Book Description

Being on the migrational flyway for ducks and geese, the upper Chesapeake Bay has long been a center for waterfowl hunting. Where there is hunting, there are, of course, decoys. The area around Havre de Grace, Maryland has produced some of the most prolific decoy makers in America. Usually born of the necessity of the hunt, their decoys have become highly collectable. In Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys and Their Makers, David and Joan Hagan share their talent for photography with the reader. They illustrate the art of the decoy makers in this area with beautiful images of the birds they have formed. Usually their decoys are accompanied by the portraits of the artists and recollections and reflections on their art and experiences. Over eighty decoy makers are represented in Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys and Their Makers. Many of them are still alive and active in their work. The decoys illustrated range from early decoys, faded and worn smooth with use, to recent decoys which go directly from the artist to the collector without ever touching the water. All of them show the skill of the artist and evoke the appreciation that has made the decoy a central theme in American folk art.