Ira Hudson Long-billed Dowitcher

Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1900 13 1/4 in. long

Ira Hudson was born in Maryland and grew up in Delaware. He and his wife Eva moved to the island of Chincoteague in Virginia to raise their nine children. A multi-talented craftsman, Hudson designed and built his own home on Chincoteague. He also designed and built boats, including many flat-bottomed scows used for hunting and oyster farming. In 1897, Hudson added decoy carving to the lengthy list of occupations he would pursue over the years; the 1900 and 1910 census records identify Hudson as a “waterman” and “oysterman.” In order to support his family, Hudson also built chicken coops, gunstocks, and even clothespins when there was a demand for these items during World War II.

This is a classic Hudson snipe carving with a thin neck and a very long bill. Mix of original and working paint worn to wood with gunning wear, age lines, a crack in the bill, and a reset tail chip.

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

Literature: William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 161, pl. 134, rigmate illustrated. Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., "Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas," Exton, PA, 1983, p. 36, rigmate illustrated.

Provenance

Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection