Jess Blackstone

All of the New England states have their miniaturist of note. New Hampshire's claim to fame in this regard rests firmly on the work of Jess Blackstone and George Boyd. Jess was prolific in not only the number of carvings he created, but also the sheer variety of birds he produced.

From an early age, beginning perhaps as young as 19, he became an avid birder. His father, Arthur, began a small business in carved miniature birds in 1937 and he was soon joined by his son who decided to combine his creative talents of sign painting and his love of birds into a vocation.

The team produced a number of carvings together, many of which were identified by a gold-colored label on the bottom noting "Hand Carv...