Verity Family Exceedingly Rare Tern

Obediah Verity (1813- 1901) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 The late 19th century brought about a change in millinery fashion. A hat decorated with feathers, wings, or at times an entire bird was the height of couture. The bounty on terns was ten dollars per hundred feather pelts.

This exact decoy along with its rigmate are illustrated on page thirty-one of Henry Fleckenstein’s book Shore Bird Decoys, the caption reads, “these two exceedingly rare tern decoys are in completely original condition and were made by Obediah Verity of Seaford, Long Island, New York - c- 1880. Only one rig of twelve are known to have been made by Obediah.”

This rare rig was passed down through the extended Verity family of Seaford to Nelson Verity (1854-1947). Nelson Verity is known to have guided Yankee baseball greats, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, in South Oyster Bay. Original paint with craquelure, gunning wear, flaking, and remnants of whitewash.

Provenance: Private Collection

Literature: Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., "Shore Bird Decoys," Exton, PA, 1980, p. 31, plate 34 and color plate 72, exact decoy illustrated. William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 58, plate 38, similar rigmate illustrated. Richard P. Baldwin, "The Verity Family of Long Island, New York," Southold, NY, 2000, p. 126.

Provenance

Private Collection