Harry V Shourds - Artist Info

About Harry V Shourds

  • Biography

    Harry V Shourds

    Arguably the most important decoy carver from the Garden State, Shourds' work sets the standard by which all other decoys from the State are judged. The son of a "waterman" and "yachtsman", Harry was born in Egg Harbor along with his seven siblings. Through at least 1900, he had no listed occupation, but he undoubtedly found ways to exist in a waterfront community of oystermen, fishermen and baymen. By 1880 he had moved to Tuckerton and, in 1884, he wed Mary Agnes Bartholomew and the couple raised their four children on Water St in that town.

    The family relocated to Ocean City, NJ by 1915, but returned to Water St on Tuckerton Creek where they remained for the rest of his life. From 1910 until his death, ...

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