Running Yellowlegs
Massachusetts, c. 1910
11 1/2 in. long
The July 1975 Bourne auction catalog indicates that this decoy was found in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. The delicate ticked feathering along the breast and sides closely resembles the work of David Goodspeed (1862-1943) from Duxbury, Massachusetts. This yellowlegs was carved in a full running position. Dr. George Ross Starr Jr. discusses the “forward look” of David Goodspeed’s birds in his "Decoys of the Atlantic Flyway." The underside bears the O'Brien Collection ink stamp.
In strong original paint with even gunning wear, including flaking around the stick hole.
Provenance: Donal C. O'Brien Jr. Collection
Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired in 2018
Literature: Laurence Sheehan, "The Sporting Life," New York, NY, 1992, p. 80, exact decoy illustrated twice.
George Ross Starr Jr. M.D., "Decoys of the Atlantic Flyway," New York, NY, 1974, p. 173, fig. 86, related carving with stippling illustrated.
Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., "Rare American Decoys and Bird Carvings," Hyannis, MA, July 22-23, 1975, lot 913, exact bird illustrated.
Condition
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