Elmer Crowell Complete Set of Twenty-five Miniature Waterfowl

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 Canada goose is 6 in. long

In addition to Crowell's unparalleled carving and painting prowess, the maker's vast ornithological knowledge and interest led him to create a huge variety of bird species. Author and collector Joseph Ellis, who meticulously tallied the maker’s miniature species in "Birds in Wood and Paint," reports, “The result—50 ducks, geese, and upland game birds (including females), 42 shorebirds and wading birds, and 91 songbirds, for a grand total of 183—is staggering.”

Crowell created three varieties of miniature bird carving sets, each with twenty-five pieces. These sets were of either waterfowl, shorebirds, or songbirds, which he sold to not only his decoy buyers and seasonal tourists, but also schools and museums around the nation for species identification purposes.

This group of twenty-five waterfowl miniatures, each bearing the maker’s rectangular stamp on the underside, represents a full Crowell waterfowl set, numbered one through twenty-five on the underside of each carving. Each bird is original to this set. The vast majority of the original Crowell sets have been broken up over the years, making this a rare opportunity to acquire a single flock with remarkable consistency from bird to bird.

This lot includes the following birds listed by their original and inscribed assigned number. Crowell’s names are included in parentheses.

1. Mallard drake 2. Mallard hen 3. Pintail drake 4. Pintail hen 5. Redhead drake 6. Redhead hen 7. Ruddy Duck drake 8. Bufflehead drake 9. Bluebill drake 10. Bluebill hen 11. Red-Breasted Merganser drake 12. Red-Breasted Merganser hen 13. Canvasback drake 14. Canvasback hen 15. Green-Winged Teal drake 16. Brant 17. American Merganser drake (gooseander) 18. Blue-Winged Teal drake 19. Hooded Merganser drake 20. Black Duck 21. Goldeneye drake 22. Long-Tailed Duck drake (old squaw) 23. Wood Duck drake 24. Wigeon (widgeon) 25. Canada Goose

Excellent original paint with minimal wear. Goose has a reset neck. Merganser hen has a chip to reset bill.

Provenance: Private Collection, Philadelphia, by descent from the original owners Private Collection, Florida

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, pp. 239-241, waterfowl set and list illustrated. Brian Cullity, "The Songless Aviary," Hyannis, MA, 1992, pp. 90-99, similar birds illustrated. Joseph Ellis, “Birds in Wood and Paint,” Hanover, NH, 2009.

Provenance

Private Collection, Philadelphia, by descent from the original owners Private Collection, Florida