William H. Southard 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.

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.

Provenance

Frank Surace Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection