Charles H. Hart (1862-1960) Gloucester, MA

Charlie Hart was a stone contractor and mason who hunted every now and then and made decoys for his brother, Nat and his friends. Hart concentrated on a handful of species including black ducks, Canada geese, goldeneyes and mallards. Some of the decoys were left solid, others were hollowed.

Of the hollow decoys, some were given bottoms and some were not; Hart did not seem to settle on one particular style. Careful wing carving and detailed painting characterize Hart's work. The "flapper," a stick-up black duck, seems to best epitomize this attention to detail. This hollow decoy was carved around 1900 and has a head that can be turned and detached wings that flap when the hunte...