John English Black Duck

John English (1848-1915) Florence, NJ, c. 1890 16 in. long

Author Kenneth L. Gosner remarks, “The work of John English set a standard against which other Delaware River makers have been measured and compared ever since. Indeed, for many collectors, the English style is the Delaware River style.”

One of the finest Delaware River decoys known to exist, this exact decoy was selected for the back dust-jacket cover of Fleckenstein's 1983 book, "New Jersey Decoys." Original paint with gunning wear.

Provenance: John Holloway Collection Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection

Literature: Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr. "New Jersey Decoys," Exton, PA, 1983, back dust-jacket cover, pl. XXXIX, exact decoy illustrated. Kenneth L. Gosner,"Working Decoys of the Jersey Coast and Delaware Valley," Cranbury, NJ, 1984, pp. 89-91. Laurence Sheehan, "The Sporting Life," New York, NY, 1992, p. 80, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

John Holloway Collection Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection