Elmer Crowell Rare Willet

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1900 12 3/4 in. long

Branded "P. W. W." for the Parker Williams Whittemore rig on the underside. Parker W. Whittemore (1872-1959), Harvard class of 1895, was captain of the baseball team and played on the football team. A large percentage of Crowell's best customers were turn-of-the-19th-century Harvard graduates. Whittemore was treasurer and later a director of the Laconia Car Company. The company made horse-drawn and electric trolley cars for the streets of Boston, its Elevated Railway, and even for use as far away as the streets of Los Angeles. Original paint with even gunning wear, minor flaking, repair to end of wing tip.

Provenance: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts Grant Nelson Collection

Literature: John and Shirley Delph, "New England Decoys," Exton, PA, 1990, p. 153, similar decoy illustrated. Linda and Gene Kangas, “Connecting the Dots: Exploring the provenance of Elmer Crowell's decoys,” Decoy Magazine, March/April 2010, p. 33, rigmates illustrated.

Provenance

Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts Grant Nelson Collection