeping pose.

Drake is 18” long. Very good and original.

449

450 286

Provenance: Miller collection.

(1,000 - 1,400)

Provenance: Miller collection.

(1,000 - 1,400)

451

452

453

454

455

456

457

452. Flying bluebill drake, upstate New York, unknown carver, 1st half 20th century. Carved in a landing position with metal feet dangling from the underside. Inserted metal wings appear to be tucked for catching wind.

Inserted hardwood tail and head that is slightly looking down. 22.5” long wingspan. At least two coats of old working paint, some of which is flaked on the underside; rough area at tail.

(800 - 1,200) 453. Snowy owl, carved by folk artist Victor Pelfree, Michigan, 2nd half 20th century. Carved from one piece of wood. Individual feather carving on breast. Pronounced and exaggerated feet. Display owl clutched on to a green post. Height is 18”. Strong original paint; a few very tight cracks, otherwise very good and original. (1,000 - 1,500) 454. Pair of goldeneye, Ken Gleason, Stratford, Connecticut. Signed and dated 1975. Inscription “Made

for Dick Stephenson.” Both have slightly turned heads and raised wing and tail carving. Longest is 15”. Very good and original.

(650 - 950) 455. Full size wood duck on driftwood, Larry Tawes, Sr., Salisbury, Maryland. Signed and dated 1997. Bird is 13” long with slightly turned head and detailed feather carving. Very good and original.

(650 - 950) 456. Pair of pintails, Bill Enright, 1948. 1st place winner Handmade class pintail pair, National Decoy Contest, Grand Central Palace, New York, New York. Longest is 19” Provenance: Miller collection.

(500 - 800)

457. Pair of full size chickadees on driftwood, Ernie Muehlmatt. Signed and dated 11/70. Raised carved wingtips. 5” tall. Original and good.

(600 - 900)

287

458

459

460

461

462

463

458. Two decorative pieces, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Both on burl wood. Flying pair of mallards, and a resting pair of mallards. Flying mallards have feet extending and wings cupped, with glass eyes. Base measures 6”. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,000) 459. Decorative cork body black duck, Harold Haertel, Dundee, Illinois. Signed and dated 1973. Cork body with wooden head and inserted wooden tail. Mahogany bottom board and keel. 17” long. Very good and original.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(1,000 - 1,400)

460. Pair of 1/4 size swans, Walter Ruppel, Portland, Oregon. Signed and dated 1974. One has an open mouth, the other is in preening pose. 10” long. Very good and original.

(600 - 900) 288

461. 2/3 size redhead drake, John Zachman. Branded “JZ” in underside. 11” long. Detailed wingtip and tail carving. Very good and original.

(300 - 400) 462. Sleeping cork body black duck, Harold Haertel, Dundee, Illinois. Wooden head with bill buried in feathers. Inserted wooden tail. 14.5” long. Cracks in cork in front part of decoy, otherwise good.

Provenance: Miller collection. Formerly in the collection of George Ross Starr and so stamped.

(400 - 600)

463. Greenwing teal in content pose, Steve Worona. Signed and dated 1999. Slightly turned head and raised wing carving. 11” long. Very good and original.

Provenance: Miller collection.

(500 - 800)

Shorebirds

465

464

467

466

468

464. Feeding yellowlegs, unknown maker, circa 1900. One of a group popularized by Mackey for their feeding position and absence of bill. 14” long. Strong original paint; some natural cracks in wood and wear at edge of tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City.

Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 62 and 63, exact decoy pictured.

(1,000 - 1,500) 465. Very rare feeding yellowlegs, Rhodes Truex, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1st quarter 20th century. Wooden bill is splined through back of head. 12.5” long. Strong original paint; small areas of paint loss on bill; wear on tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,200 - 1,500) 466. Yellowlegs, probably from Southern New Jersey, circa 1900. Part of a famous rig of 10 owned by Bill Mackey.

All of which were in a feeding position and carved without bills. 14” long. Strong original paint; moderate wear; two shot holes.

470

469

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

467. Primitive curlew, unknown carver, North Carolina. Root head, applied with several nails that have rusted. 13” long. Strong original paint; slight separation at neck seam.

(800 - 1,200) 468. Lesser yellowlegs, unknown maker. Carved in the style of Melvin Lawrence. Made from one piece of wood with shoe button eyes. Probably made around 1960. 7.25” long. Original paint; structurally good; very light wear at edge of tail.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 50, exact decoy pictured.

(600 - 800) 469. Yellowlegs, unknown maker. Minnow in mouth style.

Painted eye. Appears to be about 50 years old. 10.5” long. Original and good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(400 - 600)

470. Two shorebirds from North Carolina. Silhouette

by Clarence Lewis, Boyce, North Carolina, used on Portsmouth Island, North Carolina by late Ben Fulcher, a guide from Ocracoke. Red knot, Lionel Mason, Atlantic, North Carolina. 9” long. Red knot was never painted; has square cut nail and imperfection to wood on one side; other is very good and original.

(500 - 800)

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 62 and 63, exact decoy pictured.

(1,000 - 1,500) 289

472

471

473 471. Tiny sandpiper possibly from Virginia, last quarter 19th century. 4.25” long. Mixture of original and old in use repaint; thin cracks in head.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 71, exact decoy pictured.

(3,000 - 5,000) 472. Ruddy turnstone, Obediah Verity, Seaford, Long Island, New York, 3rd quarter 20th century. Carved wings and carved eyes. 9.5” long. Paint has been restored; bill is a replacement; minor roughness to edges of tail; small cracks and shot marks.

(1,500 - 2,000) 290

473. Rare golden plover, Ichabod and Lafayette Seabury, Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York, 2nd quarter 19th century. From the Seabury’s early carving period. 11.5” long. Original paint with moderate wear; lightly hit by shot.

(3,500 - 4,500)

Ira Hudson

1876 - 1949 Chincoteague, Virginia PLATE 135. Ira Hudson saw all shore birds with thin necks in an extended, alert position. Consequently, most collectors find his snipe without heads.

The delightful yellowlegs by him at left in this photo was most impractical, and few survive intact. The little “peep” at right, an unidentified “beach bird,” would only come from Barnegat, New Jersey. “ The most prolif ic and best commercial decoy maker Virginia ever produced, however, was Ira Hudson (1876-1949), of Chincoteague.

Hudson also built excellent small boats, his main source of income, but duck, geese, brant, and shorebird decoys occupied much of his time.”

- William Mackey

475. Greater yellowlegs, Ira Hudson, Chincoteague, Virginia, 1st quarter 20th century. Stylish long extended neck. Written in ink “Yellowlegs, Ira Hudson Chincoteague, Virginia”.

13” long. Body has original paint with scratch feathers on back; rough area at edge of tail; small chip missing at face under the bill; rubs and paint loss on body; bill is a later replacement.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Mackey collection stamp on underside. Exhibited at the 1966 IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences in New York City. Exhibited at the 1967 St. Paul Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

475

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 59, exact decoy pictured.

(8,000 - 12,000) 291

Firearms

476

476. Impressive double barrel 8 gauge percussion gun. “London” on barrel. Side plates are engraved with a company name that is too worn to read. Fancy trigger guard. 61” in length, barrel is 44”. Crack in wood in front of action; very nice patina; ramrod under barrels.

(2,500 - 4,000)

476 Detail

477 477.

10 gauge double barrel percussion fowling gun. “T. Gardner” inscribed on side plates. Made of laminated steel. High quality burled wood stock with fine checkering. Engraving on trigger guard, side plates, and action. Barrel length 34”. Butt plate has image of snipe and duck.

(1,500 - 2,500)

477 Detail

478

478 Detail

478. Single shot 4 gauge percussion fowling gun.

(1,000 - 1,500)

479 479 Detail

292

479. Single barrel percussion fowling rifle. 10 gauge.

Side plate reads “W Parker,” with engraving. Brass engraved butt plate and brass engraved trigger guard.

Ramrod under barrel. Gun length is 67”. Barrel length is 52”.

(600 - 900)

Calls

480. Very rare crow call, Charles Perdew, Henry Illinois, circa 1935. With carved crow at nest with tree. 5.5” long. Very good and original.

Provenance: Lloyd Griffith collection. From an estate in northern Florida, lot 43 in the July 1999 Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. auction.

Literature: “Perdew an Illinois River Tradition,” Ann Tandy Lacy, p. 53.

(6,500 - 9,500)

480

480A. Extremely rare carved crow call, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois, circa 1935. Carved and painted scene depicts two crow in tree with nest. 5.5” tall.

Significant paint shrinkage.

Provenance: Lloyd Griffith collection.

From an estate in northern Florida, lot 42 in the July 1999 Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. auction.

(2,000 - 3,000)

480B. Early carved duck call, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois Initials “MRE” as well as three flying mallards are carved into the call. 6.5” long. Stopper, wedge block, and reed are replaced, otherwise excellent.

480A

Provenance: Lloyd Griffith collection.

Formerly in the Perdew estate, lot 45 in the July 1999 Guyette & Schmidt, Inc. decoy auction.

(2,000 - 3,000)

480B

293

Wendell Fritz Wendell Fritz was born in Imboden, Arkansas on July 14, 1940 where his father tended to the family farm. In 1948, the Fritz family moved to Senath, Missouri, near the St. Francis River in Missouri’s bootheel.

Fritz was a serious duck hunter and caller, and loved duck hunting in the timbers. He used as many as 8 of his own calls while hunting. He hand whittled his first duck call in 1960. Over the next few years, he made five more Arkansas style duck calls fashioned after Warner Wiles and equipped with metal reeds. Fritz later replaced the original metal reeds with plastic reeds presumably to make the calls easier to tune.

In 1973, Fritz visited Claude Stone, a legendary call maker from Hornersville, Missouri and a contemporary of J.T. Beckhart. He watched Stone turn call barrels on his lathe and was, perhaps, the last callmaker to receive such instruction from Stone. Fritz continued to visit Claude Stone’s shop on a regular basis until Stone’s death on October 5, 1973. Wendell Fritz died in 2016.

481

482

481. Early checkered duck call, Wendell Fritz, Senath, Missouri. Signed “W. Fritz” at top of barrel. Arkansas style stopper has number “2” stamped in it. 6.5”. Very good and original.

(3,000 - 4,000) 482. Duck call, William Clifford, River Forest, Illinois. Very appealing laminated call with alternating variations of wood. 7”. Very good and original, with a few very small scratches at the top of the stopper.

(3,000 - 4,000)

294

483

483. Duck call, Olt Manufacturing, Pekin, Illinois. One of 14 Magnum duck calls. Elaborately carved barrel.

6.5”. Unused.

Provenance: Formerly collection of Tom Williams.

(1,200 - 1,500)

484

485

484. Duck call, William Clifford, River Forest, Illinois. The rarest of the brick model calls. Six layers. Birdseye maple stopper. 7” long. Very good and original.

(6,000 - 8,000)

484 Detail

485. Rare and important duck call, Kinney & Harlow, Norwalk, Ohio, circa 1900. Realfoot style insert.

Hen mallard. 6” tall. Leather has crazed; some small areas of staining on head.

(8,000 - 12,000)

485 Detail Kinney & Harlow

In 1988, Howard Harlan and Crew Anderson published the first comprehensive book on duck calls. At that time, Howard thought so much of the Kinney & Harlow Duck calls that he dedicated an entire chapter to the company. The beginning of the chapter opens up with these words: In the authors opinion, these calls are by far some of the finest examples of folk art to be found. The workmanship is surpassed by none and the detail is exact to the finest point. C.L.V. Kinney and William F. Harlow are said to have made calls together in the early 1900s. Kinney was a trap shooter and decoy maker but better known for his beautiful duck head calls, one of which is shown on the cover of this book. Made around 1900, they are very rare and only three of four are known to exist. Harlow worked with Kinney at the Worley Stove Manufacturing Company in Newark, Ohio. Harlow was a market hunter, famous trap shooter, and pattern maker for the Stove Company, and owner of Farquhar and Steinbaugh sporting goods store in Newark, Ohio, where he made the calls beginning around 1918.

Now, more than the original four calls have surfaced, but the appreciation of them has not diminished in the least.

295

486

488

487

489

486. Duck call, Bill Clifford, River Forest, Illinois. Plain barrel with matching wood on both stopper and barrel. 6.75”. Excellent.

(1,500 - 2,000) 487. Rare checkered duck call, Tiff Roseberry III, Murphysboro, Illinois. Three paneled call.

5.25”. Very good and original.

(1,500 - 2,000)

488. Tru-tone duck call, Oak Park, Illinois. Rare blue label. Stamped “Tru-tone Oak Park Hill” on barrel. Birdseye maple stopper. Small areas of varnish loss on one side, otherwise good and original.

(1,500 - 2,200) 489. Five duck calls. Two tongue pinchers, made of both wood and horn. Three calls by Charles Perdew, a crow call, a cedar duck call with wood imperfections on barrel and stopper, and a carved duck call with two ducks and a panel with “O.D.T.” carved inside. Mouth piece is clear bakelight. All original with tight crack in stopper and light wear.

296

Provenance: Mackey collection. (2,000 - 3,000)

490

491

490. Duck call, John Jolly, Proctor, Arkansas. Smaller timber call with plain barrel. 5.5”. Original and good.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Bill Ahrenkiel.

(2,000 - 2,500)

491. Duck call, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. Carved call with three flying ducks, red mouth piece, and initials, “GJS” carved into banner. 6” tall. Nice patina from use in the field; structurally good.

492

492. Duck call, Charles Schoenheider, Jr., Peoria, Illinois. Schoenheider’s personal call with initials on barrel. Laminate construction. Flying mallard painted under varnished surface. Olt stopper.

5.25”. Structurally good; stopper has a few small scratches or dents.

Provenance: Formerly in the collections of Bill Ahrenkiel and Dick Slough.

(2,500 - 3,500)

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 86, exact call pictured.

(2,000 - 3,000)

297

493

497

495

498

499

493. Duck call. 6”. Sticker on side indicates maker Oren Reising, Ottawa, Illinois. Amber mouthpiece with two diamond checkers carved on barrel. Wedge block is a replacement; small area of chip carving on stopper; a few small scratches.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

495.

(1,200 - 1,500)

Rare Rich-N-Tone duck call, Stuttgart, Arkansas. Brass ring at end of barrel retains original sticker. 4.75”. Made from Micarta. Excellent and original.

(800 - 1,200)

496. Rare duck call, Roseberry Family, Murphysboro, Illinois. Barrel by Tiff Roseberry, Jr., stopper by Tiff Roseberry III. Smooth barrel with cedar stopper.

5.25”. Very good and original.

(800 - 1,200) 497. Duck call, John “Sandy” Morrow, Flint, Michigan. Smooth barrel that is highly burled.

6”. Scratches in varnish on one side.

(800 - 1,200) 298

496

500

498. Duck call, Clyde Hancock, Stuttgart, Arkansas. Plain barrel. Wood is possibly badock. 5”. Excellent.

(750 - 1,000) 499. Duck call, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois. VL&A style with “VL & A” carved in one of the four checkered panels.

6”. Wear to one checker panel and collar is broken off on one side.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 86, exact call pictured.

(700 - 900) 500. Duck call, Alvin Taylor, Clarendon, Arkansas. Metal call, perhaps stainless, with brass ring at end of barrel. 5”.

Excellent.

(600 - 800)

501

502

503

504A

504

505

506

501. Duck call, Ray Wright, Lake Station, Indiana. Made from Micarta. Four checkered raised panels with two silver etched design rings. One on barrel and one on stopper.

Arkansas style stopper. 5.5”.

(500 - 1,000) 502. Duck call, Jim Hill, Taylor, Michigan. Made from wood and Micarta. Call measures 6”. Excellent and original.

(500 - 1,000) 503. Duck call, Mike Pahl, Columbus, Ohio. Made from Micarta with scrimshaw design covering entire call.

5.25”. Excellent and original.

(500 - 1,000) 504. Duck call, Howard Harlan, Nashville, Tennessee. Two checkered panels, outlined with carved oak leaves and acorns. Arkansas insert with double reed. 6.75”. Excellent.

(300 - 400) 504A. Three duck calls. Two Tru-Tone, Oak Park, Illinois. One triple reed Sure-Shot. Tru-Tone measures 7” and has a few dents in stopper. Other Tru-Tone measures 6” and was

stamped twice in the same area on the label. Sure-Shot is excellent.

(200 - 300) 505. Three calls. A crow call, Charles Perdew, Henry, Illinois.

5.25” and an early and large tongue pincher style duck call, and a mechanical crank call. 6”. Two pieces of wood secured by string. Appears to be very early. Perdew has small dents and scrapes; Crank call has some rust and small amount of damage; Lower piece of string is broken; a couple small chips missing.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 86, exact Perdew call pictured. “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 86, exact crank call. “American Bird Decoys,” William Mackey, Jr., p. 37, exact call.

(300 - 500) 506. Duck call store display model. R.W. Etherton, St. Louis, Missouri. A working novelty call. 17”. Areas of wear on stopper and one area of barrel where call must have laid on its side.

(250 - 500) 299

Miscellaneous Decoys

507

508

509

507. Seven folding tin yellowlegs in carrying box. Contains one original stick. All very good and original.

Provenance: Mackey collection.

(800 - 1,000)

508. Red knot from Seaford, Long Island, New York. Shoe button eyes, carved shoulder, raised wings and dropped tail. Mackey stamp on underside, along with “W” carved under tail. 9” long. Old paint, some of which is original; damage at end of tail; rough area at top of head; bill is an old replacement; several shot marks.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(800 - 1,200)

300

509. Passenger pigeon and two dove decoys, probably two unknown makers. Largest is 11” long. Dove are in original paint, one has broken and missing bill; pigeon is original paint with sticker paper label with Mackey’s paper label on side indicating Long Island as the origin.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, intro, exact decoy pictured. (1,000 - 1,500)

510

512

515

511

514

513

516

517

510. Greenwing teal hen, Harold Haertel, painted by Gene Konopasek. With inscription written on underside as a gift to Mackey dated 1964. 11” long. Strong original paint; slight separation and paint loss where head and neck meet.

514.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(600 - 800)

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(400 - 600)

511. Sleeping bluewing teal, carved from one piece of wood. Wingtips are raised, tail is fluted, and eyes are carved as slits to invoke sleeping quality. Fine chip carving over much of body. 9” long. Original paint that has worn in some areas; crack in one side of body.

515. Merganser drake, “Gunner” Alvin Meekins, Hooper’s Island, Maryland. 18” long. Original paint with moderate wear; crack in back; roughness to end of crest.

(250 - 350)

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(1,200 - 1,500)

512. Two crow decoys and an owl. Herter’s crow with bill that has been broken and reattached. Unknown maker crow, original paint crack running length of one side of body. Smaller owl in original paint. Largest crow is 16.5” in length, owl is 10”.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 80, exact decoy pictured.

(400 - 500) 513.

Cast iron sink box decoy of a redhead. 14” long. Multiple coats of old paint; structurally good.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(500 - 700)

Swan head, Lloyd Johnson, Bayhead, New Jersey, circa 1960. Separates into two pieces, evenly cut down the middle. Probably used as a pattern for the swans Johnson made. 14” in height. Structurally good; varnish is lightly crazed and mellowed.

516. Miniature redhead drake mounted on wooden base, Robert McGaw, Havre de Grace, Maryland. 5.5” long. Strong original paint; mild crazing, mostly on head; small area of paint loss at crown of head.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

(200 - 400)

517. Fish decoy, Lake St. Clair, Michigan. Metal fins and wooden tail. 5” long. Old working repaint; one fin is missing; chips and flaking on body.

Provenance: Mackey collection. Mackey collection stamp on underside.

Literature: “American Decoys,” Quintina Colio, p. 517, exact decoy pictured.

(100 - 200)

End of Session Two 301

Index of Carvers Dawson, Walter “Tube”............................................................222 Adamson, Harry Curieux..........................................................168 Andreuccetti, Emilio.................................................................366 Anger, Ken................................................................................392 Archer, Sam.............................................................................36A Barnett, J...................................................................................182 Barton, Roger............................................................................290 Bergman, Charles................................................ 363-365,367,368 Birch, Charles...................................................................93,95,97 Blair, Jr., John............................................................. 36C,36B,42 Bonner, Dick........................................................292,294,299,300 Bowman, William.....................................................................328 Brenders, Carl...........................................................................435 Brittingham, John......................................................................136 Brown, Isaiah............................................................................330 Bryan, Charlie...........................................................................288 Buchner, Frank..............................................................41,230,231 Burr, Russ....................................................................................32 Capriola, Rob............................................................................280 Chambers, Tom................................................................. 332-334 Cheesman, Vern........................................................................119 Clark, Roland.....................................................................113,484 Clifford, William.........................................................482,484,486 Cobb, Nathan.................................................................91B,92,96 Conklin, Roy.............................................................................147 Connelly, George......................................................................417 Crawford, Buck.........................................................................388 Crowell, Elmer.......28-30,289,310-312,316,317,372,373,377,382 Csefai, George...........................................................................450 Daly, James...............................................................................414 Dando, A.J...................................................................................27 Darling, J.N...............................................................................444 Dawson, John..............................................................................35 Dawson, Walter “Tube”............................................................222 DeMott, Daniel.........................................................................326 Dempster Mill Manufacturing, ...............................................242 Dilley, John...............................................................................325 Dodge Decoy Factory, ........................................266,271,272,353 Ducharme, Duncan...................................................................385 Dudley, Lee...............................................................................100 Dumas, Jack..............................................................................176 DuPont ......................................................................................88 Dwyer, James............................................................................110 Eaton, Eben Weed.....................................................................360 Ellis, Billy.................................................................................391 Elliston, Robert...................................................60B,224,226,234 English, John...................................................................40,43,199 English/Dawson ........................................................................37 Enright, Bill..............................................................................456 Etherton, R.W............................................................................506 Everett, Fred..............................................................................181 Fenelle, Stanford.......................................................................419 Finney, Frank..............................................................................14 Fitzpatrick, Tom............................................................38,195,200

Folger Family, .........................................................................378 Foote, Jim..................................................................................303 Francis, Ted...............................................................................420 Fritz, Wendell............................................................................481 Garren, Otto..............................................................................233 Gelston, Thomas.......................................................................216 Gibian, William...........................................................275,301,302 Gibson, Paul.......................................................................285,286 Gilder, Ron Van.........................................................................418 Gillette, William........................................................................187 Gleason, Ken.............................................................................454 Goodwin, Richard LaBarre.......................................................183 Graham, John............................................................................283 Grant, Henry.............................................................................196 Grant, Stanley...........................................................................197 Graves, Bert..................................... 123,228,229,341A,341B,344 Gromee, Owen..........................................................................109 Haertel, Harold............................................................459,462,510 Hagerbaumer, David...................................................177,439,447 Hancock, Clyde.........................................................................498 Hanson, Marty......................................................................11,277 Harlan, Howard.........................................................................504 Hartkopf, Victor........................................................................438 Hartung, Adam............................................................................56 Hayden, Larry....................................................................306,437 Hayes Decoy Factory ..............................................................269 Hendrickson, Gayle...................................................................440 Herter’s Decoy Factory ...........................................................270 Heverin, Will......................................................................129,132 Hill, Jim....................................................................................502 Holly, James T...........................................................................126 Horner, Rowley.........................................................................191 Hotze, Hiram.............................................................................223 Hudson, Ira........................................................91,94,221,291,475 Huff, Charles.............................................................................193 Hummer Manufacturing ..........................................................241 Hunt, Lynn Bogue........................................ 104-107,169,170,175 Jaques, Francis..........................................................................108 Jester, Doug.......................................................................91C,433 Johnson, Ralph..........................................................................237 Johnson, Lloyd..........................................................................514 Jolly, John..........................................................................245,490 Jones, Bob.................................................................................341 Kerr, Robert.......................................................................279,305 Kessler, George.........................................................................348 King, A.J........................................................................... 421-426 Kinney & Harlow......................................................................485 Kouba, Les................................................................................184 Lafrance, Mitchell.......................................................408,409,413 Laing, Albert......................................................................309,315 Lawrence, Melvin Gardner.......................................................371 Lawson, Oliver............................................. 127,128,131,133-135 Lincoln, Joseph.........................................................................313 Lipke, Paul.............................................................................49,50

Lynch, Charles..........................................................................411 Maass, David..................................................................... 165-167 Machen, William.......................................................................171 Malloch, P.D...............................................................................74 Martin Fishing Reels, ..............................................................446 Mason Decoy Factory .149-164,264-267E,273,349-352,354,355 McAlpin, Cline.........................................................................120 McAnney, John.........................................................................207 McGaw, Robert.........................................................................516 McIntyre, Cameron......................................................12,15,18,31 Mcloughlin, John........................................................................39 McNair, Mark............................................. 10,13,16,17,19-21,274 Meekins, Alvin..........................................................................515 Meer ........................................................................................445 Mene, Jules...............................................................................448 Meriden Firearms Company .....................................................84 Meucci, Michelangelo...............................................................186 Mill, Roy...................................................................................386 Mitchell, Madison.....................................................................287 Moak, Augustus.....................................................................58,59 Monahan, Hugh.........................................................................174 Morrow, John............................................................................497 Muehlmatt, Ernie...............................................................427,457 Noland, Arthur..........................................................................395 Odeon, Leonis...........................................................................278 Olt Manufacturing ...................................................................483 O’Neal, Ike................................................................................103 O’Neal Family ..........................................................................34 Pahl, Mike.................................................................................503 Pearch, Earl...............................................................................410 Pelfree, Victor...........................................................................453 Peltier, Larry Joseph...................................................................69 Perdew, Charles... 22-26,60C,60D,116-118,121,227,250,343,345347,458,480-480B,491,199 Peters Cartridge Company ........................................................83 Peterson, Oscar......................................................... 60F-65,67,70 Pirnie, Miles............................................................................. 60E Plasschaert, Richard.............................................112,114,179,416 Poulin, Daryl.............................................................................180 Reeves, Charles.........................................................................331 Reindahl, Enoch..........................................................................55 Renardson, Robert.....................................................................337 Reneson, Chet...........................................................................172 Rich-N-Tone, ..........................................................................495 Roseberry, Tiff....................................................................487,496 Ruppel, Walter..........................................................................460 Rusin, Leonard..........................................................................173 Rust, Donald......................................................................442,443 Scheeler, John...........................................................................293 Schiffer, Lou..............................................................................276 Schmidt, Ben..........................................................................51,53 Schmiedlin, Jim.................................................................... 44-48 Schoeneider, Sr., Charles.....................................122.238.240.492 Schroeder, Tom..................................................... 33,296-298,429

Schultz, William........................................................................449 Schweikart, John.........................................................................57 Seabury, Ichabod and Lafayette................................................473 Shortt, Angus............................................................................185 Shourds, Harry V.................................189,192,193A,194,203,204 Sibley, George.............................................................................52 Sibley, Walter...........................................................................60A Sieve, Michael...........................................................................415 Smith, Bret.........................................................................111,441 Smith, Del.................................................................................304 Smith, Dan................................................................................436 Smithers, Ralph.........................................................................335 Sterling, Lloyd..........................................................................130 Stevens Brothers .....................................................................148 Strey, Frank..........................................................................54,239 Swisher & Soules ....................................................................268 Tawes, Larry.............................................................................455 Taylor, Alvin.............................................................................500 Thibert, Hormidas.....................................................................393 Thomas, Charles.......................................................................383 Truex, Rhodes....................................................................190,465 Tru-tone ...................................................................................488 Tully, Bud...............................................................................397A Tuveson Factory ......................................................................267 Valley, Mike....................................................................71,72,281 Verity, Obediah....................................................214,215,324,472 Walker, Charles..................................................................124,342 Walters, Hank..............................................................................73 Ward Brothers ..................................75-82,137-143,398-407,431 Warin, George....................................................................336,396 Wells, John R.........................................................................329A Westcott, Josiah.........................................................................211 Wheeler, Chauncey.........................................................145,147B Wheeler, Shang.........................................................................308 White, Bob.................................................................................8,9 Whittington, Hector..................................................................236 Williams, John............................................................................90 Willis, Martin Wayne................................................................178 Wilson, Gus..........................................................356,357,361,362 Wooster, Joseph.........................................................................295 Worona, Steve....................................................................451,463 Wright, Ray...............................................................................501 Zachman, John..............................................................66,307,461 Zachman, John..........................................................................307 Zachman, John..........................................................................461

Collection Planning Program

Enjoy Collecting Now and Plan Ahead With a forty year history, you can rely on the Guyette & Deeter decoy auction house as the most trusted decoy auction firm to handle your estate planning and collection management needs. Whether it’s for tax purposes, estate planning, gifting, charitable giving or insurance purposes, let us manage and periodically update a comprehensive written appraisal of your collection.

Gary and Jon are available to work with banks, attorneys, trust and estate officers, probate court, private clients and family members who may be responsible for the dispersal of estates and collections.

Let professionals document your collection with accurate values and descriptions. We will work closely with you to ensure that your wishes are established at agreed upon terms and conditions now, to make it easier to administer your estate later.

Please contact Gary or Jon to discuss our Collection Planning Program today.

With several options, we make it easy for you to reach us: Gary Guyette PO Box 1170 • St. Michaels MD 21663 (410) 745-0485 • (410) 745-0487 fax gary@guyetteanddeeter.com Jon Deeter 7980 Darbys Run • Chagrin Falls OH 44023 (440) 610-1768 jdeeter@guyetteanddeeter.com For more information, visit our website: www.guyetteanddeeter.com

NORTH AMERICAN

Vintage Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show SHOW SCHEDULE Tuesday, April 23 All Day — Room-to-Room Trading

• The largest decoy and sporting collectibles show in North America • Room-to-Room Trading • Guyette & Deeter Auction • MegaCenter Dealer Show • Heron Lake/Delta Marsh Display • Native American Fish Decoy Display • Benz Factory Decoy Display • Exhibit of Work by Geoff Vine • And much more!

Pheasant Run Resort – ST. CHARLES, IL –

Sponsored by the Midwest Decoy Collectors Assn.

For information on daily events, booking rooms, and reserving selling tables go to

midwestdecoy.org OR CALL 586-530-6586

Wednesday, April 24 All Day — Room-to-Room Trading 6pm — Auction Preview Reception (St. Charles Ballroom)

Thursday, April 25 All Day — Room-to-Room Trading 8:30am - Delta Marsh Seminar (Turquoise A&B/ Second Floor Tower) 10am — Missouri Decoy Study Group Meeting (Ruby/Second Floor Tower) 11am-2:00pm — Member Registration (Library) 11am — Guyette & Deeter Auction Day 1 (St. Charles Ballroom) 4pm — Evans Collector Meeting (New Orleans Ballroom) 6pm — Call Makers/Collectors Auction & Party (New Orleans Ballroom)

Friday, April 26 9am — Call Makers Meeting & Contest Judging (New Orleans Ballroom) 10am — Guyette & Deeter Auction Day 2 (St. Charles Ballroom) 11am — Member Registration (MegaCenter) 12 noon-2pm — Members Only “Early Bird” Show (MegaCenter) 2pm-7pm — Public Sales Event (MegaCenter) – Vintage Heron Lake/Delta Marsh Decoy Display – Vintage Native American Fish Decoy Display – Lake Poygan Shooting Box Display – Shell Box Display – Benz Factory Decoy Display – Featured Carver Exhibit – Geoff Vine – Contemporary Waterfowl/Fish Carver Demonstrations/Displays – Continuous Silent Auctions – Free Identification and Appraisals – Member “My Favorite Redhead” Contest Registration 7:00pm — Member Fish Fry (Jambalaya Hotel Restaurant)

Saturday, April 27 9am-2pm — Public Sales Event (MegaCenter) Displays/Demonstrations/Appraisals/Auctions/ Contest Registration Continue

American Decoy: The Invention February 9 – April 28 Peoria Riverfront Museum For the first time ever, in the largest museum exhibition of its kind ever organized, the Peoria Riverfront Museum brings together more than 200 of the world’s most significant waterfowl decoys, including rare birds on loan from Vermont’s Shelburne Museum, Maryland’s Ward Museum and private national collections, along with 100 related artifacts with “American Decoy: The Invention” exhibition.

FEBRUARY 9 -APRIL 28

The exhibition tells the story of this uniquely American invention first created by indigenous tribes 2,000 years ago to attract sustenance from the skies. Often called the finest visual art form ever created in the U.S. the decoy has become an object of art, history and storytelling, sought after by collectors worldwide.

Decoys in the exhibition, clockwise: Charles Schoenheider Sr., “American merganser pair,” c. 1910, on loan from the collection of Thomas K. Figge; Elmer Crowell, “Preening black duck,” c. 1920 and Lee Dudley, “Ruddy duck hen,” pre-1900, both on loan from Shelburne Museum.

222 SW Washington St. Peoria, IL | 309.686.7000 | RiverfrontMuseum.org

Tw Ava o ila Ve b rs le i io n ns !

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ORDER NOW Kindle • www.amazon.com iPad • www.itunes.com Nook • www.bn.com Others • www.mytabletbooks.com

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by Russ J. Goldberger & Alan G. Haid www.RJGAntiques.com • 603.433.1770 • PO Box 60, Rye, NH 03870

DUCK.DUCK.BEER. At RNT Calls we want to give our customers more than just a place to buy duck calls because we are more than a manufacturing facility. We are a destination where you can watch the process of building the worlds leading waterfowl calls, merge precision technology with classic call-making craftsmanship to create a timeless work of art that can only be produced here in the “Duck Capital of the World.�

Work with our Custom Call Shop on designing that one of a kind personal custom call. Shop our new retail space for unique call related items, apparel, headwear, and artisan crafted goods. Expand your appreciation and education of waterfowling artifacts through our rotating museum-quality displays. All of this can be done under one roof while enjoying the most exceptional craft beer our state has to offer.

The Flying Duck is the only taproom of its kind, totally dedicated to the history and the craft of the American duck and goose call. The idea for our new space was founded by a group of collectors and call-makers that want to raise a higher awareness of the history and the craft of the great call makers of the past. The hobby of collecting vintage calls, as a whole, has experienced a dwindling number in young collectors. The Flying Duck hopes to spark the interest of this younger group, through its extensive call collection, call-maker information, rotating exhibits, seminars, and knowledgeable curators. It is up to us as waterfowl enthusiasts to pass these precious artifacts and their history along to the next generation, so that the legacy of the American duck call will forever perpetuate.

RNT CALLS, INC. - STUTTGART, AR - 1.888.RNT.CALL - www.rntcalls.com

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by James R. Doherty • Featuring New Jersey’s finest coastal decoys in original paint • 216 pages with 426 color photographs • Accurate decoy maker identification • 1000 numbered First Edition copies

To Order: Send a check payable to Jim Doherty in the amount of $66.00 for each book ordered.

Mail to: Weber Display & Packaging Attn: Jim Doherty 3500 Richmond Street Philadelphia PA 19134

Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

Glimpse the beauty of wildfowl from around the world

Gallery Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday: Noon-5 p.m.

Members enjoy free admission 909 S. Schumaker Drive, Salisbury, MD 21804 410-742-4988

WARDMUSEUM.ORG

Ira Hudson Duck Family

The Museum features the world’s largest and finest public collection of decorative and antique decoys Join as a member, make a donation or plan a legacy gift today!

Contact Executive Director Lora Bottinelli at 410-742-4988, Ext. 111

2019 Clayton Decoy/Wildlife Art & Sporting Collectibles Show July 19th & 20th (Friday and Saturday) | 9am - 6 pm Friday & 9 am - 4pm Saturday Gordon Cerow Recreation Park | 615 E Line Rd, Clayton, New York

CLAYTON

TIDCA Display: Thousand Islands black ducks and mallards Black Ducks by Sam Denny, Clayton, NY

TIDCA Vintage Decoy Contest - Friday July 19th Decoy and Antique Auction - Friday, July 19th: ( www.chappysplace.com or www.auctionzip.com )

Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario: pre 1980; any species or maker

Goose or Brant; pre 1980: any species, maker or style

Favorite vintage decoy: pre 1960; any species, maker or style

For more information visit www.timuseum.org or call 315-686-5794

East Coast Decoy Collectors Buy, Sell, & Swap April 11 - 13, 2019

In rooms - rain or shine St. Michaels Motor Inn St. Michaels, MD 410-745-3333 (Mention Event) Saturday late afternoon/evening Meeting and cookout For more information contact: Tim Sieger 631-537-0153 sieger@hamptons.com Public Welcome!

Free decoy appraisals

Find us on Facebook facebook.com/mymaritimemuseum

CONDITIONS OF SALE ‑- PLEASE READ 1.

GUARANTEE ‑ We have made a consistent effort in correctly cataloging and describing the property to be sold. The decoys and paintings have guaranteed condition reports. Should the need arise, the auctioneer reserves the right to make verbal corrections and provide additional information from the block, at the time of the sale. Absentee bids will not be executed on items that are found to be other than described in the catalog. Since opinions can differ, particularly in the matter of condition, the auctioneer will be sole judge in the matter of refunds.

2.

DURATION OF GUARANTEE ‑ Request for refund for items purchased IN PERSON at the auction must be made within 3 days of the sale. If you are an absentee or phone bidder it is your responsibility to examine the lot immediately upon receipt. On items purchased absentee, the guarantee will end 3 days from the date of delivery. Therefore, all guarantees on items purchased will become null and void 7 calendar days from the date of shipment. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IF YOU PAY LATE, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GUARANTEE. Payment must be postmarked no later than 30 days after the auction.

3.

PROTESTED BIDS ‑ In the case of a disputed bid, the auctioneer is the sole determinant as to who the successful bidder is, and at his discretion, may reoffer and resell the article in dispute. If a dispute arises after the sale, the auctioneer’s sales records shall be conclusive as to who the purchaser was, and the purchase price.

4.

BIDDING - Bidding usually starts below the low estimate and advances in increments of approximately 10% of the opening bid subject to the auctioneer’s discretion. The auctioneer reserves the right, at his sole discretion, to refuse any bids that he deems unreasonable. The minimum bid increment guideline is as follows: $500 to $1000 - $25 $10,000 to $20,000 - $500 $100,000 and above - $2,000 $1000 to $10,000 - $100 $20,000 to $100,000 - $1,000 5.

ABSENTEE BIDS ‑ Phone or mail bids, at the discretion of the Auctioneer, will be accepted with a 20% deposit. In such case, the bookkeeper will execute such bids competitively. Absentee bids are executed by the bookkeeper on behalf of the bidder in accordance with the bid increment policy shown above. Please review the rules governing both absentee and phone bids in the back of the catalog.

6.

TERMS ‑ All items are to be paid for in U.S. funds on the day of the auction. No items will be released until they are paid for. Those who have not established an account with us and wish to pay by check, must do so prior to the beginning of the auction, by presenting a current letter of reference from their bank, or by providing references, that are suitable to the Auctioneer. The Auctioneer reserves the right to hold merchandise purchased by personal check, until the check has cleared the bank. Phone and absentee bidders ‑ You will be notified one week after the auction of your bids/results.

PAYMENT IS DUE UPON RECEIPT. A late charge will be accessed on all balances not paid, at the rate of 12% A.P.R. commencing 30 days after the auction. If any accounts become more than 60 days overdue, the consignor will be given the name of the buyer who is responsible for holding up their funds. Guyette & Deeter will not carry insurance on items that are not paid for within 35 days of the auction. Also, the auctioneer may retain and/or recover the deposit specified as liquidated damages. In addition, the property can be resold at public or private sale without further notice. Any deficiency resulting from such resale shall be paid to the auctioneer by the defaulting buyer, together with all charges, fees, and expenses incurred by such resale, or the enforcement of the obligation hereunder. Buyer agrees to pay all charges and expenses incurred by reason of any breach of the Terms and Conditions of Sale, including without limitation, reasonable attorney fees.

7.

PAYMENT FOR PURCHASES MAY BE MADE WITH VISA , MASTERCARD, CASH, CHECK, OR WIRE TRANSFER. 8.

BUYERS PREMIUM- The buyer’s premium, assessed on each selling lot, is 18% of the hammer price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 10% on any amount in excess of $1,000,000. For payments made using Visa or MasterCard, the buyer’s premium is 21% up to and including $1,000,000, plus 13% on any amount in excess of $1,000,000.

9.

TAX ‑ THERE IS A 8% SALES TAX IN ILLINOIS. Tax is waived if buyer presents a valid resale certificate from any state or has purchases shipped outSIDE of Illinois.

10. ACCEPTANCE OF CONDITIONS ‑ Bidding on any articles in this catalog indicates your acceptance of all the above items.

11.

BIDDING AGENT RESPONSIBILITY ‑ If you are registering for someone or if you execute a bid for someone else under your number, you are responsible for the settlement of that account. You are also responsible for examining the decoy(s) for your client regarding the guarantee.

12. WITHDRAWAL ‑ We reserve the right to withdraw any property before the sale and shall have no liability whatsoever for such withdrawal.

13. TITLE ‑ Title passes upon the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer. It will then be the responsibility of the buyer to make full payment prior to removing the goods from the premises. Removal is at both the buyer’s risk and expense, and must be made at the conclusion of the sale, unless other arrangements are made with the Guyette & Deeter staff. Any lots we might make arrangements for moving or storing are solely at the risk of the owner, and any damage or loss occurring after the fall of the hammer becomes that of the buyer.

14. LEGAL DISPUTE ‑ Any legal disputes arising from this auction shall be settled in the court system of the State of Maine.

UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE - The Maine Uniform Commercial Code, Title II, Section 2328 applies to this auction.

15. All calls are sold “As Is”.

THE OFFICE WILL NOT BE OPEN UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTER THE AUCTION.

ABSENTEE, PHONE, AND ONLINE BIDS 1. Absentee bids are a service provided to our customers free of charge. Every effort is made to execute all absentee bids, however, in the event of an error or omission, or failure to properly execute absentee bids, the Auctioneer shall not be held liable.

2. All absentee bids must be accompanied by a 20% deposit, which will be refunded immediately after the auction if your bid is unsuccessful. If your bid is successful, the deposit will be applied to the purchase price and the balance due upon presentation of your bill. All absentee bidders are notified by mail, whether successful or unsuccessful.

3. Visa and Mastercard numbers can be given in place of a check deposit, if your bid is submitted by phone. Your card number will not be used to make payments for purchases, it is only used as collateral. Your card number will only be used to make payment for purchases if you default on payment.

4. To execute an absentee bid, fill out the enclosed form listing catalog number, description, and your top bid price (not including the 18% buyer’s premium). Send this together with your deposit as soon as possible. If your bids are sent seven days or less prior to the auction, you should call our office three days prior to the auction, to confirm that we have received your bids. If they have not been received at that point in time, we will take your bid over the phone. We cannot guarantee that bids received after the auction has started will be executed.

5. If two or more bids are received on the same item from different people, the bidding will open at the next logical raise above the second highest bid. If two absentee bids are received with the exact same amount, the first one received will take precedence.

6. All bids must be in even dollar amounts. Bids in fractions of dollars will be considered the next lower even dollar amount.

7. Bid increments: The bid increment policy, which also applies to both absentee and phone bidders, is listed under “CONDITIONS OF SALE” (item #4), in the front of the catalog.

8. Open bids, bids with no set top amount, or orders to just simply buy the lot, cannot be accepted. You must have a definite top limit before we can execute your bid. Alternatives to this are as follows: a. To bid over the telephone. This can be done by simply sending a 20% deposit for what you wish to bid on the object. This will bind whatever bid amount you wish to bid over the telephone. (NOTE: There are only 8 phone lines into the auction room and phone bids will be handled on a first come, first serve basis.) b. Some bidders concerned that a lot might just go for one bid above their top limit, leave a top bid plus one bid.

This works as follows: the top bid submitted might be $1,000, but not wishing to lose the lot for simply $25 more, the party might bid $1,000 + 1 bid if they definitely don’t want to go over a certain price, they would indicate $1,000 +1 ($1,025) (NOTE: One possible problem that occasionally arises with absentee bids is when someone in the audience bids exactly the amount, which you specify is your limit. In such a case, we would not go one extra bid unless your bid sheet indicates “plus one” bid.).

9. If you are a successful bidder, a bill will be sent one week after the auction. Purchasers should indicate their desired method of shipment, if such is necessary. There is a charge for shipping, labor, materials, and insurance. Shipping is done on a first come, first serve basis, and can take up to 4 weeks. Please note that a certified check, Visa, Mastercard, or any other form of guaranteed funds will expedite shipping.

10. According to UPS regulations, we must now crate all paintings. In addition, for expensive oil paintings and delicate carvings, we need a written statement from the purchaser, assuming the responsibility of pursuing any claims, in the event of damage incurred during shipping. Valuable lots need to be sent 2 day air UPS due to values. Under no circumstances will we be liable for damage to glass or frames, or fragile decoratives, regardless of cause.

11. TERMS — Phone and absentee bidders — You will be notified one week after the auction of your results. Payment is due upon receipt. Interest will be charged on all balances not paid within 30 days after the bill is sent at the rate of 12% APR. If any accounts become more than 60 days overdue, the consignor will be given the name of the buyer who is responsible for holding up their funds. If an account is 75 days overdue, the items may be returned to the consignor and overdue buyer will pay the buyers premium and commission from the sale, if they wish to participate in future Guyette and Deeter auctions.

12. Bidding on any article(s) indicates your acceptance of these terms above.

13. If you would like any additional information on any of the lots, please contact: Gary Guyette at (410) 745-0485 or Jon Deeter at (440) 610-1768. nd

If you have any questions concerning absentee bids, please call us.

OFFICE: OFFICE:

ABSENTEE AND PHONE BID FORM

1170 PO Box 1170 St. Michaels, MD MD 21663 410-745-0485 410-745-0485 Fax Fax 410-745-0487 410-745-0487 decoys@guyetteandschmidt.com decoys@guyetteanddeeter.com

OFFICE USE ONLY TIME DATE OF BID AUCTION DATE MANAGER ABSENTEE OR PHONE BID

NAME ADDRESS CITY

STATE

ZIP

TELEPHONE DEPOSIT $

(Check Amount or Visa or MasterCard # & Exp.)

IIdesire following items in the sale.sale.

The The bids bids are toare be to executed

by Guyette & Deeter, up to but desiretotobid bidononthe the following items in the executed

by Guyette & Schmidt, Inc.,not upexceeding to but notthe amount(s) on the below bids.on Allthe bidsbelow will be executed and will accepted subject to theaccepted Terms ofsubject Sale andtoAbsentee Bids exceedingspecified the amount(s) specified bids.

All bids be executed and the Terms of Procedure outlined inBids the catalog.

(Please be sure you understand before using thisour Absentee and Phone Sale and Absentee Procedure outlined in that the catalog.

(Pleaseour be procedures sure that you understand procedures before Bid Form.) will not open until Wednesday after using this Office Absentee andbe Phone Bid Form.)

Office willthe notauction. be open until Wednesday after the auction.

Signature

A PREMIUM OF OF 18% WILL BE APPLIED ITEMSSOLD, SOLD, PAID

BY THE BUYER A PREMIUM 15% WILL BE APPLIED TO TO ALL ALL ITEMS TOTO BEBE PAID

BY THE BUYER OFFICE USE

IN CATALOG # ORDER

DESCRIPTION

A SECOND PAGE IS PROVIDED ON BACK SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SPACE TOTAL BIDS $

x 20%

EQUALS DEPOSIT ENCLOSED $

BID AMOUNT

Page 2

NAME OFFICE USE

PHONE IN CATALOG # ORDER

AUCTION DATE DESCRIPTION

BID AMOUNT

328

137

1

G u ye t t e & De e t e r , I nc .

PO Box 1170, St. Michaels, MD 21663 410-745-0485 | www.guyetteanddeeter.com