Walter Tube Dawson High-head Mallard Pair

Walter "Tube" Dawson (1882-1955) Putnam, IL, c. 1920 17 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 these standout high-head models, he made imaginative preeners, a mechanical goose, flying mallards, 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.

The distinctive style seen here resulted in his being known as “Tube” among decoy enthusiasts. The high heads, like on the Kankakee pintails, have been attributed to application in tall marsh grasses. These decoy are quite rare with only six believed to have survived. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, working paint from the waterline down on the drake. Hen has tight neck crack, age line at left crown, and working paint to grey on very bottom. Both have some flaking.

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. 108, exact pair illustrated. Zac Zetterberg, ed., “American Decoy: The Invention,” Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 57, exact pair illustrated. Alan G. Haid, "Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway," Exton, PA, p. 168, related pair illustrated. Gene and Linda Kangas, "Decoys: A North American Survey," Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 246, pl. 377, rigmate pair illustrated.

Exhibited: Peoria, Illinois, “American Decoy: The Invention,” Peoria Riverfront Museum, February 9–April 28, 2019. 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