Walter Tube Dawson Preening Mallard Hen

Walter "Tube" Dawson (1882-1955) Putnam, IL, c. 1920 15 in. long

Dawson learned carpentry from his father and began carving decoys at age seventeen. Over his long career in wood, he proved to be a diverse maker. In addition to this imaginative preener, he made a mechanical goose, flying mallards, high-head models, duck calls, and boats.

Hunting was his passion, and from 1905 until 1918 Dawson took full advantage of the then-legal market shooting of the region’s plentiful waterfowl. On Lake Senachwine, he served as a hunting guide to hotel guests. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, p. 109, exact decoy illustrated.

Exhibited: Salisbury, Maryland, “The Illinois River Meets the Chesapeake,” Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 - November 13, 2005.

Provenance

Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection