Joel Barber exhibit at the Shelburne Museum

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
Good morning, All~


Susan and I drove up to Shelburne, VT on Thursday to finally catch the exhibit about Joel Barber - the father of decoy collecting. I first read Wild Fowl Decoys when I was 12, I think. It's one of those classics I re-read and consult with some regularity.


The exhibit had been open since September - and ends tomorrow. As usual, my Fall got away from me - so we took advantage of the sunshine and dry roads to see this show - well worth the trip! I am posting now not to send a wave of regrets/missed opportunity around the site. Rather, I encourage everyone to visit the Museum in the future. The birds in this exhibit will be returned to the Dorset House - which includes all of Barber's collection. The Dorset has just been renovated - after being closed for the past 2 years - and, I am told, will for the first time have all 700+ decoys on public display. Susan and I plan to return sometime this Summer. (Our family camp is right across Lake Champlain from the Shelburne - just a ferry ride away.)


https://shelburnemuseum.org/



Here are some photos from our visit to give you a taste:


View attachment sm 01 Exhibit 01 - Title Poster.JPG



Here is the first decoy Mr. Barber ever collected.


View attachment sm 02 Southard Shelldrake 02 - full exhibit.JPG



The most famous (?) decoy of all - the Dudley Ruddy - was displayed up high - no doubt in light of its astronomic market value.


View attachment sm 03 Dudley Ruddy 04 - on high shelf.JPG



It was joined by it's re-painted rig mate.


View attachment sm 04 Dudley Ruddy 05 - re-paint.JPG




Shang Wheeler's blue-ribbon Mallard from the 1923 decoy competition. We Long Islanders like to think this was THE first decoy contest....


The glass makes photography challenging.



View attachment sm 05 Wheeler Mallard 01 - exhibit.JPG



Some very big characters in the world of decoys and sporting art: Bill Mackey, Joel Barber and Lynn Bogue Hunt.


View attachment sm 06 Exhibit 03 - Mackey, Barber, Hunt.JPG



Lots of helpful narratives in the exhibit.


View attachment sm 07 Exhibit 04 - Macket et al caption.JPG



Many of my favorites were right out where I could see them up close.


View attachment sm 08 Blair Pintail 03 - fwd detail.JPG



Here are Barber's measured drawings/plans of the same bird.


View attachment sm 08b Exhibit 07 - Pintail drawings.JPG



....continued in next post....


SJS

















 
Although Joel Barber was not a duck hunter, he did try his hand at perfecting the modern decoy - purportedly with limited success.


This Broadbill was one of my favorites from this exhibit - and would probably hunt just fine - perhaps with a bit more freeboard and a proper keel. Note the Wildfowler Black Duck in the background.


View attachment sm 09 Barber Broadbill 04 - oblique.JPG



Barber's carving was strongly influenced by decoys from the St. Clair Flats. This Can is exquisite - and reflects architect Barber's art deco leanings.


View attachment sm 10 Barber Canvasback 02 - head closeup.JPG





This Canada - by George Warin - hails from the same midwest waters. The neck-to-body contours - my favorite part of carving - simply amaze!



View attachment sm 11 Warin Goose 05 -oblique forward end.JPG



This Whistler was from the Stevens factory - in Weedsport, NY. Weedsport is near the vast Montezuma Marshes in central NYS.




View attachment sm 12 Stevens Whistler 03 - head closeup crisper.JPG



Joel Barber died - in 1952 - before he could complete his second book. It was to include his paintings of selected decoys.


View attachment sm 13 Exhibit 05 - Title Page of 2nd book.JPG



This watercolor of a Henry Kilpatrick Broadbill - from Barenegat, NJ - was typical of what were to be the book's plates.


View attachment sm 14 Kilpatrick Broadbill 05 - Barber watercolor.JPG



Here is the Warin Goose in watercolor.


View attachment sm Warin Goose 02 - Barber watercolor.JPG



Almost all of the decoys in the exhibit were waterfowl. This "Hudsonian Curlew" - now called Whimbrel - is a Long Island "snipe". BTW: I often wonder about species ID on shorebird decoys - the live birds are challenging enough! I could argue that this bird might be an Eskimo Curlew - from its size. And, I imagine the average snipe gunner had little access to field guides - much less Google Images.....



View attachment sm 15 Bowman Dowitcher 02 - full.JPG



Please let me know if you get to the Shelburne.


All the best,


SJS



















 
Steve

What a neat display. You mentioned Barber's collection is still complete at 700 ducks. I find it amazing it was never sold, broken apart, or distributed amongst his family members never to be seen. That must be a rare thing. Also, I agree, that bluebill does have eye pleasing lines.

Eric
 
Dang! I just put in my bids for winter/spring officiating assignments and put in for tournaments at Bennington and Hamilton in hopes of piggybacking a Shelburne trip to see this exhibit. I didn't get assigned over that way last fall. Now I've missed my chance to see these.
 
Jeff~


Although you missed this exhibit, you will see many more in the Dorset House when you do get there. I have been told most will be on shelves - I am hoping they are approachable.


The exhibit did not ban photography - just NO FLASH and NO SELFIE-STICKS....


All the best,


SJS

 
Eric~


As far as I know, there is only one exception. I did not photograph the text, but they did explain that 34 decoys - known as the Lost Decoys - were never returned or recovered from an earlier (when Barber was still alive) exhibition. Apparently it was one crate's worth of birds.



All the best,


SJS

 
Steve, I hunted with a guy a few times that has about 6 dozen Broadbill bobtail decoys that look just like the one in your picture. His were made by L.S. from Canada. They were all strung individually and every bird the came by swung into the rig whether it was a single or a flock of 50.
Phil
 
Good morning, Pat~


Wonderful - even got the Barber Decoys brand! Have you floated them? Gunned over them?



Would you post a dead-on profile of the bird that shows the keel?


All the best,


SJS

 
I visited there over 20 years ago and must say it is worth the trip for any waterfowler interested in the history of waterfowling. Not only were decoys on display but also boats.
 
Very nice.

You mention the Dudley Ruddy as having an astronomically high value. An you share what that value might be? Just curious, I thing more.

Mark
 
Mark~


A quick Google search found this: http://knottsislandonline.com/kiscrapbook/dudleyduckauction.html



This Lee Dudley Ruddy went for $269,000 in 2008 - more than 5X what it had auctioned for 17 years earlier.


Another Dudley Ruddy went for slightly less more recently: https://maineantiquedigest.com/events/records-fall-at-copley-summer-sale/6501



I have always regretted not buying a copy of a Dudley Canvasback that I saw at the Worlds in Ocean City back in the 1980s. It was $90 as I recall. Just like my inexpensive prints of Winslow Homer and Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton, I do not need the originals - and would have gotten a thrill each time I encountered it.



All the best,


SJS

 
Went to the Shelburne a number of times as a student at UVM in the late 1970s, I haven't been back in 40 years. I guess its time for a return. I have the collection guide somewhere in my library.
 
Thanks for the info and the link Steve. Knowing next to nothing about collectible decoys, I was amazed at the money being spent.

Mark
 
Steve - some pictures of the Barber keels on the scaup decoys. Keels appear to be made of oak and are secured with 2 brass flat screws. Keels run two-thirds of the length of the bottom of each decoy leaving only enough room for a disc weight which is missing off both decoys. It is peculiar he drilled 4 holes in each decoy to attach an anchor line...


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