George Watts Penn Feeding Yellowlegs

George "Watts" Penn (1866-1956) Forked River, NJ, c. 1900 9 in. long

A rare, feeding shorebird decoy with gently raised wings, and sculptural broad shoulders paired with a thin neck. A closely related bird is illustrated in Doherty's book "Classic New Jersey Decoys." In the book "New Jersey Decoys," Penn is pictured standing next to President Grover Cleveland, who likely gunned over this very decoy. This distinct rig of decoys was discovered by John Ackerman in the 1960s. Original paint with gunning wear, including paint rubs to head and wings, chip to left shoulder.

Literature: James R. Doherty, "Classic New Jersey Decoys," Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 172, pl. 377, related decoy illustrated. Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., "New Jersey Decoys," Exton, PA, 1983, title page photograph, artist illustrated.