Louis Rathmell Preening Black Duck Hen

Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974) Danbury, CT, c. 1941 15 1/2 in. long

According to O’Brien, “Rathmell was probably the best hunter of those who hunted the Stratford marshes. He not only made beautiful decoys, but stood alone as a wing shot and duck caller. His presence in the marsh was feared by the other hunters. When I showed Bill Mackey and Adele Earnest these decoys, they thought they were Shang Wheelers.” As they were virtually undistinguishable, they were often sold as Wheelers and thus O’Brien continues, “Rathmell was the most unappreciated of the Stratford carvers. A shame, because he was a great maker.”

In the 1960s O’Brien acquired twelve of these cork black ducks from the rig of fellow Connecticut hunter and carver, Louis Rathmell. O’Brien remarked that “His decoys are difficult to distinguish from Shang Wheeler’s when both were at their best. He won several contests from 1939- 1943, beating Wheeler and other top makers. He made one exquisite rig of shooting decoys, black ducks, all with different head positions.” O’Brien traded away seven of his other Rathmells to other top collectors, including Lloyd Griffith, George Starr, and George Thompson. Excellent original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Louis Rathmell Rig Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the maker, c. 1962

Literature: Henry C. Chitwood, "Connecticut Decoys," West Chester, PA, 1987, p. 100, exact decoy illustrated. Cliff Alexander, "Lou Rathmell: A Decoy Maker Who Lived in a Castle," Decoy Magazine, November/December 2015, p. 25 and front cover, exact decoy illustrated. Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, “The World of Shooting,” Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated. Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys: Wildfowl Carvers and Collectors News, Spanish Fork, UT, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 37, exact decoy illustrated.

Exhibited: New York, New York, “The Art of the American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien Jr.,” Museum of American Folk Art, September 3–November 8, 1981.

Provenance

Louis Rathmell Rig Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the maker, c. 1962