45th Annual National Antique Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Convention
Once again I made the trek from Honolulu to St. Charles, Illinois, for the National Antique Decoy Convention, hosted by the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association, at Pheasant Run Resort. While a few hardy souls show up for the Friday/Saturday show during the weekend before, I lounged about Milwaukee for several days before driving down on Tuesday morning for a few more days of lounging around, browsing my fellow collectors' rooms for treasures, and generally making myself obnoxious with my camera.
While I am no golfer, there are plenty who are, and they and the joggers seemed to make good use of Pheasant Run's facilities.
One intrepid collector from Wisconsin kept a desk full of fish decoys, shorebirds, and a nice old silver wine cup, well filled, close to hand.
The decoy auction house of Guyette & Schmidt held their auction preview Wednesday night, whetting the appetites of several hundred collectors for the opening session on Thursday. As usual, clik on the pic for a bigger version:
One of the educational pleasures of the preview is the chance to examine rare old decoys and decoratives in hand, something you would get busted for if you tried that at a museum exhibit. There were 672 lots over two days, so plenty to look at, and with a $2.4 million gross, apparently enough to take home.
Decoy maker and restorer Cameron McIntyre takes the opportunity to examine an 1890s Canada Goose by the great Virginia carver Nathan Cobb:
Before the decoy show opened on Friday afternoon, DECOY Magazine publisher Joe Engers donated his services to photograph the decoys which were to appear in the annual exhibit of antique decoys. Pictured is the Lee Dudley teal which was once in the collection of famed collector William F. Mackey.
This year the exhibit, run by Dick McIntyre, featured decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas. Here is a rare circa 1900 Ruddy Duck decoy by Lee Dudley of Knott's Island, North Carolina. The few Dudley ruddies still existing are among the icons of Southern decoys
Below is one of my favorites: a preening Black duck by the Caines Brothers of Georgetown, SC. Made around 1900, it was once in the rig of famed financier Bernard Baruch at his Hobcaw Barony.
Sporting art dealer Steve O'Brien showed this Gus Wilson preening black duck which will be sold at his summer sale.
Milwaukee collector Jim Nortman enjoys the show:
Midwest Decoy Collectors Association Director Tom O'Key did as well:
Gary Guyette relaxes a bit after the auction was over on Friday afternoon; in the foreground is a very big old Eider Duck drake from Maine which will be in their summer auction.
Another nice piece from the coming Guyette & Schmidt auction:
This little hen sat on one collector's table. The silver julep cup by Mark Scearce was not for sale.
One well known collector claims these to be the most comfortable shoes he has worn.
Artist/restorer Cameron McIntyre again, this time with one of his own creations:
Below is a rare Canvasback drake decoy by famed Bureau, Illinois couple Catherine and Robert Elliston. While the condition is a little rough, it is still in original paint after probably 120 years. I particularly like the unusually broad, short body. It isn't pristine, but it is a very nice Illinois decoy. With it are carved wooden cobs of corn, used to decoy ducks after baiting with real corn was banned.
A visitor ogles the modern carvings in the exhibit of contemporary decoys and decoratives.
Here's a nice little Mallard drake by Oscar Alford, of Beardstown, Illinois:
After a fun week I had to wend my way back to Paradise, stopping briefly in the Milwaukee airport to put myself back together after getting through security. Fortunately they thoughtfully provide a spot for same:
That's all, Folks.
While I am no golfer, there are plenty who are, and they and the joggers seemed to make good use of Pheasant Run's facilities.
One intrepid collector from Wisconsin kept a desk full of fish decoys, shorebirds, and a nice old silver wine cup, well filled, close to hand.
The decoy auction house of Guyette & Schmidt held their auction preview Wednesday night, whetting the appetites of several hundred collectors for the opening session on Thursday. As usual, clik on the pic for a bigger version:
One of the educational pleasures of the preview is the chance to examine rare old decoys and decoratives in hand, something you would get busted for if you tried that at a museum exhibit. There were 672 lots over two days, so plenty to look at, and with a $2.4 million gross, apparently enough to take home.
Decoy maker and restorer Cameron McIntyre takes the opportunity to examine an 1890s Canada Goose by the great Virginia carver Nathan Cobb:
Before the decoy show opened on Friday afternoon, DECOY Magazine publisher Joe Engers donated his services to photograph the decoys which were to appear in the annual exhibit of antique decoys. Pictured is the Lee Dudley teal which was once in the collection of famed collector William F. Mackey.
This year the exhibit, run by Dick McIntyre, featured decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas. Here is a rare circa 1900 Ruddy Duck decoy by Lee Dudley of Knott's Island, North Carolina. The few Dudley ruddies still existing are among the icons of Southern decoys
Below is one of my favorites: a preening Black duck by the Caines Brothers of Georgetown, SC. Made around 1900, it was once in the rig of famed financier Bernard Baruch at his Hobcaw Barony.
Sporting art dealer Steve O'Brien showed this Gus Wilson preening black duck which will be sold at his summer sale.
Milwaukee collector Jim Nortman enjoys the show:
Midwest Decoy Collectors Association Director Tom O'Key did as well:
Gary Guyette relaxes a bit after the auction was over on Friday afternoon; in the foreground is a very big old Eider Duck drake from Maine which will be in their summer auction.
Another nice piece from the coming Guyette & Schmidt auction:
This little hen sat on one collector's table. The silver julep cup by Mark Scearce was not for sale.
One well known collector claims these to be the most comfortable shoes he has worn.
Artist/restorer Cameron McIntyre again, this time with one of his own creations:
Below is a rare Canvasback drake decoy by famed Bureau, Illinois couple Catherine and Robert Elliston. While the condition is a little rough, it is still in original paint after probably 120 years. I particularly like the unusually broad, short body. It isn't pristine, but it is a very nice Illinois decoy. With it are carved wooden cobs of corn, used to decoy ducks after baiting with real corn was banned.
A visitor ogles the modern carvings in the exhibit of contemporary decoys and decoratives.
Here's a nice little Mallard drake by Oscar Alford, of Beardstown, Illinois:
After a fun week I had to wend my way back to Paradise, stopping briefly in the Milwaukee airport to put myself back together after getting through security. Fortunately they thoughtfully provide a spot for same:
That's all, Folks.
posted by TTB at
2:12 PM
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