John Lee Baldwin was born in 1868 in Babylon, NY, but built his home in Long Island, NY. Baldwin was a hard-working and dedicated man who enjoyed making flying duck models which were purchased eagerly by the public every year. Never showing any inclination towards any other past time, Baldwin made thousands of duck models each year for more than 20 years with the price averaging about $2.50 per model.

A man known for his "strong opinions and snap judgments," he often refused to sell his models no matter the price offered, "only to turn to a youngster peeking in at the door and give him a present of a duck model." Also known as an eccentric carver, many of his pieces included a sticker on the back quoting Baldwin's famous saying, whi...