Samuel Soper Feeding Canada Goose

Samuel Soper (1863-1943) Barnegat, NJ, c. 1900 31 in. long

Soper’s iconic stick-up Canada goose decoys have made a lasting impression on decoy enthusiasts. Only a half-dozen Soper stick-ups in varying poses have surfaced. These decoys have found their way into some of the most important decoy collections ever assembled, including those of Joel Barber, William J. Mackey, Jr., Quintina Colio, and the Shelburne Museum. The United States State Department selected a pair of Soper geese to be exhibited at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan.

According to New Jersey decoy historian Grove Conrad, Joel Barber was taken by these stick-ups and had intended to use one for the frontispiece of his unfinished book.

This hollow decoy features graceful lines and simple paint design. Original paint with even gunning wear, an age line, professional repair to neck base, darkening to rubs on body, and working wash over white.

Provenance: Dick Morton Collection, acquired in the 1970s James Allen Collection Private Collection

Literature: William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, pp. 121-122, plate 104, similar decoy illustrated.

Quintina Colio, "American Decoys," Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 35, related decoys illustrated.

Provenance

Dick Morton Collection, acquired in the 1970s James Allen Collection Private Collection