Duck decoy (model)

A duck decoy is a man-made object resembling a real duck. Duck decoys are sometimes used in duck hunting to attract real ducks.

Duck decoys were historically carved from wood, but more recently are also made of plastic. They are usually painted, often elaborately and very accurately, to resemble various kinds of waterfowl.

Contents

History

Ever since Joel Barber, the first known decoy collector, started in 1918, decoys have become increasingly viewed as an important form of North American folk art. Barber's book Wild Fowl Decoys, was the first book on decoys as collectible objects. It was followed in 1965 by folk art dealer Adele Earnest's "The Art of the Decoy" and "American Bird Decoys" by collector Wm. F. Mackey.

William F. Mackey made many trips to Chincoteague Island for the great flounder fishing as well as hunting for Chincoteague decoys. On his trips to the island he called Snug Harbor Marina home. He would send out locals to search for great finds of Chincoteague history. Cigar Daisey was one of the local Chincoteaguers that would help Mackey find all the best decoys that made his collection world famous. Cigar has told many stories of the many truck loads of decoys he rounded up for his good friend.

By that time a milestone in collecting had already occurred with the publication of "Decoy Collectors Guide", a small magazine created by hobbyists Hal & Barbara Sorenson of Burlington, Iowa. The 'Guide' helped foster a sense of community and provided a forum for collectors to share their research.

By the 1970s decoys were becoming big business, at least by previous standards. The death of Wm. F. Mackey brought his decoys to market in a series of auctions in 1973 and 1974, with the star of his collection, a Long-billed Curlew by Wm. 'Bill' Bowman selling for a record US$10,500.

Since the 1960s numerous collectors organizations have been created, specialist books and magazines published, with specialist dealers, and special interest shows around the US and Canada. Canadian decoys are still believed to be the "sleepers" in the world of decoy popularity and are often undervalued but are starting to gain recognition.

The current World Record price for an antique duck decoy at auction: Red Breasted Merganser Hen by Lothrop Holmes for $856,000. Guyette & Schmidt and Christie's New York. January 2007.[1]

The first million dollar price was achieved when two decoys (Canadian goose and a preening pintail drake) by A. Elmer Crowell of East Harwich, MA were said to have sold for US$1.13 million dollars each in a private sale, in September 2007. The record-setting decoys were sold in a larger collection of 31 decoys for $7.5 million in total so it remains for a single decoy to clearly break the $1 million mark.[2]

One of the most famous decoy makers in recent times is Delbert Cigar Daisey from Chincoteague Va. Cigar decoys are in high demand all over the country. The best decoy he ever made was a pintail that he made for his wife in 1973. This decoy was featured in National Geographic in June 1980 on page 826. This decoy is estimated to be worth between $100,000 - $150,000.

Regional schools and noted carvers

Barnegat Bay/New Jersey Shore

New Jersey Shore decoys tend to be hollow bodied, have poured lead weighs and are more often made of Atlantic white cedar.

There are also Barnegat-style decoys made by carvers of the Delaware River School.

Delaware River

Usually more diminutive than NJ Shore/Barnegat School, more often features flat or pad weights. Heads are positioned relative low, slight swooping up of tail feather (less so than a Barnegat), top tail feather raised on puddle duck species.

There also a number of decoy makers of the Barnegat school who have produced Delaware River Style decoys.

Susquehanna Flats

The Susquehanna Flats consists of the region from the mouth of the Susquehanna River where it enters the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace and Perryville through the tidal areas and marshlands along the upper bays (Furnace Bay, North East Bay, Elkton Bay).

Lower Chesapeake

Maryland Eastern Shore

Crisfield, Maryland

New York State

Long Island

Maine/Nova Scotia/New Brunswick

Massachusetts

Virginia Eastern Shore

Cobb Family/Cobb Island

Toronto / Hamilton (SW Ontario)

North Carolina

South Carolina

Connecticut

Stratford:

Old Saybrook:

Ohio

Louisiana

Lake Michigan

Illinois River

Washington

Wisconsin

California

Vintage Factory Decoys

PetersEn Decoy Factory

Began in 1873 by George Peterson in Detroit, MI. Sold factory to Jasper Dodge in 1883.

J.N. Dodge

Jasper N. Dodge (1829–1909) began his decoy production ca. 1883 after purchasing the George Peterson Decoy Factory. Production ceased in 1905 and closed permanently in 1908.

Mason's Decoy Factory

The most famous of all factory made decoys. Operated in Detroit, MI, from 1896 to 1924. Produced decoys in the same style as Peterson and Dodge. Produced five grades of decoys:

William E. Pratt Manufacturing Co.

Established in 1893 in Joliet, IL, did not begin to produce decoys until 1921. Eventually bought out by the Animal Trap Company of America which became Victor.

J.W. Reynolds Decoy Company

Established in Chicago, IL

Swisher & Soule

Established in Decatur, IL

Hays

Established in Jefferson City, MO

H.A. Stevens

Harvey A. Stevens (d. 1894) began this factory in Weedsport, NY from 1880 to 1902. Harvey had several brothers that helped out at the shop, but George was the only one that would carve and paint decoys under his own label. So, the two brothers made commercial decoys and they made them during two time periods. First, the tackeye decoy made between 1870 and about 1890 and then the improved glasseye decoy made thereafter until George retired in the early 1900s. The Stevens brothers made two models, the standard decoy and the sleeper “humpback” decoy.

Evans Factory

Walter Evans (1872–1948) was a large scale producer of fine hollow body duck decoys in Ladysmith, WI from the 1921 to 1932. Similar in appearance to the Mason Factory decoy.

Wildfowler Decoys, Inc

Began in 1939, in Old Saybrook, CT. In 1957the company had a tragic fire that destroyed the building and most of its contents, the company was sold and moved to Quogue, NY. The company was bought by Charlie Birdsall in 1961, and moved to Point Pleasant, NJ. The company was relocated in to Babylon, NY in the mid-1970s. Occasionally, Wildfowler were contracted to produce decoys for the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog.

The story of Wildfowler Decoys from Decoy Magazine (2001)

Herter's Inc

Popular sporting goods catalog company founded by George Leonard Herter in Waseca, MN from the 1930s through 1970s.

L.L. Bean

Sporting goods mail order company based out of Freeport, ME produced factory decoys for a few years.

See also: L.L. Bean

Peterborough Canoe Company

Famed canoe manufacturer out of Peterborough, Ontario known to make solid body decoys during 'lean' canoe production seasons."

Contemporary Decoys

Contemporary decoys are generally thought of as more recent (post 1960s) decoys which were carved for aesthetic and decorative appeal and were never considered to be utilized as a working decoy. Modern decorative markets have been driving up the cost of master carvers into the prices one would consider reserved for antiques.

See also: Wood carving

Resellers & Enthusiast Websites

Decoy Museums & Collections

Decoy Festivals

Collectors Associations

References

  1. ^ "Bids for the birds - San Diego Union Tribune". http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070224/news_lz1s24bidsfor.html. Retrieved 2007-08-11. 
  2. ^ "To tune of $1.13m, decoys are the real thing". The Boston Globe. 2007-09-21. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/09/21/to_tune_of_113m_decoys_are_the_real_thing/. Retrieved 2007-09-21. 
  3. ^ Decoy Magazine. January/February 2004. Volume 28, Number 1.

General references