massachusetts masterpieces: the decoy as art · benjamin warren pease (1866-1938), martha’s ......

Massachusetts Masterpieces: The Decoy as Art

An Exhibition at the Museum of American Bird Art

by Gigi Hopkins, Exhibition Curator, andAmy T. Montague, Director, Museum of American Bird Art

published in Hunting & Fishing Collectibles, Nov/Dec 2013

Greater Yellowlegs by unknown maker. From a private collection.


An Exhibition at the Museum of American Bird Art

by Amy T. Montague, Director, Museum of American Bird Art

The main gallery of the Museum of American Bird Art

The Coot Shooter by Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), oil on can-vas, 1913. From a private collection

Gigi Hopkins opened my eyes to the won-ders of Massachusetts decoys. But when she first suggested that we follow up the Museum’s successful Crowell exhibition with one focused exclusively on Massa-chusetts birds, my response was, frankly, lukewarm. I was reluctant because for more than a decade the Museum had been building a reputation for the professional-ism and scope of its exhibitions and col-lections, which feature art of national and international importance. I was concerned that an exhibition focused on our state would be perceived as parochial. How-ever, Gigi provided one compelling rea-son after another why such an exhibition could be both important and exciting.

She explained that the quality of design, carving and paint, and the diversity of styles found within such a limited geo-

graphic area are remarkable. Unlike other parts of the country, there is no regional school of decoy-making. Each Yankee craftsman came to the task with his own eye, talent and ingenuity. She led me through the stylized geometry of Lincoln, the lively paint of Holmes, the sturdy shapeliness of Lawrence, and much more. She also pointed out that the collecting community had made the ultimate endorsement of Massachusetts decoys: nine of the top ten record-setters of the last four decades were Massachusetts birds.

Gigi had made the case persuasively. I decided we would proceed with the exhibition and wanted her voice as cura-tor to be as present to the Museum’s visitors as it had been to me in our own discussions. Her depth of experience with decoys is unrivalled. For nearly five decades as a conserva-tor she has examined them closely, learning to reproduce the varied carving and paint techniques. The exhibition’s strength would be based on her deep knowledge and dis-cerning eye, and I was delighted when she agreed to write the interpretive text from a personal perspective.

Preening Jack Curlew by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952). From a private collection

How did I get into decoys? It was kind of inevitable. As a child, I’d take my father’s Crowell birds into the light, trying to figure out how the paint had been blurred. Dad, who loved gunning, founded a firm that sold min-iature waterfowl, and these were all over the house. (They were great in the bathtub.) My mother adored songbirds and came from a family of serious birders; she even had a cousin who invented the glass hum-mingbird feeder.

From the beginning I was drawing and carving animals. Then, in the sixties, I got hooked on birds. I spent hours at Dad’s Cape Cod hunting camp scoping the mud-flats for shorebirds. In the seventies, I carved birds for Mass Audubon and spent four blissful years banding song and shorebirds at Manomet Center for Conserva-tion Sciences. In 1966 I restored my first decoy, and the business took off like a rocket. Lucky timing! So in the last—what, almost fifty?—years, I’ve had the privilege of handling many thousands of wonderful decoys.

When I was given the op-portunity to curate this exhibition, I immediately knew that I wanted to se-lect for beauty—and to me, a beautiful decoy combines both aesthetics and birdi-ness, kinship to the bird portrayed.

Every bird in the exhibition stopped my heart when I first saw it. In a way, it became mine. And if I was lucky, the owner would send it to me for conservation work, and then I would savor every moment with it. It was an intense pleasure to bring these treasures to-gether, and to bring them back to their home state.

A Curator’s Quest for Beauty by Gigi Hopkins

Hopkins banding birds at Manomet, 1977

Gigi knew immediately that the selection should begin with aes-thetics: beauty. Additionally, she required striking design, effortless woodworking and distinctive paint. And, equally important, each bird should be an excellent portrait of the species it depicted.

We had the concept, and Gigi had in mind most of the decoys she hoped to include, but in many cases we didn’t know who the cur-rent owners were. We shared our ideas with Stephen B. O’Brien, Jr. of Copley Fine Art Auctions, and he was immediately enthusiastic, offering to help us connect with potential lenders. His assistance was invaluable throughout the exhibition development process.

We were fortunate to have loans from some of the finest folk art and sporting art collections in the country, and are sincerely grateful to the lenders who made the exhibition possible: Philip and Tina De-Normandie; the late, and deeply missed, Jim Doherty; Thomas K. Figge; Ted and Judy Harmon; Paul Tudor Jones, II; Peter Van Dyke; Cap and Paige Vinal; Henri Wedell; six collectors who preferred their loans to be anonymous; and Historic New England. Our visits with the lenders were a privilege and a delight.

In the pages that follow, we showcase some of the extraordinary de-coys that were on view in the exhibition, May-September 2013. We are currently fundraising to publish a book based on the exhibition, and welcome donations and inquiries.


Wood Duck DrakeBenjamin Warren Pease (1866-1938), Martha’s Vineyard

A quiet, attractive portrait finished in discreet colors. Whereas the Lincoln Wood Duck is rather cool and aloof, this decoy invites the viewer in with its warmth and subtlety.

Collection of Thomas K. Figge

Red-breasted Merganser DrakeCaptain Preston Wright (dates unknown), Osterville

Although worn by hard use in the field, this bird remains a fine example of Ameri-can folk art. Its horsehair crest is rare, and the chiseled upper wing edges are an un-expected treat.

From a private collection

Red-breasted Merganser PairClinton Thomas Keith (1887-1975), Kings-ton

Keith was an exception to the rule of Mas-sachusetts makers developing their own style. He copied a pair of mergansers made by Lothrop Holmes, a friend of his father’s. But no known Holmes merganser has a swimming hen—which is the most dynam-ic aspect of these two. Keith started with Holmes but improved upon the master’s design.

Collection of Paul Tudor Jones, IIFormerly George Ross Starr, M.D. Collection

Wood Duck DrakeJoseph Whiting Lincoln (1859-1938), Accord

This is surely one of Lincoln’s most desirable decoys, and one of his most renowned, with its clean shape, geometric colors and remarkable condition.

Collection of Paul Tudor Jones, II

Red-breasted Merganser DrakeHenry Keyes Chadwick (1865-1958), Martha’s Vineyard

A slender, racy bird with delicate form, perfectly matched with its refined, somewhat abstract paint pattern. The head is slightly turned to the left, giving it a sense of motion.

Collection of Ted and Judy Harmon

Red-breasted Merganser DrakeAnthony Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), East Har-wich

A decoy that provides striking contrast to the merganser above. This massive bird is one of Crowell’s best. In spite of its imposing size, it is finished with fine details like the carved spray of rump feathers falling over its chiseled wings. The painted colors were kept discreet thus do not subtract from the bird’s form. This merganser was made for Harry V. Long of Boston and Cohasset, an early, important patron of Crowell.

Collection of Cap & Paige Vinal

Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon


Greater YellowlegsUnknown Maker

The group of five yellowlegs displayed in the exhibition is from one of the most re-markable rigs of lively shorebirds ever discovered. Each bird’s pose is different, dynamic and beautifully seen. The carved details—beaks, wings and tails—are im-possibly delicate. From a private collection

Golden PloverFolger family (1800s), Nantucket

A beautifully-seen plover coming into winter plum-age. The stylized paint pattern, though abbreviated, is convincing and artistically pleasing. The same is true of the plover’s shapely profile.

Collection of Paul Tudor Jones, II

Eskimo CurlewFolger family (1800s), Nantucket

Another wonderful portrait of a now-extinct shore-bird. Like its rig-mate, the Folger Golden Plover, its curves are well balanced and the decoy is enhanced with subtle coloring.


Oldsquaw DrakeStephen Badlam (1822-1898), Boston A snooty duck with great attitude and fine con-struction details. It was very likely made by a grandson of Stephen Badlam (1751-1815), the renowned Boston cabinetmaker.


Common Goldeneye HenFranklin Pierce Wright (1856-1939), Osterville

This modest little duck is superbly defined by its carving. Such affectionate attention to detail is rare in a gunning bird. Only two other decoys are known by this maker.

Collection of Ted and Judy Harmon

Canada GooseCharles Augustus Safford (1877-1957), Newburyport

An imposing goose constructed from several pieces of laminated wood. The seams remain tight, even though the de-coy spent many gunning seasons out on the marsh. It is finished with surprisingly sensitive detail in the face.

Collection of Historic New EnglandGift of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little, 1991.1173



Black-bellied Plover PairMelvin Gardner Lawrence (c. 1880-1930), Revere

These two exemplify ingenious, inde-structible design. Both are surprisingly heavy, indicating they were made from hardwood. The neck and beak on the loafing bird are, of course, unbreakable—but the wings and tail are also thick and strong. The second bird is reaching for-ward, putting its neck along the wood grain rather than across it. It, too, would be nearly impossible to snap.

Collection of Thomas K. Figge

Black-bellied PloverLothrop Turner Holmes (1824-1899), Kingston

This Holmes Willis-rig plover is without peer and pays perfect homage to its subject.The form cannot be improved upon. The paint is breathtaking: the playful lines on both sides that define the black and white breast feathers overlaying one another are a visual joy.

Collection of Peter Van DykeFormerly Philip Y. DeNormandie Collection, James M. McCleery, M.D. Collection

SandpiperAnthony Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), East Harwich

This diminutive feeding peep is one of the rarest Crowell decoys known. It is an early work, with carved wings similar to the famed 1910 dust jacket rig of large plovers and greater yellowlegs.

Collection of Jim and Pat Doherty

Ruddy TurnstoneLothrop Turner Holmes (1824-1899), Kingston

Here is perhaps the country’s most renowned shorebird decoy, and deservedly so. Like its Black-bellied Plover mate, the shape portrays the target bird wonderfully. And the signature paint, capped by the bird’s famous curlicues, is not to be outdone.

Collection of Paul Tudor Jones, IIFormerly George Ross Starr, M.D. Collection, James M. McCleery, M.D. Collection

CurlewGordon Fox Rig (1800s), Duxbury

Here is one of the most seductive, curvaceous forms seen in a shorebird decoy—yet the curlew looks as it should. The bird is complimented by its deceptively casual, painterly surface.

Collection of Henri WedellFormerly George Ross Starr, M.D. Collection

Dovetail-headed Black-bellied PloverUnknown maker, c. 1900

A fine hollow bird with two-piece construction; it is unusual in that the halves are cut horizontally. The head-to-neck joint has a beautifully-crafted dovetail between, whereby one can readily slip off the head. It has an elegant plane on the upper tail which is paint-ed with unusual crosshatched barring.




Green-winged Teal Pair by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952). Mass Audubon Collection, anonymous gift, 2008.

Common Sheldrake, Radjah Sheldrake by Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927), watercolor, 1921. Mass Audubon Collection, bequest of John Henry Dick, 1995.

An Art Museum Like No Other

The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon has a unique and singular focus on art inspired by birds. Within that focus, we collect and exhibit a broad range of art, em-bracing and expanding beyond the traditional categories of fine art, sporting art, folk art and illustration. The con-sistent element we seek is quality, both in the works of art and in the ways they are interpreted and displayed.

The Museum’s History. From its founding in 1896, Mass Audubon has been inextricably linked with art. Named for John James Audubon, the legendary painter of American birds, Mass Audubon quite naturally became the recipient of generous gifts of artworks. And from the beginning, the organization connected people to nature through art, us-ing art to inspire and educate.

Gifts and bequests of art by Audubon and others flowed to the fledgling organization from its inception. And over the years the collection grew to include paintings and sculpture by some of the finest bird artists of Europe and America. Remarkably, generations of Mass Audubon staff, with expertise and responsibilities unrelated to art, cared for these treasures without any designated facility or fund-ing until the bequest of Mildred Morse Allen made it pos-sible to develop a proper museum facility on her estate in Canton. In 1999, the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center

opened its doors to the public, and a year ago its name was changed to the Museum of American Bird Art, to bet-ter reflect the focus of our mission.

The Collection. In the early years, the collection’s core was art by Audubon, including hand-colored engravings from his Birds of America. Over time the collection expanded to include paintings, sculpture, and works on paper by some of the most acclaimed bird artists of Europe and America: Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Frank W. Benson, Robert Verity Clem, and Lars Jonsson, among others. The collection also includes works by well known artists not usually associ-ated with birds, such as Milton Avery, Leonard Baskin and Andy Warhol. I will highlight here some artworks that may be of particular interest to sporting art collectors.

Frank Weston Benson was one of the most celebrated of American impressionist painters, known equally for his sun-drenched portraits of patrician Bostonians and his evocative sporting art. Benson had a lifelong interest in birds and served as the first president of the Essex County Ornithological Club. He was also the great friend and duck hunting companion of Augustus Hemenway, whose wife, Harriet, was a founder of Mass Audubon. His oil painting, The Duck Marsh (see opposite page), is one of my personal favorites in the collection.

by Amy T. Montague, Director, Museum of American Bird Art

cThe photographs of decoys are by David Allen, courtesy of Copley Fine Art Auctions.

The Duck Marsh by Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), oil on canvas, 1921. Mass Audubon Collection, gift of Agnes S. Bristol, 1972.

Visit the MuseumThe Museum of American Bird Art is located in Canton, Massachusetts, 10 miles south of Boston. Although Massachusetts Masterpieces is no longer on view, a small gallery of decoys is on display along with changing exhibitions. Check the website for current exhibition information. And bring your walking shoes to explore the trails of the 121-acre wildlife sanctuary. For tours of the collection, contact museum director Amy Montague.

Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon963 Washington St, Canton, MA 02021massaudubon.org/maba p 781-821-8853 [email protected]

Ring-necked Pheasant Family by Allen James King (1881-1963). Mass Audubon Collection, gift of James Baird, 1997.

Anthony Elmer Crowell needs no introduction on the pag-es of this magazine. Along with an impressive group of miniatures by Crowell, the collection includes a magnifi-cent pair of green-winged teal (see opposite page), carved for Crowell’s early patron, Harry V. Long.

Allen James King was the preeminent miniature bird carv-er of his era. His compositions are unequalled for artistry, detail, and integrity of form. The Museum holds the most extensive and important collection of his work, including more than 100 carvings, as well as works in a variety of other mediums: watercolors, etchings, relief prints and as-tonishingly meticulous jewelry designs.

Exhibitions & Programs. The Museum presents three to four exhibitions per year, with a wide range of artworks represented. Some examples of our past exhibitions are: A. Elmer Crowell: Master of Decoys which featured nine decoys made by Crowell for Harry V. Long; The Art of Identifica-tion: Field Guide Paintings by David Sibley; and Nests, Eggs, Heartbreak & Beauty, focusing on a rare and extraordinary 19th century ornithological book. As I write, the current exhibition displays the bird photography of Arthur Mor-ris, one of the world’s most renowned bird photographers. An array of education programs for all ages draws on the original art in the exhibitions and collections.

The Museum recently received a $200,000 gift, focused on increasing organizational capacity, and we are embarking on a strategic planning effort. We welcome visits and in-quiries from anyone who shares our interest in art inspired by birds.


massachusetts masterpieces: the decoy as art · benjamin warren pease (1866-1938), martha’s ......

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