Elmer Crowell The Storrow Bluebill Pair

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 15 in long.

"On the northwest side [of Long Pond in Brewster, MA] under a high bluff is the Splendid Point, built by Mr. J. J. Storrow and now owned by his son, J. J. Storrow, Jr. The place was opened in 1923 or 1924 and several men are kept on the place the year round. The camp is high up overlooking the entire lake and is undoubtedly the finest site for a shooting camp in Massachusetts." John C. Phillips,"Shooting-Stands of Eastern Massachusetts," 1929

This pair came from the Storrow family's storied hunting property and they were gifted to the family's yacht captain, fellow carver Gerald Smith of Marblehead. James J. Storrow (1864–1926) was a Boston banker and city visionary. His name is a fixture in Boston today because of the family's role in creating the Esplanade along the Charles River, and the posthumous naming of Storrow Drive, which runs parallel to the river. Shortly before this pair was made, James Storrow organized a takeover of General Motors and served as its president beginning in 1910.

Both birds have tucked heads, the hen's is slightly turned. Each has an oval brand and extra poured lead for use as weights. The hen has a partial ink stamp with "A.C.H.... Harwich, Mass."

“To list the famous names who proudly own one or more specimens of this splendid art would practically result in publishing another ‘Who’s Who'" - Dorothea Setzer, "Cape Cod Compass," 1951. Original paint with wear, including some dings and rubs, drake's head is slightly lifted, and hen has crack through end of tail.

Provenance: James Storrow Gerald Smith, gifted from the above Private Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 152, Storrow discussed. John C. Phillips, "Shooting-Stands of Eastern Massachusetts, Cambridge, MA, 1929, p. 122-123, Storrow's Splendid Point discussed.

Provenance

James Storrow Gerald Smith, gifted from the above Private Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection