Ward Brothers Pintail Drake

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen W. (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1936 16 3/4 in. long

This classic '36 pintail drake has a slightly turned head and bears the Kramer Collection incised brand and a "L. T. Ward Bros 1936" inscription on the underside. The bird was owned and gunned over by the Ward brothers' relative Leonard Ward. The underside is also marked "WO1," indicating it was the first old Ward decoy that Kramer acquired for his collection. Kramer acquired it twenty-eight years after it was made, alerted to it by Ward protégé Oliver "Tuts" Lawson whom Kramer had recently befriended. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Leonard Ward Rig Oliver "Tuts" Lawson Collection, acquired from the above circa 1940 Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired from the above in 1964

Literature: Glenn Lawson, "The Story of Lem Ward," West Chester, PA, 1984, pp. 42-43, exact decoy illustrated. Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, "The Ward Brothers' Decoys: A Collector's Guide," Plano, TX, 1989, pp. 63-64, related decoys illustrated.

Provenance

Leonard Ward Rig Oliver "Tuts" Lawson Collection, acquired from the above circa 1940 Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired from the above in 1964