The Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection Of American Bird Decoys | The Winter Sale 2020 | Copley

THE DR. PETER J. MULLER JR. COLLECTION OF AMERICAN BIRD DECOYS THE WINTER SALE 2020 | SESSION I | FEBRUARY 15 | CHARLESTON, SC

COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC

Demonstrating the importance of this carving, the Birch Swan is one of the only waterfowl decoys to receive its own photo within the pages of the five Mackey catalogs.

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“I had an instinct to collect.”

— Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr.

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THE DR. PETER J. MULLER JR. COLLECTION OF AMERICAN BIRD DECOYS SESSION I

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THE DR. PETER J. MULLER JR. COLLECTION OF AMERICAN BIRD DECOYS

“His favorite decoy was a Harry V. Shourds oldsquaw, but it was hard to get him to pick one as he loved them all.”

— Dr. S. Lloyd Newberry

MULLER 4

Lots in this catalog bear the Muller Collection ink stamp featuring a silhouette of the Shourds longtailed drake. This stamp is exclusive to the lots in the Muller Collection auction sessions.

THE WINTER SALE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Auction to be held at Charleston Marriott | 170 Lockwood Blvd. | Charleston, SC Friday, February 14 SEWE Dealer Exhibition Preview

10:00AM - 6:00PM 3:00PM - 5:00PM

Saturday, February 15 SEWE Dealer Exhibition Auction Preview Auction

10:00AM - 6:00PM 8:30AM - 10:00AM 10:00AM

SPECIALISTS Stephen O’Brien Jr. Fine Art & Decoy Specialist steve@copleyart.com

Leah Tharpe Fine Art Specialist leah@copleyart.com

Colin McNair Decoy Specialist colin@copleyart.com

ABSENTEE & TELEPHONE BIDS To schedule absentee or telephone bids, please use the forms found in the back of this catalog or call our office at 617.536.0030. All bids must be received at least twenty-four hours before the start of the sale.

ONLINE BIDDING Live online bidding through Copley Live and Bidsquare.

Please review the Terms and Conditions of Sale on page 120 and Important Notices on page 6 of this catalog.

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

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THE WINTER SALE IMPORTANT NOTICES 1

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

Consign to our next sale Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is accepting consignments for our Sporting Sale 2020. Please contact us by phone at 617.536.0030, or by email at consignments@copleyart.com.

4 Pre-registration Although you may register at the time of sale, we strongly encourage pre-registration to save you time at check-in. PreRegistration forms are available online, as well as in the back of this catalog.

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

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Sales tax Purchases picked up at the auction will be subject to the South Carolina state and local tax of 9%. Buyers purchasing for resale and claiming exemption from sales tax must present a properly executed resale certificate prior to the release of property.

Purchases delivered to South Carolina after the auction will be subject to the applicable South Carolina state and local taxes.

Purchases picked up at the office or delivered to Massachusetts after the sale will be subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax, unless exempted by applicable law.

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Inspection of items offered at this auction All items are sold “as is” and should be inspected either personally or by agent before a bid is placed. Prospective buyers should satisfy themselves by personal inspection as to the condition of each lot. Although condition reports may be given on request, such reports are statements of opinion only.

Regardless of whether or not a condition report is given, all property is sold “as is.” The absence of a condition report does not imply that the property is in good condition. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to refuse condition requests.

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

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

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Additional images For lots with multiple items and only one shown, please visit copleyart.com for additional images.

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

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

The condition of the undersides may not be listed. Clear coats, such as varnish, shellac, and oil, may not be listed.

Repairs and restorations may include new material. Paint listed as “working” or “old” is likely not original. Repairs and construction features that are original to the work, including but not limited to putty, bungs, plugs, patches, and stabilization, may not be mentioned. Replaced and repaired bills may include touch-up near insertion point and extend through back of head, if applicable. Radiographs, or X-Ray images, may be available by request for select lots. Please submit additional condition report requests at least ten days prior to the sale date.

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

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

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

15 Auction day contact information On site: 617.536.0030, info@copleyart.com Auctioneer Peter J. Coccoluto, South Carolina License #4547 SC AF #4040

THE WINTER SALE 2020

THE DR. PETER J. MULLER JR. COLLECTION

OF AMERICAN BIRD DECOYS

Dr. Muller in his decoy room, Atlanta, Georgia, 2008. Photo by Jim Edwards.

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Front Cover: Lots 3, 4, 10, 20, 24, 29, and 36 Inside Front Cover: Lot 4 Back Cover: Lots 7, 12, 19, 25, 27 Inside Back Cover: Lot 4 Left Schedule of Events: Lot 11 Left Table of Contents: Lot 19

Catalog by: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. Cinnie O’Brien Colin McNair Leah Tharpe Chelsie Olney Eileen Steward, Photography & Design Printed in the USA

© 2020 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. All rights reserved.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Schedule of Events

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Important Notices

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A Southern Pilgrimage

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The Life of Peter J. Muller Jr. (1928-2019)

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The Start of the Hunt

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Session I: Decoys

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Index of Artists and Makers

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Terms and Conditions of Sale

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Buyer Pre-Registration Form

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Absentee/Telephone Bid Form

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Authorized Shipping Release Form

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A SOUTHERN PILGRIMAGE

by Stephen B. O’Brien Jr.

Henry Fleckenstein Jr., Stephen B. O’Brien Jr., and Lakota, 1991.

During my indoctrination into the decoy-collecting world back in 1991, Dr. Muller’s name had often arisen. Stories about the legendary Southern collectors, Bill Purnell, Tommy O’Connor, Dr. Lloyd Griffith, and Dr. Peter Muller, had fascinated me. Purnell never let a good Southern decoy get by him. O’Connor started collecting in his teens and had a chaperone take him to decoy shows before he even had a license to drive. Griffith, the country doctor, always wore leather gloves and good luck trying to outbid him. With Muller, the word “gentleman” often came up, and Bud Ward’s, Joe Enger’s, and Dick McIntyre’s descriptions of his Hudsons, Veritys, Cobbs, and Shourds all sounded too good to be true.

The Mullers’ house in Atlanta, Georgia, was the southernmost mark on the map of a twothousand-mile journey that began in Kennebunkport, Maine. I intended to hit all the top Southern collectors along the way. I was traveling with one of my mentors, Henry Fleckenstein Jr., and Lakota, my three-year-old English setter. Lakota didn’t have much of a nose, ranged too far, and bumped way too many birds in the field, but that’s another story.

Driving out of Maine that April heading south had felt amazing. The major league baseball season was underway and Henry and I had a week behind the wheel to debate whether Roger Clemens, who anchored the Red Sox’ starting rotation, would push the Sox past Cal Ripken Jr. and Henry’s Baltimore Orioles.

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To say I was green in the decoy business would be an understatement. While I knew a mallard from a merganser, I could barely identify a Hudson from a Shourds. I traveled everywhere with my dog and had yet to realize that not everyone was a hunter and not everyone appreciated English setter fur on their couch.

However, I did have a few things going for me on the trip. I had Henry riding shotgun. I had an uncanny sense of navigational direction, having pretty much majored in ruffed grouse hunting while in college in Upstate New York. Walking hundreds of miles in upland covers and finding your way back to the truck will hone your sense of direction like nothing else. I had a fat stack of road atlases and several ten-dollar rolls of quarters in the glove box. The atlases had Purnell’s, O’Connor’s, Griffith’s, and Muller’s towns all circled. The quarters fed the payphones. Over the course of the journey, our misfit trio became pretty darn good at finding collectors’ homes.

As Henry, Lakota, and I rolled into Atlanta, I remember phoning Dr. Muller’s Briarcliff Animal Hospital. I now cringe recalling my twenty-one-year-old naiveté, expecting him to drop everything, come running, and show us his decoy collection. I can envision him now, fielding our brazen request. Patiently, with his warm Southern drawl, Peter informed us that, no, he could not see us that day, but if we cared to come by the next morning, he would be happy to meet with us then. Needless to say, we took the meeting and were captivated by not only his impressive collection, but also this kind Southern gentleman.

Chelsie Olney’s biography offers a glimpse into the world of Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr., providing us with the back story of this pioneering collector. We learn how his love of animals, science, and hunting all played a role in defining him as one of America’s top collectors. Dr. Muller understood anatomy and he pursued decoys with laser focus like a detective. He tracked down rare examples in exceptional condition with great provenance. He was one of the first to literally put them under the microscope, in addition to x-raying every decoy in his collection.

Chelsie and I are extremely grateful to Dr. Muller’s wife, Peggy, and her entire family for allowing us into their lives. And, we owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Lloyd Newberry, the man responsible for introducing Dr. Muller into decoys in the first place!

Recalling my southern sojourn with Henry and Lakota decades ago fuels my excitement to travel to South Carolina in a few short weeks. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is a fitting location to celebrate decoys and offer the first session of the Muller Collection. We are thrilled to watch these carvings trade hands and pass on to their next caretakers, becoming key pieces for future waves of collectors.

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Pete and Peggy Muller in the 1950s.

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THE LIFE OF PETER J. MULLER JR. (1928-2019)

by Chelsie Olney

On August 11 of 1928, Peter Julius Muller Jr. was born. Known to his friends and family as “Pete,” he lived an extraordinary life dedicated to pursuing his numerous interests. A true Renaissance man, he possessed a diverse set of skills and an enduring love for family, friends, poetry, animals, hunting, fishing, travel, decoys, and his wife, Peggy.

The only child of Thelma Mary Davidson (1903-1976) and Peter Julius Muller Sr. (1902-1989), Pete was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, but spent his childhood summers in Bucktown. This small settlement, located on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, was where his mother’s aunt and her family lived. His son, Peter III, explains, “Growing up during the Great Depression, toys were hard to come by, so he turned to the outdoors for enjoyment. Boating, fishing, and crabbing opportunities presented themselves on a daily basis.” The vast marshes and bayous of Lake Pontchartrain were ideal habitats for countless species of fish, birds, mammals, and reptiles, and served as young Muller’s playground.

When he was older, his uncle taught him to shrimp, fish, and hunt muskrats and

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waterfowl. Pete earned money working on his uncle’s fishing boat. He reflects on his formative years in a 2008 Decoy Magazine

Young Pete, 1932.

article, “I lived in the marsh until I was twenty years old. They were happy and golden times.”1 His wife, Peggy, recalls that, as a young boy, Pete would often skip school to go out on the bayou where, in his words, “the Cajun boys lived.” For twenty-five cents, the Cajun boys would take him out in their pirogues.

These flat-bottomed, lightweight boats were designed to move through very shallow water. An entrepreneur at an early age, he would capture snakes during these watery trips, and bring his live, slithering quarry back to New Orleans to sell to his city

Joe Engers, “Collector’s Profile: Dr. Peter J. Muller,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8.

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Amateur herpetologist Pete Muller collecting snakes down in the bayou, circa 1942.

friends. His school locker served as his storefront, though he eventually got in trouble. Nonetheless, Pete’s resourcefulness served him well, especially during the lean years as the nation recovered from the financial crisis. He also had a job shucking oysters in the French Quarter and worked for a veterinary hospital grooming dogs. Pete successfully navigated the fast-paced world of New Orleans, while, at the same time, pursuing the bounty found in the still-wild marshes and bayous of Lake Pontchartrain.

Despite the sharp contrast between these distinctly different landscapes, both urban and rural settings would play crucial roles in his life.

After high school, Pete attended Louisiana State University, graduating

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with a bachelor’s degree in biology. As an undergraduate, he enrolled in the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. In that capacity, he lived with veterans who had served in World War II and were attending the university as part of the G.I. Bill. He credits this experience as positively influencing his career trajectory.

After graduating from LSU, Pete attended Auburn University where he earned a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine. In addition to finishing at the top of his class, he was the captain of the university’s ping pong team and led his squad to victory at the championships. He also played electric guitar in a small band which performed on the weekends in Phenix City, Alabama, often referred to as “The Wickedest City in America.”

After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Muller headed to Miami where he practiced while he awaited his draft notice; he had been deferred during the Korean War while he

Pete holding the championship trophy alongside members of the Auburn University ping pong team, circa 1950.

Pathologist for the State of Louisiana and then he and Peggy moved to Atlanta to start his own veterinary practice.

During Dr. Muller’s army days, he met Peggy Lane and they were married in 1954.

studied veterinary medicine. When that notice came, Dr. Muller joined the U.S. Army Medical Department’s Veterinary Corps and was ordered to Memphis, Tennessee. Established in 1916, this branch of the army was responsible for the health of both animals and soldiers, medically treating the animals and inspecting all of the food eaten by the soldiers. There was a time during the Cold War when Air Force pilots mysteriously began to become sick, suffering from nausea after eating. Dr. Muller was able to determine the source of the problem, which was contaminated ice cream.

During these army years, Pete met Peggy Lane and they were married in 1954.

Dr. Muller was transferred to Jackson, Mississippi, where he continued inspecting and buying food for the Army. After leaving the military, Dr. Muller spent one year as the

Running a snake store and other animalrelated enterprises not only earned Pete the reputation as a wildlife enthusiast, but also bestowed him with confidence in his business skills early on. Attaining advanced degrees in animal science and medicine, gave him the education and pedigree he needed to launch a full-time career as a veterinarian.

In 1958, through steadfast vision, hard work, and determination, Dr. Muller founded the Briarcliff Animal Clinic in Atlanta, with Peggy running the front desk and handling the finances. When Peggy expressed her dislike of math and fear that she might not be a good bookkeeper, he told her that she just needed to “cultivate a taste for it.” Dr. Muller would later make that same suggestion to both his children and grandchildren when they found a chore or school subject to their dislike.

Father and son at the Briarcliff Animal Clinic, 1985.

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The clinic cared for all types of dogs, cats, pocket pets, amphibians, birds, and reptiles.

Clients having second thoughts about reptilian purchases would often give Dr. Muller their snakes. As a result, there was an enclosure at the clinic that housed many resident pythons and boas, some measuring eight inches in diameter. Eventually, the snakes were donated to the New Orleans Zoo to the relief of many employees.

For nearly fifty years, Dr. Muller cared for generations of pets, forming friendships with thousands of grateful Atlanta pet owners.

His son, Peter III, explains, “At work Dad had the same drive to push the limits. He started a veterinary hospital that became the largest practice group in Atlanta. His philosophy of working hard and providing excellent client service day in and day out built a loyal client base that still feeds Briarcliff Animal Clinic.”

As a result of Dr. Muller’s disciplined work ethic, Briarcliff Animal Clinic is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Atlanta’s Dekalb County.

Dr. Muller’s passion for helping animals not only propelled his own veterinary work, but also inspired his son and his granddaughter Elizabeth to follow the same career path.

At his father’s memorial service, Peter reflected, “I was lucky to love veterinary

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medicine and work with my dad for nearly thirty years. He was a delight for me to work with. He encouraged me to study and obtain my board certification. He listened to my suggestions and allowed me to implement new medical procedures and try new business systems. He helped me to succeed and encouraged me when I failed. I could not have asked for a better mentor in business, medicine, or life.”

Three generations of Muller veterinarians: Pete, his son, and his granddaughter Elizabeth, 2018.

SPORTSMAN

Pete with a marlin on the reel, Acapulco, Mexico, 1964.

When Pete and Peggy moved to Atlanta in the mid-1950s, he began exploring the surrounding areas in search of hunting and fishing opportunities. Similar to the bayou of his youth, the vast beaches and marshes of Savannah offered plenty of destinations for sportsmen. Hilton Head became a regular favorite spot for catching trout and redfish.

In the fall, the couple would often rent an island home, spending time fishing for spanish mackerel and bluefish, while also enjoying their whole family.

As the seasons changed, December brought on the best of duck season. Rafts of mallards, black ducks, canvasbacks, and teal abounded on the Savannah River.

Loaded down with decoys and guns, decked out in waders, temperatures hovering in

the teens, trudging through knee-deep mud, Dr. Muller relished it all. He loved the adventure of it, and dirty weather just added to the experience. His son, Peter, vividly recalls: “When Dad met Lloyd Newberry, his love affair with waterfowl began. I was amazed at how obsessed they were over hunting divers in the worst conceivable weather you could imagine! These guys dragged me out before dawn often in the pouring rain with temperatures at times below freezing. Several times I thought I was going to succumb to hypothermia! But Lloyd and Dad never seemed to notice the dreadful conditions, always enjoyed the day, and always seemed to have a successful outcome.”

Dr. Muller and Newberry’s dog “Scotch,” hunting on the Savannah River, 1979.

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A letter from Bill Mackey to Dr. Muller, dated November 11, 1971, in which he writes about the publication of his book and adds the comment: “It’s really a fringe book for you as it is 100% snipes.” This letter clearly challenged and had an impact on Dr. Muller, as he would go on to become one of the top shorebird collectors in the country!

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COLLECTOR “In the old days, back when we were wheeling and dealing in the 1970s and 80s, none of us had an inkling they’d become so valuable, we just liked them. It was a lot of fun. You didn’t think about values, you just wanted it.”

— Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr., 2008

As a child, Pete collected model ships and planes in addition to live snakes. He once reflected, ”I had an instinct to collect.”2 As an adult, he was an avid art collector particularly fond of animals and nature as subject matter. A voracious reader, he thoroughly researched the nuances of John J. Audubon’s work and systematically built an important collection of the ornithologist’s prints.

Shooting expeditions with Dr. Lloyd Newberry turned Pete on to hunting decoys as well as ducks. Dr. Muller writes, “It was at his home in 1971 that I saw my first old Mason decoy, inciting my love of and interest in 19th century decoys.”3 After years of amassing Audubons, decoys were a natural extension. Over the decades of his acquisitioning decoys, Pete befriended many mentors and early collectors, including Bill Purnell, Adele Earnest, George Thompson, Johnny Hillman, Jim McCleery, Tony

Waring, Bud Ward, Ron Gard, Lloyd Griffith, Ray Egan, Lloyd Newberry, Dick McIntre, Henry Bishop, and Dick Coen, among others.

Reviewing Dr. Muller’s correspondence is a veritable “Who’s Who” of twentieth-century decoy collectors.

Mason Decoy Factory Long-Billed Curlew (lot 38).

However, it was Dr. Muller’s introduction to Bill Mackey by Ray Davies, owner of the 1807 River House in New Jersey, that truly opened his eyes to the possibilities of what

Engers, p. 9.

Dr. Peter J. Muller & Peggy Lane Muller, The Stevens Brothers, Their Lives, The Times, and Their Decoys, Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing, 2009, p.

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Bud Ward, Ron Gard, Dr. Peter Muller, and Grayson Chesser, Kennebunkport, Maine, 1990.

the field had to offer. Dr. Muller reminisces about Mackey, whom he once described as “the lord and master,” “At the time, it seemed to most collectors that he had all the decoys...It seemed for a while that I was going to be able to build a collection just buying directly from Mackey.”4 As fate would have it, opportunities to acquire major carvings from the Mackey Collection would arise in 1973 and 1974,

The Mackey Shourds Merganser Drake (lot 12).

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Engers, p. 9.

Engers, p. 9.

after the sudden passing of the legendary collector. Cape Cod auctioneer Richard Bourne auctioned off the Mackey Collection in four separate sales, comprising eight sessions, held at his gallery in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Dr. Muller attended all four auctions, once quipping, “The Russians could have been on the beach and it wouldn’t have kept me away.”5. There he acquired the Charles Birch (1867-1956) Swan (lot 4) at auction, the Virginia Curlew (lot 7) in the parking lot, and Shourds LongTail (lot 11) at auction.

The eight sessions of the Mackey Collection marked the beginning of the way decoys are now valued and sold. Dr. Muller continued to track down and buy Mackey decoys as they returned to the secondary market, such as the Mackey-Gregory Hooded Meganser Pair (lot 3), the Dawson Merganser (lot 19), and the Joseph Lincoln Canada Goose (lot 25).

Like all of his pursuits, Dr. Muller picked up decoy collecting with unbridled enthusiasm

Lot 4

Lot 3

Lot 7

Lot 19

Lot 11

Lot 25

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Radiograph image of Muller’s Bunn/Bowman Golden Plover (lot 24).

and became a dedicated student of the field, attending all the major shows until the early 2000s. In the mid-1970s, his son recalls that they drove seven hundred miles from Atlanta to the Ward Brothers’ shop in Crisfield, Maryland, where they met Lem, who signed their Ward decoy. To Dr. Muller, no effort or distance was too great in the name of decoys.

Pete utilized a method of assessing the condition of carvings far ahead of his time.

Peggy recalls, “My husband radiographed every decoy he ever bought. Being a

Dr. Muller at work in his clinic, late 1950s. Muller applied his scientific mind to the decoy field, utilizing both high magnification and x-rays long before most had even conceived of it.

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Lot 24

veterinarian, he had an x-ray machine available to him. He started this in the early 1970s. We believe he was the first to start using x-rays in examining decoys. He was laughed at, at first, when he started this [practice].” One collector who most certainly did not laugh was fellow doctor James M. McCleery, who sagely predicted, “I think there will come a time when expensive birds up for auction may have x-ray film available at the time of the sale.”

Attesting to Dr. Muller and Dr. McCleery’s foresight, every decoy in this catalog has been x-rayed.

Dr. Muller holding two Bunn/ Bowman shorebird carvings, lot 24 seen in his left hand.

The five Mackey auction catalogs, 1973-1974. Over five decades, Dr. Muller would go on to acquire more than a dozen top decoys from the Mackey Collection.

The Dudley Canvasback (lot 10).

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“Peter Muller was a collector’s collector, one of the great connoisseurs of the art of the decoy. It was my privilege to have known him since the early 1980s, and I will always remember the many deep conversations (and laughs) we had over the years. Peter was a man on a mission, and the 2009 book that he and his wife Peggy wrote on the Stevens brothers was the culmination of his long, passionate involvement with wooden birds. Peter’s quest set a new standard for decoy research and curation that should provide a model for all future publications and collections.”

— Robert Shaw, Shelburne, VT Author of Bird Decoys of North America and past curator of the Shelburne Museum

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AUTHOR “After all, collecting decoys is a romantic venture into those days gone by, for those who have hunted and those who collect for the sheer beauty and history of each decoy.”

— Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. & Peggy Lane Muller, 2009

The same dedication and energy with which Pete had approached his undergraduate and graduate studies, he now devoted to decoys and their makers. At the Mackey auctions, Dr. Muller met Ray Egan who introduced him to the decoys of the Stevens brothers, two bird carvers from Weedsport, New York. Dr. Muller ended up buying more than ten Stevens decoys from Egan. Intrigued by these generally misunderstood makers, Pete and Peggy would spend the next thirty years researching their lives and carvings.

Early on, they discovered that Stevens decoys were hand carved by Harvey Stevens (1847–1894) and his brother, George Stevens (1856–1905), rather than factory made as was commonly assumed.

Gradually, the couple could differentiate between the two brothers’ work; Harvey, a cabinetmaker, used patterns with the goal of precision, whereas his brother, George, brought more of an artist’s free spirit to his work. Decades of methodical investigation culminated in 2009 with the publication of The Stevens Brothers, Their Lives, The Times,

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and Their Decoys, a book which the couple co-authored. In the book’s Acknowledgements, Pete reflects back on working with Peggy: “The burden of researching and writing this book was shared equally by my wife. She argued, wrote and rewrote, cajoled and persevered throughout this effort, which occupied, on and off, the last 15 or more years of our 50 years together. To Peggy Lane Muller, my wife and co-author, I offer my sincerest gratitude.”6 Over a decade later, this definitive work still stands as the most comprehensive book on the makers.

Muller & Muller, p. 6.

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Always captivated by literature and poetry, Pete wrote this inscription to his wife, Peggy, in Ernest Hemingway’s 1951 classic The Old Man and the Sea. 26

FAMILY

Dr. Peter Muller with the two best catches of his life: Peggy and a 240-pound marlin caught after a six-hour battle on a 30-pound-test fishing line, Acapulco, Mexico, 1964.

Dr. Muller’s son recalls one occasion when “the Muller family rented and crewed a sailboat through the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. The second day we had the boat, the drive shaft disconnected from the diesel engine, and we experienced an alternator failure. In the few days since we’d gotten the boat, the rental company had declared bankruptcy and closed its doors. We were on our own. Most families would have cut their losses and headed back to the states.

But not the Mullers! Dad and I reattached the drive shaft using scuba gear, got the batteries recharged on shore, and sailed the boat to a marina where we could get the electrical fixed. To Dad, this was a memorable, fun adventure.”

Of this same trip, Pete’s daughter, Laura, has very different memories: “I was thirteen Pete and Peggy were married for nearly years old when my parents insisted I go on sixty-five years and raised two children together, Laura Muller Jones and Peter Julius this sailing trip. I did not want to leave my friends and was not happy. So, I got in the Muller III. Many vacations were devoted small dinghy and had my brother let it out to fishing, crabbing, sailing, camping, and far behind the larger boat using a long rope. hunting excursions, first with their children The water was crystal clear and I lay face and over time with grandchildren as well.

Hilton Head was a frequent destination, but down, all alone, watching the fish and other creatures. This went on a long time. My the Mullers also travelled abroad, ranging mother kept looking back to make sure I was from Arctic dog sledding to African safari. all right.

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Another watery adventure. Laura and her dad in Africa.

“Much later she checked again and there was no boat and no Laura following behind. The towing rope had come undone. I had no idea as I continued to gaze into the water. My family freaked and turned back to look for me, motoring the sailboat as fast as it would go. I had no idea anything had happened. They arrived so excited to find me and I was totally confused. I had never looked up.”

Over time, the women of the family often opted out of these hair-raising episodes, leaving father and son to set off together.

Peter relates: “On one Muller waterfowl trip, Dad and I crossed Calibogue Sound in an aluminum, flat-bottomed Jon boat full of decoys to be deployed on the beach at Daufuskie Island. Winds and seas were high at 4:30 am with temperatures hovering near freezing. I remember Dad yelling, “Bail as fast as you can!” as the boat swamped seventy-five yards from

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the Daufuskie shore. We had life jackets, but were heavily loaded down with waders, decoys, etc. As the boat sank beneath me, I prepared to feel the 38 degree water, but, miraculously, the boat stopped sinking— we were in two and a half feet of water!

Undeterred, we dragged the submerged boat to shore, set up our decoys, and had a great hunt. In the evening, we hiked two miles to the ferry dock to cross back to Hilton Head.”

Dr. Muller loved the Cajun and Creole cuisine of his youth. He relished anything pulled from the sea, whether it be blue crabs, shrimp, oysters, or fish. Laura explains: “I have my dad to thank for giving me the love of blue crabs! As soon as I was old enough to hold a crab, my dad was teaching me how to pick them. I became a whiz with the wooden mallet and my plate, piled high with blue crab meat, was the envy of everyone else at the table.

Father and son fishing for sea trout, Hilton Head, 2014.

Caroline, Olivia, and Eva, lovingly referred to him as “Papa.” He delighted in playing with them and sharing his love for fishing, animals, and adventuring.

“Most summers we would go to Hilton Head for a month. We’d look like National Lampoon’s Family Vacation, going down the highway pulling a Boston Whaler filled with crab nets, fishing poles, coolers and bikes.

We’d fish, my brother would throw a shrimp net, and we’d go crabbing when the tide started to move. I remember the thrill when one of the crabs would get loose in the boat; my mom would pull her feet up and scream!

To this day, I can honestly say that blue crab is my favorite food!“ Peggy reflects, “[I spent] sixty-five years with a very interesting man. We always had plenty to say to each other, no sitting in restaurants ignoring each other as you see so often with long married couples. Living with Peter Muller was never boring.”

Dr. Muller derived tremendous happiness from being a grandfather. His five granddaughters, Catherine, Elizabeth,

Whether he was capturing snakes, crabbing, fishing, caring for clients’ pets, hunting ducks on frigid mornings, or appreciating and procuring fine decoys, communing with nature in some form was a constant source of pleasure throughout Dr. Muller’s life. His son-in-law, Bill Jones, aptly summed him up: “He lived large.”

Pete and Peggy with their five granddaughters at their fiftieth-wedding anniversary celebration, 2004.

Dr. Muller worked hard, played hard, and always took delight in the present moment.

He often remarked, “And now the world takes on a rosy hue,” after a thrilling adventure, a tasty meal, or a fine glass of whiskey. His incredible number of friends,

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Fishing with Elizabeth, Hilton Head, circa 1996.

Peter, his son, and granddaughter, Catherine, Hilton Head.

Peter and his granddaughter, Olivia, 2004.

Papa and Caroline.

“On their thirteenth birthdays, he took each girl out to a fine restaurant (just the two of them) and gave her a nice piece of jewelry. He also talked to them about ‘everything,’ offering bits of wisdom about life, romance, etc. This one evening seemed to create a very special bond between Papa and each granddaughter. Of course, he also made sure his granddaughters experienced the ocean and spent time there every summer when they were younger.”

— Peggy Muller

Eva on a family cruise to Alaska, 2004.

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Laura Muller Jones’ family: Bill, Olivia, Eva, and Laura, 2017. Pete fondly called his son-in-law “Big Guy.”

Dr. Peter Muller III’s family: Peter, Caroline, Elizabeth, Catherine, and his wife, Jamie, 2012. Of his much beloved daughter-in-law, Dr. Muller once said as she arrived when he had been hospitalized, “Here’s the best daughter-inlaw in the world. She always shows up when there is a crisis.” And, according to Peggy, she always did.

combined with his boundless enthusiasm, enabled him to live a life filled with adventure and laughter. Over the course of nearly five decades, Dr. Muller’s vision,

detective work, and perseverance enabled him to curate one of the greatest decoy collections ever assembled.

Copley Fine Art Auctions would like to thank Peggy Lane Muller, Laura Muller Jones, Bill Jones, Jamie Muller, and Peter J. Muller III for graciously providing stories and photographs for this biography. Copley also appreciates the contributions of Bob Shaw, Joe Engers, and Bill Purnell.

Sources: Joe Engers. “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting.”

Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008.

Dick McIntyre. “In Memoriam.” Decoy Magazine, July/August 2019.

Dr. Peter J. Muller & Peggy Lane Muller. The Stevens Brothers, Their Lives, The Times and Their Decoys. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing, 2009.

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THE START OF THE HUNT

by Dr. S. Lloyd Newberry

Muller with his first wild turkey, guided by Lloyd Newberry, Racoon Key, Georgia, 1991.

In January of 1970, a friend of mine who was a deer hunting guide called me to discuss a small problem. He had accepted a fee from a client in Atlanta for a duck hunt. Trouble was, he was not a duck hunting guide and knew nothing about waterfowl. He pleaded with me to bail him out and take this veterinarian, a Dr. Peter Muller and his wife, Peggy, duck hunting. I did and it was a most fortuitous and propitious event in my life. Pete and Peggy took a limit of broadbill, two ruddies, and a goldeneye, but, much more importantly, we became friends and formed a bond with each other that was to stand for decades.

Pete and I both had biology degrees, both collected snakes in our youth, and both loved duck hunting. When he walked in my home the first time, another passion we would share through the years was born. I had several old Mason and Wildfowler decoys and some original Audubon prints. Pete fell in love with the Audubons and must have held those decoys for several hours that first trip to my home in Savannah, and as they say, the rest is history.

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Pete was soon making trips to Virginia and Maryland, and later to New Jersey and New York. He met Bill Mackey, Bill Purnell, Bud Ward, and Johnny Hillman with whom he traded and purchased decoys. He attended all the Mackey auctions and purchased many of the best birds offered. He often called me from the old Craigville Motel excited about a new discovery.

For several decades we slogged through mud and cold rain and enjoyed many beautiful sunrises together. The most excited I ever saw him was when I called in his first wild turkey, but he said that the day he married Peggy even topped that. He loved to eat wild game and being born a Cajun, if it had a kick to it, so much the better. Martha prepared many a canvasback and wood duck (his favorites) for us. After dinner we would repair to the den with a roaring fire and a brandy or three. Pete would always bring down his latest two or three purchases which would be placed on the coffee table. I asked him once why he went to the trouble and he stated, “because they are so much better to look at than those old clunkers of yours.” We loved to kid each other and I could fill a book with stories of Pete falling overboard, bogging up to his waist in pluff mud, and, best of all, his gun malfunctioning when fifty cans lit in the decoys. I can still remember that stream of expletives.

Dr. Muller was not a man to delve into any sport, hobby, or interest, without pursuing its history to the most minute detail. He studied the intricacies of paint and carving techniques by decoy craftsmen whose birds he collected and everyone respected his opinion on a given bird or a piece of antique nature art. His favorite decoy was a Harry V. Shourds oldsquaw, but it was hard to get him to pick one as he loved them all.

He had a special fondness for Virginia birds that he and I shared, and in later years he turned most of his attention to Stevens decoys. After thirty years of research (typical of Peter), he and Peggy co-authored The Stevens Brothers, Their Lives, The Times, and Their Decoys. Without a doubt it’s one of the most well-researched and presented decoy publications in the genre.

Through almost half a century, Pete put together one of the finest decoy collections in the country. But much more than that, he was a friend and mentor to so many of us who enjoy the hunting, folk art, and the historical context that the hobby provides.

We are much better because Peter was here.

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THE DR. PETER J. MULLER JR. COLLECTION OF AMERICAN BIRD DECOYS THE WINTER SALE 2020 SESSION I FEBRUARY 15 | 10AM

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IRA D. HUDSON

1873-1949 | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA

1 Exemplary Hollow Brant IRA D. HUDSON (1873-1949) CHINCOTEAGUE, VA, C. 1925 15 1/4 in. long

A hollow decoy displaying exceptional swirl feathering.

Southern decoy historian Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr. chose to feature this decoy in color in his 1983 book Southern Decoys, along with Muller’s hooded merganser pair (lot 3).

A closely related example is found in Call to the Sky, a book which showcases the decoy collection of Dr. James M. McCleery. Excellent original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE:

Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired in

1980 LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 33, exact decoy illustrated.

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Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 12, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 81, closely related decoy illustrated.

Henry H. Stansbury, Ira D. Hudson and Family, Lewes, DE, 2002, p. 76, similar decoy illustrated. $5,000 - $7,000

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IRA D. HUDSON

1873-1949 | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA

2 Yellowlegs

IRA D. HUDSON (1873-1949) CHINCOTEAGUE, VA, C. 1910 11 1/2 in long

This is one of the finest Hudson yellowlegs to ever come on the market having resided in the Muller and Purnell Collections until this time. A nearly identical rigmate, also from the Purnell Collection, is illustrated in three important decoy books.

With its plump fully animated form, sweeping dropped tail, thin neck, pronounced cheeks, eye grooves, three-piece laminated construction, scratch feather paint, and strong provenance, this bird features everything that top Hudson, Southern decoy and shorebird collectors look for.

Branded “P” for the William H. Purnell Jr. Collection on the underside. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, restoration to half of bill by Miles Handcock, and some minor touch-up under throat.

PROVENANCE: William H. Purnell Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above

LITERATURE: Joe Engers, ed. The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, p. 157, rigmates illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/ February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 161, pl. 135, related decoy illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, pp.

73-74, similar decoys illustrated.

Henry H. Stansbury, Ira D. Hudson and Family, Lewes, DE, 2002, p. 140, related decoys illustrated.

Paul A. Johnsgard, The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form, Lincoln, NE, 1976, p. 164, rigmate illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 105, related example illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 59, related decoy illustrated.

$15,000 - $25,000

“Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr., one of the last of the ‘old guard’ decoy collectors, collecting solely on his knowledge, experience and artistic eye - not Internet, cellphone photos or instant Google searches. His hands-on approach culminated in the finest collection ever assembled in the South.”

— Dick McIntyre. “In Memoriam.”

Decoy Magazine, July/August 2019

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Mr. Roy Bull (1911-1982)

By William H. Purnell Jr. “When I started in the late Fifties, my collecting was limited at first to the Ocean City, Maryland area, but in a few years I started going down to Chincoteague, and the rest of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Everywhere I went, people told me that they had given or sold their decoys to Mr. Roy Bull, and I should go down to Townsend and see him. After many years of hearing these words, and never running across him in my travels looking for decoys, I finally did go and see him. Driving down to Oyster Shell Road, and looking across the marsh past his seafood business, I could see Magothy Bay, Mockhorn Island, Smith Island, and sometimes, Cobb Island (at least I liked to think I could). It is a beautiful view.

“When I first met Roy, a big man with a soft southern accent and a gentlemanly manner, he took me into the oyster house, which was full of decoys, on tables, and on shelves on the walls. Needless to say, I was awestruck. After we had looked at them for several hours, he said he had more in another building. This building, which had been an old store, was full of decoys too. There were Cobbs, Hudsons, Wards, Hancocks, Birches, etc., literally hundreds and hundreds of decoys—which grew into a Collection of about 1,700 decoys at his death.

“Roy and I became good friends (as he did with most people). We traded, and gave each other many decoys, and swapped stories, and a few times had a little drink.

The seafood business provided him with the best of contacts for finding decoys.

Sometimes he would even give me a lead or two. He and his wife, Lula, traveled all over the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Maryland, and parts of North Carolina and New Jersey, in their quest for decoys. Lula, on her own, found some of the best decoys he had (all the Ira Hudson Hooded Mergansers)...”

— from The Roy Bull Decoy Collection Catalog, Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., 1983

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THE MACKEY-GREGORY HOODED MERGANSER PAIR

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IRA D. HUDSON

1873-1949 | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA

3 The Mackey-Gregory Hooded Merganser Pair IRA HUDSON (1873-1949) CHINCOTEAGUE, VA, C. 1925 13 in. long

Hooded mergansers are sometimes referred to as “hairy heads” due to their crests. Ira Hudson stylistically embraced the challenge of making a functioning hooded merganser decoy by creating a whimsical, slicked back, and racylooking hen. Complementing her, he gave the drake a more serious-looking persona, reminiscent of a Roman centurion soldier. This amusing tension, along with their rarity, lies at the heart of the collectability of these Hudson “footballs,” one of the most iconic pairs of Southern decoys known to exist.

Collectors have long understood the scarcity of hooded merganser decoys. Similar to buffleheads, dedicated gunning rigs are not necessary for attracting hoodies.

Examples of decoys by known makers that have been embraced by the collecting community include singular works by Joseph Lincoln (1859-1938), William Hart (1875-1946), and Lloyd Tyler (1898-1970), each of which approached or topped the $200,000 mark.

Early collector Roy Bull (1911-1982) and his wife, Lula, obtained all six hooded mergansers in this important Hudson rig sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Within this esteemed rig, there were only two drakes. The Bulls kept the other pair. Those two carvings subsequently became key acquisitions in the collections of leading decoy collectors Bill Purnell, Tom Figge, and Paul Tudor Jones II. The Bulls, who were friends with Bill Mackey, were two of the most important early collectors of Southern decoys.

They would go on to amass approximately 1,700 decoys during their lifetimes, including top-tier carvings by the Cobbs, the Wards, Birch, and Hudson. Mackey obtained these two prized decoys directly from the Bulls and proceeded to exhibit them extensively.

The decoys were next acquired by Americana and folk art collecting legend Stewart E. Gregory (1913–1976), who also acquired the top two Earnest dovetailed geese. Gregory was both the vice president and a trustee of the American Folk Art Museum during the 1960s and 70s.

Gregory’s collection contained numerous pieces acquired from early and noted dealers, including Mary Allis (18991987) and Adele Earnest (1901-1993). The Collection included works by Ammi Phillips (1788-1865) and Erastus Salisbury Field (1805-1900), as well as decoys, hooked

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rugs, weathervanes, and tinware. In 1972 the American Folk Art Museum held the landmark exhibition An Eye on America: Folk Art from the Stewart E. Gregory Collection.

In 1978 this merganser pair was sold by the Gregory Estate through Richard A. Bourne. His broader collection, titled Important American Folk Art and Furniture: The Distinguished Collection of the Late Stewart E. Gregory, Wilton, Connecticut, was sold by Sotheby Parke-Bernet, Inc. in 1979. According to American Folk Art Museum director Gerard C. Wertkin, the Gregory Sale “is often considered a watershed in the field because of the widespread public interest that it engendered and the high prices that it realized. Indeed, many of the finest works acquired by Gregory are now in the collections of important American museums.”

The football-shaped Mackey-Gregory mergansers, with their pronounced crests and fluted tails, are two of the most animated and recognizable carvings within the field of Southern decoys. Adding to this, in Hudson’s distinctive style, the drake’s head, body, and tail turn gently to the left. The paint on the backs of each bird is striking, showcasing the maker’s very best scratch feathering.

Offered here for the first time since 1978, this pair boasts an equally impressive lineage as the Purnell-Figge-Jones pair.

Muller’s tenacity in hunting down the very best of the Mackey decoys is on full display in these mergansers. Flipping them over, the two collecting moguls’ ink stamps are seen side by side. Original paint with even gunning wear, restoration to the hen’s bill and along the top of drake’s crest, less than ½ inch high, and a few age lines at neck bases with minimal touch-up.

PROVENANCE: Roy and Lula Bull Collection William J. Mackey Jr. Collection, acquired from the above Stewart Gregory Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1973 Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1978 LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey, Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, July 17, 1973, Session I, lot 283, exact pair illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Bird Decoys, Bird Carvings, and Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, July 1978, lot 582, exact pair illustrated.

THE MACKEY-GREGORY HOODED MERGANSER PAIR

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Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 34, exact pair illustrated.

Hal Sorenson, ed., “IBM Exhibits Mackey Decoys,” Decoy Collector’s Guide, 1966-67, p. 48, exact pair illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, 1990, p. 152, Jones’ pair illustrated.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, p. 173, Jones’ pair illustrated.

Sam Dyke et al., Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art, Salisbury, MD, 1994, p. 2, exact pair illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, pp. 8-9, exact drake illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p.

212, exact pair illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Manhattan,

New York, The Decoy Maker’s Craft, IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences, August 29-October 1, 1966.

St. Paul, Minnesota, American Bird Decoys Selected from the Collection of William J. Mackey Jr., St. Paul Art Center, September 28-November 12, 1967.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, American Bird Decoys Selected from the Collection of William J. Mackey Jr., The Paine Art Center and Arboretum, December 2-31, 1967.

Salisbury, Maryland, “Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art,” Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 20, 1994-January 1, 1995. $150,000 - $250,000

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A page from the Toller Trader, April 1973.

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Lot 4 detail.

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CHARLES BIRCH

1867-1956 | WILLIS WHARF, VA

4 The Mackey Birch Swan CHARLES BIRCH (1867-1956) WILLIS WHARF, VA, C. 1920 25 1/2 in. long

Working swan decoys of any type are exceptionally rare as most were used as confidence decoys, with typically only a single or pair, if any, used in a gunning rig.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1974

There are only a few Birch swan decoys in original paint known to exist and none any finer than this example which hails from the legendary collection of William J. Mackey Jr. Two closely related Birch swans currently reside in the Haid and Doherty Collections.

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey..., Hyannis, MA, 1974, Sessions VII & VIII, lot 440, exact decoy illustrated.

Jackson Parker, “Bourne Completes Auction of the Great Mackey Collection with a Flourish,” North American Decoys Magazine, Spanish Fork, UT, Winter 1974, p. 19, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 213, exact decoy illustrated.

Sam Dyke et al., Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art, Salisbury, MD, 1994, p. 9, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, front cover and p. 9, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, pp. 160-161, Doherty example illustrated.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 166-167, Haid example illustrated.

Alan G. Haid and Brandy S. Culp, The Allure of the Decoy: Historic Charleston Foundation Presents Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Alan G. Haid, Charleston, SC, 2013, p. 49, Haid example illustrated.

Born in Maryland and raised on Chincoteague, Birch moved south to Willis Wharf, Virginia, in Northampton County at age thirty-nine. He was a boatbuilder, a waterman, and a decoy carver. His decoys were very well regarded in their own time and his rigs were hunted over from North Carolina’s Gooseville Gun Club to Illinois’ Georgia Pacific Paper Gun Club, also referred to as the Island 29 Club.

This hollow swan, with its long neck and arching head with rounded cheeks, features a full body and refined tail carving. Its graceful form, dry original paint surface, and provenance make it not only a pinnacle Birch, but also one of the finest swan decoys known to exist. Attesting to this fact, the Muller example was one of the only decoys within the pages of the eight Mackey sessions to be illustrated on a page by itself.

The importance of the great Birch swans has been widely recognized by decoy scholars. The closely related Haid example was selected for the Hundred Greatest book and the Doherty example, which set the world record for the maker at auction when it sold for $186,500 in 2011, was featured in The Great Book of Decoys. This Mackey Birch Swan has also been prominently illustrated and was most recently exhibited in the landmark Ward Museum exhibition Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art in 1994.

Charles Birch swans have achieved a hallowed status among decoy and Americana collectors, with many considering them the most elegant of the antique swans to have surfaced. With their timeless classic designs, Birch swans, along with the Holly swans, are regarded as the finest representations of the species.

Offered here for the first time in over forty-five years, the Mackey Birch Swan provides an opportunity to acquire a crowning jewel treasured by two of America’s greatest decoy collectors. Original paint with even gunning wear and some working putty at neck seam and small area on top of tail.

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Salisbury, Maryland, Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 20, 1994-January 1, 1995.

EXHIBITED:

$150,000 - $250,000

THE MACKEY BIRCH SWAN

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“When the tide ebbs and these flats are left dry the oystermen land and simply gather them up in baskets, and they say the supply is inexhaustible. It is on these places also that the curlew, willet and snipe are shot, and often these flats are literally alive with them…”

—”Cobb’s Island in Summer,” Forest and Stream Magazine, 1876

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COBB ISLAND, VA

5

5 Running Curlew

COBB ISLAND, VA, C. 1880 15 in. long

A stylish running curlew with a humped back, a bold head, eye grooves, and a sharp wing tip cut. From Massachusetts to Virginia, the running curlew is one of the most celebrated shorebird patterns for numerous makers. The dynamic form seen in this early curlew decoy illustrates why the Cobbs are considered amongst the South’s greatest shorebird carvers.

This decoy with its distinct tail cut, ridged back, splined through bill, and eye groove appears to be by the same hand as the famous Mackey-Purnell goose featured in The Hundred Greatest and The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys.

That goose decoy has historically been identified as the work of Walter Brady, Oyster, Virginia. Old working paint with a replaced bill and touch-up to top of head.

PROVENANCE: Ray Davies, The 1807 House Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above in the 1970s LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 95, pl. LXVI, rigmate illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 155, pl. 128, related example illustrated.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, p. 157, related carving illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, p. 159, related carving illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

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COBB ISLAND, VA

6

6 Running Robin Snipe COBB ISLAND, VA, C. 1880 10 1/2 in. long

A plump example of this rare decoy species. The classic Cobb Island tail cut continues up though the wings and culminates in an S-curve, a flourish seldom seen on Virginia decoys. The reaching head features incised eyes, full cheeks, and subtle eye grooves. The underside is marked with a stylized “A� for Albert Cobb. The form of this decoy has not gone unnoticed. Indeed, three of the top shorebird collectors in the country, Lloyd Johnson, Mort Hanson, and Dr. Peter Muller, have been the most recent owners. Old paint with gunning wear to wood.

PROVENANCE: Albert Cobb Rig Lloyd Johnson Collection Morton M. Hanson Collection, acquired from the above Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1975 LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 209, rigmate illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, color pl. VI, rigmate illustrated.

Adele Earnest, Folk Art in America, Exton, PA, 1984, p. 171, related decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 155, pl. 128, related example illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

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EASTERN SHORE, VA

7

7 Curlew

EASTERN SHORE, VA, C. 1900 14 1/2 in. long

This grand Virginia curlew is among the very finest from its rig. It showcases a superbly carved bill, eye grooves, a plump belly, and sharp chines down the back and sides.

Excellent original paint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE:

Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired circa

1973 LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, color pl. LVIII, and p. 208, related example illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, pp. 94-95, related example illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

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MACKEY-PURNELL COBB PLOVER

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8

COBB ISLAND, VA

8 Black-Bellied Plover COBB ISLAND, VA, C. 1880 10 in. long

Nathan Cobb Sr. (1797-1881) sailed his family south from Cape Cod to the Eastern Shore of Virginia where they settled around 1837. The family brought with them Massachusetts carving concepts, including the refined splittail carving style adopted by Lothrop Holmes (1824-1899), A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), and Joseph Lincoln (18591938). The Cobbs developed this style into one of their own.

A well-balanced decoy, this black-bellied plover exhibits pleasing proportions with a gracefully rounded head, full cheeks, and a body that resolves with a precise Cobb Island tail cut. This confident carving, featuring the Cobb’s “V” feathered paint, represents the best of the Southern standard.

Birds from this important Cobb rig were first discovered by early collector Somers Headley in Oyster, Virginia.

Rigmates drew the attention of the “old guard,” landing in the collections of Bill Purnell, Lloyd Johnson, Dr. James M. McCleery, and Donal C. O’Brien Jr. They were brought to the broader public’s attention in 1980, when Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr. featured this exact decoy and a running curlew rigmate, both from the Purnell Collection, in his seminal shorebird decoy book.

In addition to having a stylized “A” carved on the underside denoting the rig of Albert Cobb, this example also bears the “P” brand for the William H. Purnell Jr. Collection. Original paint with even wear, including two minor chips to the tail.

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PROVENANCE: Albert Cobb Rig Somers Headly Collection, acquired in the 1950s or 1960s William H. Purnell Jr. Collection, acquired from the above Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above in 1992 LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p. 68, exact decoy illustrated, back dust jacket cover, p. 111, pl. LXXXII, and p. 130, pl. 146, rigmates illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, pp. 166-167, rigmate illustrated.

Dr. Lloyd Newberry, “The Saga of Cobb Island,” Sporting Classics, Spring/Summer 2018, pp. 140-145, related example illustrated.

Robert H. Richardson, ed., Chesapeake Bay Decoys, Burtonsville, MD, 1991, p. 204, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 83, related example illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

LEE DUDLEY

1860-1942 | KNOTTS ISLAND, NC

9 Canvasback Drake

LEE DUDLEY (1860-1942) KNOTTS ISLAND, NC, C. 1890 12 1/2 in. long

Dudley decoys have been held in the highest regard by acquisitors of all regions from the earliest days of decoy collecting. In fact, two of the seminal books on decoy collecting, William J. Mackey’s American Bird Decoys and Joel Barber’s Water Fowl Decoys, both begin their first chapters with stories of Dudley decoys and the authors’ reverence for them. Barber’s particular love of Dudley decoys is further illustrated in the first three plates of his book, the first of which depicts two Dudley carvings prominently displayed top and center on a wall of his decoys. In 1981 a panel of experts reviewing the decoy collection at the Shelburne Museum declared a Dudley of Barber’s to be the best of the museum’s collection.

This lot is one of the finest examples of a Dudley ever to come to light and was made for Dudley’s personal gunning rig. The canvasback decoys from this rig represent some of the earliest Dudley carvings. They can be distinguished by their smooth humpbacks, painted eyes, and stylishly carved high-crowned heads. This decoy, along with other birds from this famous rig, bears Dudley’s original “LD” brand on the bottom. According to Barber, Lee Dudley recounted to him that “…in 1913 the whole Dudley rig had been sold to a [Knotts Island] club at the then prevailing price of fifty cents apiece.” This transfer of ownership is evident in the partial obscuring of Dudley’s rig brand on the underside.

The Dudley decoy has always been known for its bold, singular form. This carving retains the desirable attributes that astute Dudley collectors look for, including an original head, bill, and tail.

The form, provenance, rarity, and condition of this Knotts Island canvasback elevate it to a museum-quality level, positioning it as one of the best Southern decoys to ever be offered at auction. In excellent condition by Dudley standards, old gunning paint with heavy wear, including a crack in the neck.

PROVENANCE: Lee Dudley Rig A Knotts Island gunning club rig, acquired from the above, 1913 Tony Waring Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, circa 1973 LITERATURE: Kroghie Andresen, Gunnin’ Birds, Charlotte, NC, 2008, p. 82, exact decoy illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 50, color pl. XLVI, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 9, exact decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 169, rigmate illustrated.

Joel Barber, Wild Fowl Decoys, New York, NY, 1954, pp. 1-5, pl.

1-3, related example illustrated.

Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys: A North American Survey, Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, pp. 3-4, color pl. 1, related decoy illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 1, related decoy illustrated.

$50,000 - $80,000

“A visual study of the complete Dudley bird form,” write Gene and Linda Kangas, “whatever the species, reveals an uninterrupted flow from bill tip to tail’s end. The successful manner in which the bill fits into the lower cheeks, the cut of the neck-base, sweeping powerful chest, and smooth, curved body combine into one of the finer sculptural solutions in the decoy world... The Dudley carving style consistently depicts both the head and body forms as a totality, resulting in a fine sculptural portrait.”

Muller acquired this decoy, along with a Cobb swimming goose, from Tony Waring at the time of the Mackey auctions, circa 1973. Several years later, this exact decoy was selected to be the logo bird for the Mid-Atlantic Waterfowl Festival. Subsequently, that logo has been used by the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum in Virginia Beach.

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Lot 9 was used as the model for the logo of the Mid-Atlantic Waterfowl Festival which started in 1976.

“This is the finest model of Dudley Canvasback with the initials ‘L.D.’ burned into the bottom.”

— Henry Fleckenstein, discussing this exact decoy in Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas

9

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DOUG JESTER

1876-1961 | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA

10

10 Hooded Merganser Pair DOUG JESTER (1876-1961) CHINCOTEAGUE, VA, C. 1920 12 1/4 in. long

A rigmate pair of hooded mergansers. Both display the maker’s distinctive flag crests, distinguishable from his tine crests. The underside of each is stamped “DSW.” Original paint with even gunning wear, including a minor chip to the right edge of the hen’s bill tip.

PROVENANCE: Bud Ward Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1991 LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, pp. 90-92 and color pl.

XXXIX, related examples illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 163, pl. 137, related examples illustrated.

$6,000 - $8,000

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Classic Decoy Series: A Portfolio of Paintings, Plate No. 20, Milton C. Weiler, 1969, lot 11 exact decoy illustrated.

MULLER 61

HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

11 The Mackey Shourds Long-Tail HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 13 1/2 in. long

This singular Shourds carving is considered one of the pinnacle gunning decoys to come out of New Jersey. In addition to its sterling condition, its documentation and rarity make it the maker’s most distinctive duck decoy. It was first documented in the collections of William J. Mackey Jr. and Quintina Colio. Indeed, this carving was in at least three of Mackey’s public exhibitions and it bears his collection ink stamp three times, one in each of the following colors: red, black, and white. This drake was selected to represent Shourds in Milton Weiler’s 1969 Classic Decoy Series folio.

Muller acquired this decoy directly from the first Mackey auction in 1973. While in the Muller Collection, it was selected for the Ward Museum’s 1994-1995 Classic Decoys & Sporting Art exhibit. Recognizing it as the best of its kind, James R. Doherty illustrated this exact drake, alongside the hen from his collection, in his Classic New Jersey Decoys book.

One of the longtime favorites of Dr. Muller’s, this decoy was selected for the collection’s ink stamp. Excellent original paint with light and even gunning wear, minor fill and touch-up at neck crack, and darkening to an old tail chip.

PROVENANCE: Quintina Colio Collection William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1973 LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 54, pl. 80, exact decoy illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session I & II, lot 576, exact decoy illustrated.

Milton C. Weiler, The Classic Decoy Series: A Portfolio of Paintings, New York, NY, 1969, pl. 20, exact decoy illustrated.

Sam Dyke et al., Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art, Salisbury, MD, 1994, p. 15, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/ February 2008, cover and p. 10, exact decoy illustrated.

Manhattan, New York, The Decoy Maker’s Craft, IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences, August 29-October 1, 1966.

St. Paul, Minnesota, American Bird Decoys Selected from the Collection of William J. Mackey Jr., St. Paul Art Center, September 28-November 12, 1967.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, American Bird Decoys Selected from the Collection of William J. Mackey Jr., The Paine Art Center and Arboretum, December 2-31, 1967.

Salisbury, Maryland, Classic Hunting Decoys & Sporting Art, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 20, 1994-January 1, 1995.

EXHIBITED:

$80,000 - $120,000

Detail of lot 11.

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THE MACKEY SHOURDS LONG-TAIL

11

63

64

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

12 The Mackey Shourds Merganser Drake HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 15 3/4 in. long

Not only one of the finest Shourds decoys known to exist this is one of the best decoys from the Mid-Atlantic region.

The underside bears Mackey’s collector’s notes and provenance. Excellent original paint with light even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE:

Boots Mathis Rig, acquired from the maker,

circa 1910 William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection

12

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LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 48, exact decoy illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, dust jacket, related example illustrated.

$80,000 - $120,000

THE MACKEY SHOURDS MERGANSER DRAKE

12

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DANIEL LAKE LEEDS 1852-1922 | PLEASANTVILLE, NJ

13

13 Ruddy Turnstone

DANIEL LAKE LEEDS (1852-1922) PLEASANTVILLE, NJ, C. 1890 9 in. long

“Jeremiah Leeds, keeper of the salt flats, left one descendant, Dan Lake Leeds, who carved bird decoys including sanderling, plover, yellowlegs, turnstones, and curlew. His own rig, numbering over fifty snipe, came to light a few years ago. It was probably the greatest single find of its kind in New Jersey decoy history. The Dan Leeds birds have a stylized exaggeration that has an artistic appeal.

The black-bellied plover have heads that indicate their local name, “bull heads;” the sanderling have a slimness that suggests their speed before the advancing waves. Paint patterns are bright and adequate, and the technique is unusual; Dan used thick oily paint and laid it on instead of brushing it out. This viscous coating made a durable finish, and the rig was found in mint condition. The old gentleman lavished great care on his decoys during their years of service. They stand on their own merit and have little in common with their New Jersey contemporaries. ” — William J. Mackey Jr., Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, 1971.

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This Leeds is one of the finest New Jersey ruddy turnstone decoys known to exist, and exhibits rich paint, raised wings, and an alert posture. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Robin Hardy Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above by Bud Ward LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, front cover, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 55, related example illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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14 Black-Bellied Plover in Emerging Plumage HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 9 1/2 in. long

Harry Vinuckson Shourds is amongst the earliest and most documented decoy makers from New Jersey. In addition to being one of the few professional carvers of his generation, Shourds hunted ducks for market and his wife used the feathers to make pillows and bedding.

This decoy, along with its rigmate (lot 15), is from the famous Ash Milliner (1875-1952) rig of Shourds shorebirds.

Early Southern decoy collector Bill Purnell purchased the decoys directly from Milliner’s son in Locustville, Virginia.

Ash Milliner was a noted market gunner and oysterman from the Wachapreague area. Birds from this rig were dispersed, ending up in the collections of Bill Mackey and Dr. Peter Muller, in addition to that of Bill Purnell.

A fine example of this rare Shourds plover variation bearing the “P” brand for the Purnell Collection on the underside.

Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Ash Milliner (1875-1952) Rig William H. Purnell Jr. Collection, acquired from the son of the above Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 59, pl. XXX, related decoy illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 71, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 59, related example illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 127, pl. 107, related example illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

15 Robin Snipe

HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 9 in. long

A rare robin snipe decoy in bright breeding plumage branded “P” for the Purnell Collection on the underside. Original paint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Ash Milliner (1875-1952) Rig William H. Purnell Jr. Collection, acquired from the son of the above Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above

15

LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, pp. 43 and 59, related examples illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 71, related example illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

16 Black-Bellied Plover

HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 10 in. long

A plover with pronounced cheek carving. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: John Hillman Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 59, related example illustrated.

James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 67, related decoys illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

17 Curlew

HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 13 3/4 in. long

This curlew displays painted eyes, a splined bill, and exceptional blended feathering. The underside bears the Mackey Collection ink stamp. Original paint with even gunning wear. A small area of fill on left cheek appears original to carving.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1973 LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session IV, lot 123, exact decoy illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 71, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 59, related example illustrated.

17

$6,000 - $9,000

18 Yellowlegs

HARRY V. SHOURDS (1861-1920) TUCKERTON, NJ, C. 1890 10 1/2 in. long

This fine example exhibits Shourds’ best paint. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE:

Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection

LITERATURE: Guyette and Schmidt, Important Waterfowl Decoys & Bird Carvings at Auction, July 23 & 24, 1992, Ogunquit, ME, lot 520, exact decoy illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 71, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 59, related example illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000 18

71

JOHN DAWSON

1889-1959 | DUCK ISLAND, NJ

19 The Mackey “Dust Jacket” Merganser Hen JOHN DAWSON (1889-1959) DUCK ISLAND, NJ, C. 1915 18 in. long

William J. Mackey’s writing reveals that he was particularly fond of this Delaware River maker. The author points out that “Dawson brought several talents into play in constructing remarkably original decoys” and that he “made decoys that collectors will prize for generations to come.”

Regarding this decoy and its mate, Mackey notes that the maker “...lavished unusual care on this swift, handsome pair.” Fittingly, the second edition of Mackey’s American Bird Decoys features this exact decoy front and center on its “dust jacket’, along with its rigmate and the famous Crowell “Dust Jacket” Plover trio.

The small number of birds from this rig all feature hollow bodies and precise execution, and are among the sleekest carvings by any maker. The form of the hens from this rig are particularly distinguished by their long and upswept crests. True to Mackey’s prophecy, rigmates have been prized by a number of the nation’s top decoy and Americana collectors, including Paul Tudor Jones II, Dr. James McCleery, and Thomas K. Figge. Excellent original paint with minimal wear and very minor touch-up to the top of crest.

Lot 19, exact hen illustrated.

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PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection LITERATURE: William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, 2nd ed., New York, NY, 1987, dust jacket and color pl. V, exact decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, color pl. V, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 69, related hen illustrated.

$60,000 - $90,000

THE MACKEY ”DUST JACKET” MERGANSER HEN

19

73

74

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WEBSTER RAISED-WING GOLDEN PLOVER

20 Webster Raised-Wing Golden Plover NANTUCKET, MA, C. 1850 9 1/2 in. long

Early collectors Donal C. O’Brien Jr., William J. Mackey Jr., and Adele Earnest all believed that the plover from this rig were among the finest works of American folk art they had ever come across.

Indeed, Mackey and O’Brien hunted down and acquired fifteen of the seventeen examples that surfaced. Eight still reside in the O’Brien Collection and one can been seen in Mackey and Weiler’s Classic Shorebird Decoys portfolio.

The group, while cohesive in its distinguished spring plumage, appears to have been made without a pattern.

This free-hand approach produced a lively flock with no two birds exactly alike. This is immediately evidenced in the contrast between this decoy and its rigmate (lot 21), which has a smooth body, a split tail, and a dramatically turned head.

The form of this decoy, along with O’Brien’s best Webster plover (see pp. 78, photo lower left, top decoy), stands out due to the applied wings that lift clear off of the body with pointed wing tips. The head of this decoy was also applied, as was common for this maker and others on Nantucket.

With the exception of the aforementioned plover which remains a cornerstone in the O’Brien Collection, this is believed to be the best example to have survived, offering shorebird, decoy, and Americana collectors a rare opportunity to obtain an iconic form within these fields.

Original paint with light wear and touch-up to a small spot on the back.

PROVENANCE: Franklin Folger Webster Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired 1981 LITERATURE: William Doyle Galleries, Waterfowl and Shorebird Decoys, New York, NY, April 15, 1981, back cover and p. 61, lot 76, exact decoy illustrated.

Milton C. Weiler, Classic Decoy Series: A Portfolio of Paintings, New York, NY, 1969, pl. 2, related decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 13, related example illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session III, lot 320, rigmate illustrated.

Jeff Waingrow, “The American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien Jr.,” The Clarion: America’s Folk Art Magazine, Fall 1981, p. 30, closely related rigmate illustrated.

Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys Magazine, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 34, rigmate illustrated.

Laurence Sheehan, The Sporting Life, New York, NY, 1992, p. 79, rigmates illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, July 27, 2017, inside front cover, six rigmates illustrated.

$60,000 - $90,000

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NANTUCKET, MA

20

21

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WEBSTER CALLING GOLDEN PLOVER

21 Webster Calling Golden Plover NANTUCKET, MA, C. 1850 10 in. long

A rare Nantucket plover from the iconic Webster rig with an applied head in an uplifted and turned pose. The smooth body is finished with stylish spring plumage and split-tail carving. Original paint with gunning wear and a reset neck.

PROVENANCE: Franklin Folger Webster Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts Honorable J. William Middendorf II Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session III, lot 320, rigmate illustrated.

Jeff Waingrow, “The American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien, Jr.,” The Clarion: America’s Folk Art Magazine, Fall 1981, p. 30, rigmate illustrated.

Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys Magazine, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 34, rigmate illustrated.

Laurence Sheehan, The Sporting Life, New York, NY, 1992, p. 79, two O’Brien rigmates illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, July 27, 2017, inside front cover, six rigmates illustrated in O’Brien’s living room. $12,000 - $18,000

Rigmates to lots 20 and 21 in the O’Brien Collection.

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Rigmates to lots 20 and 21 in the O’Brien Collection.

20

21

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NANTUCKET, MA

22

22 Hollow Golden Plover Pair NANTUCKET, MA, C. 1850 10 in. long

A hollow pair of Nantucket plover in lively breeding plumage. Each is finished with the painter’s clean high contrast lines, coupled with soft mottled feather blending.

In addition to the striking paint, this feather-weight rig is known for its variation of construction. Birds are seen with a variety of tail treatments and hollowing methods.

Demonstrating some variations, the decoy shown on top is hollowed with two-piece construction and a perfectly tight body seam which was impressively secured without nails.

The bird on the bottom of the photo was carefully hollowed through an opening in the underside and exhibits split wing tips.

Muller’s notes recount that these birds were among Mackey and Colio’s favorites. The form, condition, construction, and paint of Muller’s pair distinguish them as two of the early gunning rig’s premier examples. Original paint with even gunning wear. The two-piece bird has a replaced bill and the other bird has a repair to its left wing tip.

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PROVENANCE: Dr.

Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection

LITERATURE: Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 58, rigmate illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact pair illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session III, lot 93, rigmate illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

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CHARLES SUMNER BUNN OR WILLIAM “BILL” BOWMAN 1865-1952 AND 1824-1906 | SHINNECOCK RESERVATION, NY, BANGOR, ME, AND LAWRENCE, NY

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23 Dowitcher

CHARLES SUMNER BUNN (1865-1952) SHINNECOCK, NY OR WILLIAM “BILL” BOWMAN (1824-1906) BANGOR, ME AND LAWRENCE, NY, C. 1900 9 in. long

In 1971, Milton Weiler’s Classic Shorebird Decoys portfolio was published with text by William J. Mackey Jr. Across from Weiler’s Plate No. 3, illustrating related shorebirds, Mackey writes: “In hand, Bowman’s decoys have the feel of real birds. His knowledge and study of the live bird and his skill with a knife transferred the feel of the wishbone, the unfolded wings and the modeling of the bone structure to blocks of wood. His was a unique talent not given to any other decoy maker.” Mackey also states “nothing finer has been found ever since.”

One of the finest examples of this species known to exist, the carver’s best work can be seen here. A closely related yellowlegs with Herrick-Ward provenance was featured on the front cover of Copley’s Winter Sale 2017 catalog.

Excellent original paint with light gunning wear including minor chips and rubs to wing tips and tail.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Texas Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2017, February 17, front cover and lot 237, Herrick-Ward yellowlegs illustrated.

The Ward Museum, The Decoys of Long Island, Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 39, related example illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 57, related decoys illustrated.

Joel Barber, Wild Fowl Decoys, New York, NY, 1954, p. 79, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 37, related examples illustrated.

George Reiger, Floaters and Stick-Ups, Boston, MA, 1986, p. 171, related dowitcher illustrated.

Paul A. Johnsgard, The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form, Lincoln, NE, 1976, p. 161, Herrick-Ward yellowlegs illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

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CHARLES SUMNER BUNN OR WILLIAM “BILL” BOWMAN 1865-1952 AND 1824-1906 | SHINNECOCK RESERVATION, NY, BANGOR, ME, AND LAWRENCE, NY

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24 Golden Plover

CHARLES SUMNER BUNN (1865-1952) SHINNECOCK, NY OR WILLIAM “BILL” BOWMAN (1824-1906) BANGOR, ME AND LAWRENCE, NY, C. 1900 10 1/2 in. long

This is one of the finest golden plover decoys known not only from Long Island, but from any region. A true golden, this rare species for the maker reveals a deep ochre paint stippled under the artist’s standard black and brown feather work. In 1985 a closely related Bunn/Bowman golden plover set the world record for any decoy at auction, landing at $50,000. A closely related Bunn/Bowman golden plover, out of the McCleery Collection, was featured on the front cover of Copley’s Winter Sale 2017 catalog. Original paint with even gunning wear and a one-half bill replacement.

PROVENANCE: Bud Ward Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above

LITERATURE: Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2017, February 17, front cover and lot 238, McCleery golden plover illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 12, exact decoy illustrated.

The Ward Museum, The Decoys of Long Island, Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 38, related example illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 57, related examples illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 37 and back cover, related example illustrated.

E. Jane Townsend, Gunners Paradise; Wildfowling and Decoys on Long Island, Stony Brook, NY, 1979, p. 120, related examples illustrated.

$35,000 - $45,000

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“Lincoln was a laconic man, a consummate Yankee craftsman whose solid-bodied decoys are reflections of their maker’s personality—direct and spare, with not a gesture wasted. Their clean, crisp lines and reductively abstract paint patterns capture the essentials of each species’ form and plumage with remarkable integrity and economy of means.”

— Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America

Joseph Lincoln outside his workshop, circa 1920.

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JOSEPH W. LINCOLN 1859-1938 | ACCORD, MA

25 Mackey Swimming Canada Goose JOSEPH W. LINCOLN (1859-1938) ACCORD, MA, C. 1900 26 in. long

This Canada goose decoy displays Lincoln’s classic clean lines with a forward-reaching head in a swimming posture.

Part of Lincoln’s genius was his reductionism, which enabled him to capture the essence of the species without overworking the pattern. His signature feather paint was executed by cutting out a section of the bristles on his brush, forming an elongated “C.” Then he would dip the end of the brush into the paint and strike the flanks of the bird in rapid succession, repeating the process the length of the bird.

A patient tracker, Dr. Muller was able to hunt this decoy down thirty-five years after the Mackey sessions.

The underside is marked with the Mackey ink stamp.

Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, typical Lincoln check in underside, and minor touch-up to right edge of bill tip.

86

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Private Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired 2009 LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session I & II, lot 499, exact decoy illustrated.

Alan G. Haid and Brandy S. Culp, The Allure of the Decoy: Historic Charleston Foundation Presents Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Alan G. Haid, Charleston, SC, 2013, p. 19, related decoy illustrated.

$25,000 - $35,000

MACKEY SWIMMING CANADA GOOSE

25

87

88

89

OBEDIAH VERITY

1813-1901 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

26 Rare Sanderling Pair

OBEDIAH VERITY (1813-1901) SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY, C. 1880 6 3/4 in. long

This exceptional peep pair showcases identical form in two distinct plumages. The first is in a rarely seen spring breeding plumage, (darker back), with fine stippling applied.

This distinctive decoy can be seen under the title sign in Mackey’s IBM exhibit. The lighter rigmate, in winter plumage, features black and red stippling applied to a white body. Both bodies are especially plump and show the maker’s S-curve wing carving. Original paint with even gunning wear, some varnish successfully removed from bird in winter plumage.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection (decoy in spring plumage) Alan Haid Collection (decoy in winter plumage) Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection LITERATURE: Hal Sorenson, ed., “IBM Exhibits Mackey Decoys,” Decoy Collector’s Guide, 1966-1967, p. 47, exact decoy in spring plumage illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and

an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 13, exact decoy in spring plumage illustrated.

The Ward Museum, The Decoys of Long Island, Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 63, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw and Ronald Gard, The McCleery Auction, Dallas, TX, 2001, pp. 80 and 136, rigmate illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 55, related pair illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 43, related example illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 102, pl. 85, related example illustrated. (decoy in spring plumage): Manhattan, New York, The Decoy Maker’s Craft, IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences, August 29-October 1, 1966.

EXHIBITED

$20,000 - $30,000

26

Bird on left is in winter plumage; right-hand bird is in spring plumage.

90

26

91

OBEDIAH VERITY

1813-1901 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

27 Black-Bellied Plover

OBEDIAH VERITY (1813-1901) SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY, C. 1880 10 in. long

A classic Seaford decoy with a plump body adorned with Verity’s best stippled paint detail. The species’ moniker “beetlehead” is on display with this carving and it’s flared crown. The form, paint, and condition place this among the best Verity plover. Original paint with light gunning wear, typical working touch-up to breast.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Texas Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1978 LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

The Ward Museum, The Decoys of Long Island, Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 31, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 43, related examples illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 102, pl. 85, related decoys illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, Plate No. 23, Milton C. Weiler, 1971, related decoy illustrated.

92

27

93

WILLIAM H. SOUTHARD 1874-1940 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

28

28 Running Sandpiper

WILLIAM H. SOUTHARD (1874-1940) SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY, C. 1890 9 1/2 in. long

A racy sandpiper in a fully extended posture with excellent red and black stippling. Frank Surace, the owner of this decoy prior to Dr. Muller, was one of the founding members of the Long Island Decoy Collectors Association in 1971 along with Bud Ward, Malcolm Fleming, and Gil Herzey.

Original paint with even gunning wear and touch-up to white on undersides of the neck and tail. Some roughness around stick hole.

94

PROVENANCE: Frank Surace Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 13, exact decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 102, pl. 85, related example illustrated.

$14,000 - $18,000

OBEDIAH VERITY

1813-1901 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

29

29 Tern

OBEDIAH VERITY (1813-1901) SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY, C. 1880 13 in. long

The late 19th century brought about a change in millinery fashion. A hat decorated with feathers and wings was considered the height of couture. Though popular for fashion, terns were evidently no culinary delight. Market hunters received only ten dollars per one hundred birds and, thus, terns were not widely hunted, making any tern decoy rare.

Verity’s representation of this elegant, racy species is perhaps the cleanest design in the decoy field and the carvings from this small rig are the finest tern decoys known. Henry Fleckenstein depicts two worn rigmates on a color plate in his Shore Bird Decoys book, next to which he notes that “only one rig of twelve are known to have been made by Obediah.”

The rig was passed down through the extended Verity family of Seaford to Nelson Verity (1854-1947). Nelson is known to have guided Yankee baseball greats, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, in South Oyster Bay. The Muller tern is one of the very top terns. Other rigmates have resided in premier collections and in July of 1999, a

rigmate set an auction record for any Obediah Verity decoy at the time. In early Verity paint typical of the rig with gunning wear, a restored left wing tip, and touch-up to top of right wing.

PROVENANCE: Bud Ward Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, circa 1980 LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p.

31, pl. 34 and color pl. 72, rigmates illustrated.

The Ward Museum, The Decoys of Long Island, Salisbury, MD, 2010, pp. 32 and 36, rigmates illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, p. 103, rigmate illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., “1999 Year In Review,” Decoy Magazine, 1999, front cover, p. 9, rigmate illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 58, pl. 38, related example illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

95

WILLIAM H. SOUTHARD 1874-1940 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

30

30 Running Ruddy Turnstone

WILLIAM H. SOUTHARD (1874-1940) SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY, C. 1890 8 1/2 in. long

While turnstones are bright colored birds, they were not prized by early hunters, making their decoys quite rare.

Runners, such as this model, are especially hard to come by.

The outstretched body displays S-carved wings and stippled paint detail. Original paint with minor wear, some overpaint successfully removed from back and some repaint to the right wing and the right side of head.

PROVENANCE: Bud Ward Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1987 LITERATURE: The Ward Museum, The Decoys of Long Island, Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 34, Verity turnstone illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 47, New Jersey turnstones illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 43, Verity turnstone illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

96

97

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

31 Surf Scoter Rigmate Pair

AUGUSTUS “GUS” AARON WILSON (1864-1950) SOUTH PORTLAND, ME, C. 1890 16 in. long

Exhibiting wide bodies with clean lines, this Wilson sea duck pair showcases two poses of the maker’s best form.

The maker’s classic Monhegan Island model is regarded as one of Maine’s most important contributions to the art of decoy carving. Each has an inletted head, one in a backpreening pose, and the other tucked and slightly turned.

Closely related models have been prized by America’s top decoy and folk art collectors, including Thomas K. Figge, Donal C. O’Brien Jr, Jim Doherty, Russell Aitken, and Jerry Lauren, among others. In 1975 this important pair was selected for the landmark exhibition The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form. Original paint with some working paint and gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Jay D. Miles Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above

LITERATURE: Paul A. Johnsgard, The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form, Lincoln, NE, 1976, p. 75, fig. 73, exact pair illustrated.

Frank Maresca & Roger Ricco, American Vernacular, New York, NY, 2002, pp. 38-39, similar preening decoy illustrated.

Joel Barber, Wild Fowl Decoys, New York, NY, 1954, p. 59, diagram of similar scoter illustrated.

Christie’s, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lots 1062 and 1063, related decoys illustrated.

Adele Earnest, The Art of The Decoy, New York, NY, 1965, p.

194, pl. 169, related animated Wilson examples illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, pp. 30-31, related decoys illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 3, related example illustrated.

Linda and Gene Kangas, Decoys, Paducah, KY, 1992, p. 246, pl.

442-444, closely related example illustrated three times.

Lincoln, Nebraska, The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, 1975.

EXHIBITED:

$40,000 - $60,000

98

“Gus had a broadness of interest and artist’s eye that allowed him to come up with birds of such merit that they rivaled the best of the others...Gus Wilson looked at waterfowl much the way the Ward brothers did.

There was a similarity in their ability to capture an unusual pose and to produce a decoy that continues to enthrall even the seasoned gunners who have spent their lives observing waterfowl.”

— Capt. John Dinan,

The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys

31

99

AMOS G. WALLACE 1882-1968 | WEST POINT, ME

32

32 Eider Pair

AMOS G. WALLACE (1882-1968) WEST POINT, ME, C. 1920 17 in. long

A stylish and full-bodied Down East sea duck pair displaying inletted heads and carved eye and bill detail. Wallace was a boatbuilder and is credited as the designer of the West Point Skiff. Original paint with gunning wear, age lines in the hen. The drake has a neck crack and some working repaint.

100

PROVENANCE: Frank Surace Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection LITERATURE: Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 28, rigmates illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

101

THE EARNEST BURR PLOVER IN EMERGING PLUMAGE

33

33 The Earnest Burr Plover in Emerging Plumage ELISHA BURR (1839-1909) HINGHAM, MA, C. 1880 11 in. long

Burr was a master of capturing the animated postures of his avian subjects. In fact, he appears to have made more plover in running and feeding poses than upright. This important carving is pictured in The Art of the Decoy next to a more common mate in breeding plumage. Adele Earnest chose a rigmate to this decoy when she curated an exhibit for the World’s Fair in 1967. That work now resides in the American Folk Art Museum Collection in New York.

The plump body of this decoy is finished with the maker’s best deep-cut split-wing, incised primary, and drop-tail carving. He finished this stellar example with his lively brushwork. Original paint with light gunning wear.

102

PROVENANCE: Lloyd Johnson Collection Phyllis Tavares Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Adele Earnest, The Art of The Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 55, pl. 33, exact decoy illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

ELISHA BURR

1839-1909 | HINGHAM, MA

34 Feeding Yellowlegs ELISHA BURR (1839-1909) HINGHAM, MA, C. 1880 14 in. long

An expertly carved Massachusetts shorebird decoy by the elder member of this famous bird carving family.

This plump yellowlegs was fashioned in a running position with an elongated neck and Burr’s signature wing and tail carving. Original paint with light gunning wear, including a missing left eye.

PROVENANCE:

Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection

LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, July 27, 2017, lot 46, related feeding plover illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

34

35 Reaching Yellowlegs ELISHA BURR (1839-1909) HINGHAM, MA, C. 1880 11 in. long

This split-tail yellowlegs was fashioned in an upright reaching position with an elongated neck and Burr’s signature incised primaries. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE:

Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired

1974 LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

35

103

Cover and opening lots of Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc.’s 1973 catalog.

104

105

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

36 The Mackey Mason Long-Tail MASON DECOY FACTORY (1896-1924) DETROIT, MI, C. 1905 16 1/2 in. long

The rarity of this special-order long-tail duck decoy cannot be overstated. Evidence of its scarcity is demonstrated by the absence of any mention of the species in Mason’s own circa 1910 catalog. Yet the vintage sales publication was thorough enough to illustrate wood ducks and list “spoon bill.”

Mackey exhibited this decoy extensively while it was in his collection. It was prominently displayed in the IBM exhibit on a shelf by the Mason premier-grade wood duck and the Crowell “dust jacket” plover. Muller was quick to acquire this rarity as the fourth lot of the first Mackey session.

Legendary Mason collector Dr. James M. McCleery, whose collection featured over 110 factory decoys, coveted this carving. Correspondence with Muller immediately after the first Mackey Sessions in 1973 reveals that McCleery closed a letter with “...if you should ever decide to ‘cash in’ that Mason old squaw, please give me a shot at it. Good hunting, Jim.” In 1976 McCleery came back around and proposed a trade, to no avail.

Aside from its rarity, this drake is one of Mason’s best forms and executions with fine head carving, a long thin tail, and strong swirl paint. The underside is marked with the Mackey Collection ink stamp. Original paint with even gunning wear, some overpaint successfully removed, and old fill to a tail chip.

William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1973 PROVENANCE:

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session I & II, lot 4, exact decoy illustrated.

Byron Cheever, Mason Decoys, Haber City, UT, 1974, pp. 100 and 153, exact decoy illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 5, exact decoy illustrated.

Hal Sorenson, ed., “IBM Exhibits Mackey Decoys,” Decoy Collector’s Guide, 1966-1967, pp. 49 and 50, exact decoy illustrated twice.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 10, exact decoy illustrated.

Mason’s Decoy Factory, Mason’s Decoy Factory, Manufacturers of High Grade Cedar Decoys, Detroit, MI, c. 1910, reprinted by Midwest Decoy Collectors Association, no mention of species.

Manhattan, New York, The Decoy Maker’s Craft, IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences, August 29-October 1, 1966.

St. Paul, Minnesota, American Bird Decoys Selected from the Collection of William J. Mackey Jr., St. Paul Art Center, September 28-November 12, 1967.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, American Bird Decoys Selected from the Collection of William J. Mackey Jr., The Paine Art Center and Arboretum, December 2-31, 1967.

EXHIBITED:

$30,000 - $50,000

106

THE MACKEY MASON LONG-TAIL

“Examples of these ‘special orders’ are now considered a rare, if not vanishing species. Lucky is the man who has one.”

— Byron Cheever, Mason Decoys, 1974

36

107

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

37 Merganser Pair

MASON DECOY FACTORY (1896-1924) DETROIT, MI, C. 1910 17 in. long

An early challenge-grade pair representing one of the factory’s finest species, showcasing grand crests and masterful paint. Attesting to this, closely related examples can be seen on the dust jackets of multiple factory decoy books. Though weighted, the rigmates were never hunted and exhibit exceptional crisp paint. Indeed, they retain a few traces of the original newsprint which was used as factory packing material. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: A Taunton, Massachusetts Rig Tony Waring Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, circa 1973 LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, Factory Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, front cover and p. 79, closely related examples illustrated.

Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Pictorial Guide, Lewes, DE, 1993, dust jacket, closely related examples illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

108

37

109

The envelope that contained the 1971 letter (see page 18) from Bill Mackey.

110

111

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

38 Salesman Sample Long-Billed Curlew MASON DECOY FACTORY (1896-1924) DETROIT, MI, C. 1900 17 1/2 in. long

In their 1993 publication on Mason decoys, Goldberger and Haid discuss curlew by Mason as being “huge; the bodies alone are 12-inches long.” This grand example measures thirteen and one-quarter inches from the tip of the tail to the front of the breast.

In Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, William J. Mackey Jr. writes, “Mason’s skilled company of woodworkers and artists turned out numerous fine decoys...

The Mason curlew...in original paint...would be one of the finest of factory shorebirds. Mason’s paint was of unusual high quality...it has mellowed with age, but still retains the original luxurious, gemlike coloring. The method of application was also peculiar to Mason decoys. The paint is applied in a swirling pattern that made it stand up well against the roughest treatment and the saltiest Atlantic tidewaters. The painting style of Mason’s decoys is fixed in a traditional, rather rigid pattern, but there is never a feeling of monotony, but rather one of rich ornamentation.”

This stunning salesman sample fits Mackey’s assessment neatly. In near-mint condition and with no stick hole, it ranks among the top Mason decoys known to exist and closely relates to a fine example previously held in The Peabody Essex Museum Collection. Original paint with minimal wear, including a flake on the left shoulder.

Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, Plate No. 12, Milton C. Weiler, 1971, related decoy illustrated.

112

PROVENANCE: Randy Root Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1975 LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, Factory Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, pp. 110-111, exact decoy illustrated twice.

Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

Milton C. Weiler and William J. Mackey Jr., Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, New York, NY, 1971, pl. 12, closely related example illustrated.

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

Alan G. Haid and Brandy S. Culp, The Allure of the Decoy, Charleston, SC, 2013, p. 61, similar decoy illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

SALESMAN SAMPLE LONG-BILLED CURLEW

38

113

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

39

39 Black-Bellied Plover

A. ELMER CROWELL (1862-1952) EAST HARWICH, MA, C. 1920 10 in. long

This representation of a well-fed plover features Elmer Crowell’s signature split tail and blended feather paint.

Outstanding original paint with minor wear.

PROVENANCE: Ray Egan Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, circa 1973

LITERATURE: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated.

Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp. 218219, related carvings illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p.

60, pl. 59, rigmate illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

114

NATHAN ROWLEY HORNER 1882-1942 | WEST CREEK, NJ

40

40 Early Black Duck

NATHAN ROWLEY HORNER (1882-1942) WEST CREEK, NJ, C. 1910 17 in. long

A classic, hollow New Jersey black duck displaying the Mackey Collection white ink stamp on the underside. Old gunning paint with even wear.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1973

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Bird Decoys, Bird Carvings, and Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, 1978, Session I & II, lot 554, exact decoy illustrated.

James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 107, related example illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

115

DANIEL G. ENGLISH 1883-1962 | FLORENCE, NJ

41

41 Black Duck

DANIEL G. ENGLISH (1883-1962) FLORENCE, NJ, C. 1930 15 1/2 in. long

A hollow black duck with raised and elaborately incised primaries. The underside displays the Mackey Collection white ink stamp. Original paint with minimal gunning wear; the lower half of the bill has been restored.

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Bird Decoys, Bird Carvings, and Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, 1978, Session I & II, lot 297, exact decoy illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1973 PROVENANCE:

Detail of Lot 41.

116

HOLLOW ROOT-HEAD GREAT BLUE HERON

42

42 Hollow Root-Head Great Blue Heron NEW JERSEY, C. 1890 33 1/2 in. long

A rare heron decoy with impeccable provenance. Old working paint with heavy gunning wear, including flaking.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection William H. Purnell Jr. Collection, acquired from the above Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1976

LITERATURE: William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, pp. 55-57, related examples illustrated.

Adele Earnest, The Art of The Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 84-85, related examples illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 63, related example illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

117

INDEX

BY LOT

Birch, Charles: 4 Bowman, William “Bill” or Charles Sumner Bunn: 23, 24

is pleased to announce the publication of

Bunn, Charles Sumner or William “Bill” Bowman: 23, 24 Burr, Elisha: 33-35 Crowell, A. Elmer: 39 Leeds, Daniel Lake: 13 Dawson, John: 19

ELMER CROWELL Father of American Bird Carving

Dudley, Lee: 9 English, Daniel G.: 41 Horner, Nathan Rowley: 40 Hudson, Ira D.: 1-3 Jester, Doug: 10 Lincoln, Joseph W.: 25 Mason Decoy Factory: 36-38 Shourds, Harry V.: 11, 12, 14-18 Verity, Obediah: 26, 27, 29 Wallace, Amos G.: 32

featuring

Masterworks from The Thomas M. Evans Jr. Collection

by Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney

Webster: 20, 21 Wilson, Augustus “Gus” Aaron: 31

$100

“A masterful presentation befitting America’s finest bird carver...”

–Joe Engers, editor, Decoy Magazine

Over 300 pages and 420 color illustrations.

To order your copy of this definitive book, please visit copleyart.com or call the gallery at 617.536.0536.

118

A.E. Crowell | $1,140,000

J. Lincoln |

WR

A.E. Crowell | $661,250

$360,000

selling the world’s finest DECOYS AND SPORTING ART

Ward Brothers | $252,000

Dovetailed Goose |

WR

$810,000

COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC | INFO@COPLEYART.COM | 617.536.0030

WR

J. Graham |

WR

$216,000

A.B. Frost |

WR

$180,000

Denotes world record for the artist

119

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7 If the purchaser breaches any of its obligations under these Conditions of Sale, including its obligation to pay in full the purchase price of all items for which it was the highest successful bidder, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may exercise all of its rights and remedies under the law including, without limitation, (a) canceling the sale, and applying any payments made by the purchaser to the damages caused by the purchaser’s breach, and/or (b) offering at public auction, without reserve, any lot or item for which the purchaser has failed to pay in full the purchase price, holding the purchaser liable for any deficiency plus all costs of sale.

8 Condition reports are not included in this catalog. It is the responsibility of prospective bidders to examine lots and decide their level of interest.

Neither the auctioneer, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, nor the consignor is responsible for the accuracy of any printed or verbal descriptions. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC strongly encourages clients to attend our previews and auctions so as to best determine condition of lots. Due to the high volume of condition requests, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right to reject requests at its sole discretion. All weights and measurements are approximate.

9 Some of the lots in this sale carry reserves or minimum selling prices. This is a confidential figure set by the consignor and the auction house below which a lot will not be sold. The reserve will not exceed the low estimate, and the auction house will execute the reserve bids by bidding for the consignor. Estimates are subject to change at any time prior to the offering of each lot.

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10 Absentee and telephone bids will be executed when possible as a convenience to customers; the auction house will not be held responsible for any errors or failures to accurately execute bids. All absentee and telephone bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale.

11 Buyers wishing to pick up items at the sale must do so by the end of the sale.

Buyers wishing to pick up items after the auction at our office may do so only by appointment starting five days after the sale. We kindly ask that all items be removed from our warehouse within 30 days of auction end to avoid a $5 daily storage fee.

12 Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. Upon request, we will provide a list of shippers who deliver within the United States and overseas. Once your payment has cleared, items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.

13 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may, at its discretion and at the buyer’s request, package and ship sold items as directed by the purchaser. In such instances 1) the buyer shall prepay all related expenses, and 2) the buyer agrees that all packaging, handling, and shipment is at the sole risk of the purchaser, and Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyer should allow up to four to five weeks for shipment.

14 Some property sold at auction can be subject to laws governing export from the United States, such as items that include material from some endangered species. Import restrictions from foreign countries are subject to these same governing laws. Granting of licensing for import or export of goods from local authorities is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Denial or delay of licensing will not constitute delay or cancellation in payment for the total purchase price of these lots.

15 Bidding increments will normally follow the pattern below, but may vary at the sole discretion of the auctioneer: Estimate To 950 1,000 – 2,400 2,500 – 4,750 5,000 – 9,500 10,000 – 24,000 25,000 – 47,500 50,000 – 95,000 Over 100,000

Increment 50 100 250 500 1,000 2,500 5,000 at auctioneer’s discretion

16 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is the owner of the images of each lot offered for sale, and may use such images at any time at its sole discretion for advertising, publicity, and for archival purposes.

17 If you are bidding as an agent for another individual or company, and you execute a bid on behalf of someone else under your bidder number, then you are responsible for the settlement of that account.

18 In no event will the liability of Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC to any purchaser with respect to any item exceed the purchase price actually paid by such purchaser for such item.

19 Any legal disputes arising from this auction shall be settled in the court system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

BUYER PRE-REGISTRATION FORM COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, Massachusetts 02043 Tel: 617.536.0030 | Fax: 617.266.4896 | info@copleyart.com | copleyart.com

Name:

Telephone (#1):

Company Name:

Telephone (#2):

Agent acting on behalf of:

Telephone (#3):

Invoice Address:

Email:

(PO Box not sufficient)

Signature:

(required)

City: State: Zip:

Bids will not be accepted without a completed form, including your signature. Your signature denotes that you have read and agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of Sale issued by Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC for the 2020 Winter Sale.

Purchases picked up at the auction will be subject to the South Carolina state and local tax of 9%. Buyers purchasing for resale and claiming exemption from sales tax must present properly executed resale certificate prior to the release of property.

Purchases delivered to South Carolina after auction will be subject to applicable South Carolina state and local taxes and purchases picked up or delivered to Massachusetts after the sale will be

subject to the 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax unless exempted by applicable law.

To be sure that bids will be accepted and delivery of lots not delayed, bidders who do not have an account with Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC are requested to supply a bank reference prior to bidding.

I authorize you to contact the references below to provide you with any information in their possession, including any business or credit experience with me, and I further agree to accept the cost of any charges such references may incur providing such information.

FINANCIAL REFERENCES

AUCTION REFERENCES

Name of Bank(s):

1. Name of Company:

Address of Bank(s):

Contact Name:

Account Number(s):

Telephone Number:

Name of Account Officer(s):

2. Name of Company:

Bank Telephone:

Contact Name:

Bank Fax:

Telephone Number:

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ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE BID FORM COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, MA 02043 Tel: 617.536.0030 | Fax: 617.266.4896 | info@copleyart.com please check one of the following:

ABSENTEE

TELEPHONE

1 All bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale. We cannot guarantee that bids placed after this time will be accepted. A Copley representative will send you an email to confirm receipt. If you have not received confirmation within 24 hours, please call 617.536.0030. Bids will not be accepted without your signature on this form.

2 This service is offered as a convenience at no charge; however, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC will not be held responsible for error or failure to execute bids. Copley staff will try to purchase these lots for the lowest possible price taking into account the reserve and other bids.

3 All bids are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Sale listed in this auction catalog. Further, it is the responsibility of the bidder to check with Copley staff whether a sale room notice relates to any lot which they have listed.

LOT #

122

a Absentee bids: Absentee bids are executed alternately in competition with the bidders in attendance. It is possible, due to the variations in bidding patterns, that a lot may be won by the audience for the same amount authorized by the absentee bidder. A (+) sign to the right of the bid amount will authorize the absentee bidder to bid one additional bid increment. In the event of identical bids, the first bid received will take precedence. b Telephone bids: If bidding by telephone, the bidder accepts the inherent risks associated with bidding over the telephone.

4 Payment: If successful, you will be contacted. Payment is due immediately upon notification unless arrangements have been made with Copley prior to bidding. A buyer’s premium of 20% of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the Buyer to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC as part of the purchase price.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Print Name:

Signature:

(required)

(required)

BID PRICE US$

OUT-OF-STATE DELIVERY AND AUTHORIZED SHIPPING RELEASE FORM Item(s) will not be released without a signed authorization form from the invoiced buyer. You may include this form with your payment or fax it to 617.266.4896. Payments of cash, check, or bank transfer must be posted to your account before property is released.

If Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC (Copley) is required to deliver the items to a purchaser outside of Massachusetts, the sale is exempt from Massachusetts Sales Tax under MGLA 64H ยง6(b) .

1

Copley is obligated to deliver the items out of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2

Copley is obligated to deliver the items to an interstate carrier as noted below.

3

Title will pass upon delivery to the out-of-state destination.

4

Please be aware that packing and the payment for shipping is the responsibility of the successful Buyer. Upon making the item(s) available for shipping to the Buyer or its Agent, Buyer shall be responsible for the care and packaging of the item(s). The Buyer shall bear the risk of loss from and after Copley making available such item(s) to the interstate carrier, including the insurance of the item(s) against all risks of loss including without limitation, fire, theft or any other damage to the item(s).

5

Shipping can take up to four weeks and is processed in order in which payment is received.

6

At your option, you may contact one of the interstate carriers listed below, or one of your choosing, to arrange for shipping.

Carriers pick up frequently at our offices.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: The UPS Store #4423 A.J. Yanakakis, Wakefield, MA 781.224.2500 or store4423@theupsstore.com

The UPS Store #2631 Bryan Cook, Kingston, MA 781.585.0602 or store2631@theupsstore.com

Scott Cousins/North South Art Transfer Hand delivery service 978.491.9353 or scottcousins22@aol.com

Boston Pack and Ship* 781.849.8696 or 1.800.400.7204 or info@bostonpackandship.com

Print name: (as invoiced)

Shipping Address:

U.S. Art* 781.986.6500 or 1.800.872.7826 *Specializing in high-value art, large works, and specialty items

Place and Manner of Delivery: To an Interstate Common Carrier for delivery out of state: I authorize: to pick up my items(s) (Please specify Name of Common Carrier) Sale Date: Lot #s :

Phone: Email:

Signature: (required)

Internal use only Received by: Signature:

Print Name:

Date:

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COPLEY 2020 ILLUMINATING THE LEGACIES OF COLLECTORS

KNOWLEDGE | RESEARCH | RESULTS

COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC | INFO@COPLEYART.COM | 617.536.0030 124

COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC | INFO@COPLEYART.COM | 617.536.0030