Elmer Crowell Outstanding Whittemore-rig Willet

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1900 12 3/4 in. long

Branded "P. W. W." for the Parker Williams Whittemore rig on the underside. Parker W. Whittemore (1872-1959), Harvard class of 1895, was captain of the baseball team and played on the football team. A large percentage of Crowell's best customers were turn-of-the-19th-century Harvard graduates. Whittemore was treasurer and later a director of the Laconia Car Company. The company made horse-drawn and electric trolley cars for the streets of Boston, its Elevated Railway, and even for use as far away as the streets of Los Angeles.

This exact decoys was selected for the Elmer Crowell book which features a write-up discussing Whittemore as a celebrated patron. Crowell was known for making special decoys for his early patrons; indeed, this carving exhibits one of the maker's most grand shorebird patterns and a rarely seen feathering with soft blending and a tight dot pattern. Original paint with even gunning wear, minor flaking, and repair to end of wing tip.

Provenance: Parker William Whittemore Rig Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts Grant Nelson Collection Private Collection, Florida

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, pp. 140-141, exact decoy illustrated. Linda and Gene Kangas, “Connecting the Dots: Exploring the provenance of Elmer Crowell's decoys,” Decoy Magazine, March/April 2010, p. 33, rigmates illustrated. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, “The Harry V. Long Collection of A. Elmer Crowell Decoys,” The Sporting Sale, Boston, MA, 2009, lot 64, pp. 24, 73 and dust-jacket cover, Long calling yellowlegs decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Parker William Whittemore Rig Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts Grant Nelson Collection Private Collection, Florida