Owen Gromme Canada Goose

Owen Gromme (1896-1991) Fond du Lac, WI, 1944-1945 21 1/2 in. long

Crafted out of his custom, highly durable papier-mâché, Gromme utilized the same body pattern for this rig and then created different head positions to give the group a more realistic appearance. This bird's head is conveniently removable for transport. He cast his decoys solely for his own use in the field. At the time this decoy was made (1944-1945), Gromme was the Curator of Birds and Mammals at the Milwaukee Public Museum. He remained with the museum for forty-three years. A fine painter as well as carver, Gromme is considered one of Wisconsin’s greatest sporting artists of all time. Signed and dated "O.J. Gromme 1944-'45" under the tail. Original paint with even gunning wear, a few small flakes have minimal touch-up.

Literature: Joe Engers, ed., "Museum-Style Master Owen Gromme: A Dedicated Champion of Wildlife," "Decoy Magazine," November/December 2001, pp. 8-11. Gene and Linda Kangas and Donald Kirson, ed., "Bonfire of Swans," Concord, OH, 2012, p. 57, related geese illustrated in Gromme's basement.