EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBCanada Goose Thomas Chambers (1860-1948)
About Seller
65 Sharp Street
Hingham, MA 02043
United States
Copley Fine Art Auctions is the world's leading American sporting art auction company. Located in Hingham, MA, Copley specializes in antique decoys and 19th- and 20th-century American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Principal Stephen O'Brien Jr., a fourth-generation sportsman with a refined colle...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
About Auction
LiveJul 27, 2017 - Jul 28, 2017
Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (156)
- Lot Description
Canada Goose
Thomas Chambers (1860-1948)
Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada, c. 1915
22 in. long
Thomas Chambers (1860-1948) was born in Toronto, Ontario. He hunted ducks and geese as a boy and sold his excess quarry to the market. He later worked for Canadian sportsmen at the St. Anne’s Club on the Johnson Channel, which flows into Lake St. Clair. In 1900, the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company’s first president, George Warin (1830-1905) (see lot 7), recommended Thomas Chambers for the position of full-time marsh manager of the club.
Incorporated in 1876, the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company was one of the oldest hunting clubs on Lake St. Clair. Chambers lived on the club’s property in an adjacent house with his wife and three children. Chambers would remain its manager until his retirement in 1943. According to author Bernard Crandell, it was during this time as manager that the 6 foot 1 inch Chambers earned the nickname "King Tom." Over the years, the membership of St. Clair Flats Shooting Company gradually changed from all Canadians to predominantly Americans.
In addition to his work for the Club, “King Tom” was also one of the nation’s most accomplished carvers. His decoys were in high demand from the members and even during the Depression a rig of a dozen Chambers decoys would command the unheard of price of $75.
The bottom board of this hollow decoy is branded "THOS. CHAMBERS MAKER" and "J.T. McMILLAN." James T. McMillan was a St. Clair Flats Shooting Company member from 1913-1946.
The remarkably good condition of this decoy can, in part, be explained by the sparse usage of goose decoys due to the historically low number of this species in the region. Less than a dozen of these geese in original paint are known today. This Chambers goose displays exemplary form and paint and ranks as one of the maker's best works.
Of this exact decoy, Julie Hall, a folk art historian, wrote in 1976, "Such a beautiful prize in original paint with complete history is a rare find today."
Original paint with gunning wear. A tight check along left side, and a ding to top of tail.
Provenance: James T. McMillan Rig
Bernard Crandell Collection
Julie Hall Collection, acquired from the above, c. 1975
Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection
Literature: Patricia Fleming, "Traditions In Wood," Ontario, Canada, 1987, p.141, exact decoy illustrated.
Julie Hall, "Collectible Decoys--- An Endangered Species?" North American Decoys, Spanish Fork, UT, Summer 1976, p. 20, exact decoy illustrated.
Bernard W. Crandell, Decoying: St. Clair to the St. Lawrence, Erin, ON, 1988.
Condition
Condition report requests can be made via email or by telephone (info@copleyart.com or 617.536.0030). Any condition statement given is a courtesy to customers, Copley will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition.
- Shipping Info
-
Shipping info
Copley Fine Art Auctions does not handle the shipping of any items. Shipping is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Once your payment has cleared, and we have received your authorized shipping release form items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.PLEASE BE AWARE THAT INTERNET BIDDERS MAY NOT PICK UP THEIR ITEMS AT THE SALE SITE. ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP BY APPOINTMENT OR SHIPPED STARTING FIVE DAYS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE SALE
-
- Buyer's Premium
