Elmer Crowell Golden Plover

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 An early working Crowell shorebird decoy displaying fine painted detail, glass eyes, and split-tail carving with painted primaries. It is exceedingly difficult to find early examples of this species by Crowell as he concentrated primarily on black-bellied plover and yellowlegs during the first quarter of the 20th century. The vast majority of Crowell's golden plover were created well after the era of shorebird hunting had ended in the 1920s. This working golden plover has an inquisitive attitude. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: James R. Doherty Collection Private Collection

Literature: Shirley and John Delph, "New England Decoys," Exton, PA, 1990, p. 143, similar example illustrated. Gary Guyette and Frank M. Schmidt, "North American Bird Decoys at Auction, "St. Michaels, MD, 2005, front cover, p. 41, lot 156, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

James R. Doherty Collection Private Collection