OVERVIEW OF WARD BROTHERS DECOYS AND CAREER скачать в хорошем качестве

OVERVIEW OF WARD BROTHERS DECOYS AND CAREER

Hello and welcome back to American Sporting Classics! Today we're gonna be discussing two of my absolute favorite decoy carvers, the Ward Brothers. Lem & Steve Ward who were born and lived in Crisfield, Maryland, a small town on the eastern shore of Maryland. Their father, Travis Ward, made decoys in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Lem & Steve made their first decoys between 1910 and 1920 and carved wooden decoys over a 60 year period. Their styles changed many times over the decades and they were some of the most prolific carvers of American bird decoys. I had the good fortune of meeting Lem & Steve when they were both still living. I travelled to their shop with my dad the first time when I was probably 10 or 12. My dad was very much involved in the decoy world from the late 60's through the late 80's. I was in awe of these two gentlemen on that first visit. Although they weren't very educated, they were very much in tune with their world. I remember telling my dad there was something very different and special about Lem & Steve when we left that first visit. Their earliest decoys were made strictly for hunting and they soon were taking orders for hunting clubs all over the United States. One iconic rig that they made was for the Bishops Head Club in Dorchester County, Maryland. Most of the Bishops Head Club decoys have what is referred to as a "Roman Nose" and "Rump Bump"! These decoys were made in the early 30's and are considered some of the most iconic decoys made by them. In addition to carving decoys, they also were barbers, singers, poets and artists! Two examples of paintings done in 1947 by Lem were painted on wooden trays or plaques. With the advent of plastic decoys coming into vogue in the 1960's, a reduction in orders for wooden hunting decoys led Lem & Steve to begin making more decorative style decoys. One example is a hollow, cedar body Canada Goose that was made in 1969 for Mort Hansen, a prominent decoy collector and dealer. His grandson, Greg Hansen and I are dear friends to this day. Other examples shown include an oversize drake mallard, signed and dated 1971; and an unfinished head that probably came off their reject pile. If Steve was carving a decoy or head and didn't like how it was turning out, he would throw it on their reject pile! One of their neighbors, Lloyd Tyler, was known to visit their shop on a regular basis. Lloyd would buy from the reject pile, take them home and finish them to sell as his own work. Times were tough and these carvers were making decoys to put food on their tables. There are a number of books on the Ward Brothers including "L. T. Ward & Bro. Wildfowl Counterfeiters", Ward Brothers Decoys - A Collectors Guide", and "Closed for Business" a collection of poems by Steve Ward. One of the poems called "The Drifter" exemplifies how in touch they were with nature and the world around Crisfield. We hope you have enjoyed our videos! If so, PLEASE GIVE US A LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE to our channel. And don't forget to visit our website www.AmericanSportingClassics.com when you have a chance. See ya soon!