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THBRare Long-Body Canvasback Pair by Thomas Chambers (1860-1948)
About Seller
20 Winter Street
Pembroke, MA 02359
United States
Founded in 2005, Copley Fine Art Auctions is a boutique auction house specializing in antique decoys and American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Over the course of the last two decades, the firm has set auction records for not only individual decoy makers, but also entire carving regions. Copley...Read more
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About Auction
LiveJul 11, 2024
Lots 1-253 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (253)
- Lot Description
Rare Long-Body Canvasback Pair
Thomas Chambers (1860-1948)
Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada, c. 1915
17 1/4 in. long
A rigmate pair featuring the maker's finest comb painting and elegant carving in his highly desirable long-body form.
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 was tapped by sportsmen, including George Warin (1830-1905), to be the Keeper at the newly founded St. Anne’s Club on the Chenal Ecarte, which flows into Lake St. Clair. In 1900, when the nearby St. Clair Flats Shooting Company was looking for a new Keeper, they asked Warin, a respected founder and a former president of their club. Warin recommended Chambers, which would be fortuitous for all parties.
Incorporated in 1874, the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company, also known as the Canada Club, 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 the club’s Keeper 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 the Canada Club gradually changed from all Canadians to predominantly Americans.
In addition to his work for the club, Chambers 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.
Very good original paint with light gunning wear, including a few rubs.
Provenance: Spencer Seitz Collection
The George Secor Decoy Collection to Benefit Delta Waterfowl
Literature: Bernard W. Crandell, Decoying: St. Clair to the St. Lawrence, Erin, ON, 1988, p. 166, related pair illustrated.Condition
Please refer to the description; if you have questions, email colin@copleyart.com.
- Shipping Info
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Shipping info
Copley does not offer in-house packing or shipping. For clients who require shipping, please complete the Shipping Release Form and return it with your payment. The form includes a list of shippers we frequently work with.
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