CORE SOUND WATERFOWL MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTER - WATERFOWL HERITAGE AUCTION 2020

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AUCTION ENDING TIMES: This Online Auction has an AUTO EXTENDED / EXTEND ALL BIDDING feature which will become active in the last 5 minutes of the bidding period. When a bid is placed on ANY Lot within 5 minutes of the Auction ending time, then the Bidding Period for the ENTIRE Auction will automatically extend for an additional 5 minutes for ALL Lots. This process will continue until there are NO bids are received on ANY of the Lots in the Auction in the final 5 minutes. House Auction Company reserves the right to reduce and/or adjust the auto extension time period.

EXTEND ALL BIDDING FEATURE" Example: If the bidding is originally scheduled to end at 8:00 pm, and ANY Lot receives a bid at 7:57 pm, then the bidding period for ALL Lots in the Auction will automatically extend to 8:05 pm. Once this begins, anytime a bid is placed on ANY Lot in the Auction with under 5 minutes remaining, an additional 5 minutes is added to the bidding period for ALL Lots in the Auction. House Auction Company reserves the right to reduce and/or adjust the auto extension time period.

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If items cannot be picked up at the CSWM & HC on Sunday, DECEMBER 6  from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, then items can be picked up at the Core Sound Museum Store at 806 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC on Monday and Tuesday DEC. 7 and 8  from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day.  All items NOT be shipped must be picked up and paid for by Tuesday, DEC. 8, 2020.

Ammie Paul of Davis "was a fine decoy maker who carved ducks and geese in the early 1900s. His decoys display a nicely shaped body with an unusually thin, board head. Paul made redheads, blackheads, pintails, black ducks, geese and brant. He served as one of the early caretakers for the Core Banks Rod and Gun Club." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

"Ellie Saunders and his son, Blanton, have been central figures in the heritage of waterfowl gunning in Currituck since 1900 ..." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

"Charles Edward Mason made wooden duck and goose decoys at Stacy in the early 1900s. Like other local carvers, he also replaced heads on decoys from the Chesapeake and on decoys made at factories. Several examples have been collected with his head style on Holly bodies. The decoys of Charles E. Mason have rather thin bodies with proportionately large heads. The bills were exaggerated upswing that flows into full cheeks on the head. He initialed the bodies of his decoys with C. E. M." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

"Hayman made wooden ducks in the early 1920s ... made only diving ducks. black ducks and geese. He made decoys for sale to sportsmen and for the gun clubs." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

"Cigar" Daisey was truly a "legend in his own time," telling stories, carving ducks and living the Chincoteague waterfowling traditions all his life. His decoys are recognized for their artistic and cultural value.

Andrew Mason is one of many, and one of the best, Stacy decoy makers and waterfowl hunters. This is from his personal rig.

Rupert Styron used this decoys for many years. It is not known if he made them or had them made for him. The decoys are very old and were made in the early 1900s. Originally part of Julian Hamilton, Jr's Collection.

Early in his life Elmer Salter was a carpenter, seafood dealer, storeowner, and fisherman during the day, and a carver at night. He later joined with Eldon Willis to become one of the most prolific carving teams in Carteret County's decoy-making history.

These two men formed a decoy-making partnership and were amongst the most prolific carvers from North Carolina. This carving duo carved many iconic Core Sound decoys. Willis and Salter were two of the first decoy carvers on Core Sound to sell their decoys to visiting hunters. Stories tell of decoys selling for as little as $5 each in the early days. This place in Core Sound decoy collections is important.

Henry is one of the highest regarded decoy carvers from Carteret County. He was recognized by Conoley's 1992 decoy referenced book, Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, as one of the most significant carvers from the community of Davis, one of Core Sound's most well-known waterfowling communities. Henry Murphy was a well-known guide and is best known for his fine puddle duck decoys.

Ocracoke, Portsmouth and brant are inseparable in the decoy collecting world.

Lawrence Howard was born and raised on Ocracoke Island and quickly became accustomed to the hunting and fishing areas around the island. As a young boy he helped the market hunters and guided for commercial hunting and fishing outfitters. He became quite skilled at these trades and was known as one of the best shots on the island. (Kroghie Andresen)

"[Ellie Saunders] hunted, fished and trapped the swamps and marshes of Currituck ... made canvas geese, ducks and coots ..." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

An interesting piece from Roy Willis Collection, still with tags and rigging; a nice addition to any working decoy collection.

"Julian Hamilton, Sr., operated a hunting camp on Core Banks from 1915 until the 1940s ...." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

"Judge Lambert Morris of Atlantic made many balsa wood decoys for his gunning rig. Judge Morris presided over hundreds of cases in Beaufort but his real love was the water and waterfowl gunning. His decoys have animated head positions and their overall appearance is graceful and appealing. Morris made ducks, geese and shorebirds from the 1920s through the1950s." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

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Julian Hamilton, Sr., Atlantic, was Carteret County's first collector and documentarian, realizing early on the beauty and cultural significance of the decoys that were being made around him. He too become part of that history.

Eldon Willis, one of Stacy's most well-known and prolific carvers, was showing signs of creativity and the traditional artist's concept of form following function with this one-of-a-kind lampstand. Featuring two miniature decoys, the same design that his son Roy would pick up years later, this natural finish folk art is a rare find for a true Core Sound collector.

Born on Lukens Island, Charlie Clifton moved to Atlantic after he married Maude Mason and served at Portsmouth Island while in the Coast Guard. He began to make decoys there and continued all his life as an avid waterman, hunted and decoy maker.

Dewey Salter (1911-1984), a carver from Broad Creek, was also a boatbuilder, waterman and a WWII veteran.

Lambert used Mitchell Fulcher head patterns which is obvious in the beauty of this decoy. He was referenced in Neal Conoley's Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Judge Morris presided over hundreds of cases in Beaufort but his real love was the water and waterfowl gunning. His decoys have animated head positions and their overall appearance is graceful and appealing. Morris made ducks, geese and shorebirds from the 1920s through the 1950s.  This bird was originally from the collection of Roy Willis. It is a rare and important decoy.

Twiford "makes neatly crafted hunting decoys just as the famous decoy makers on Churches Island did in the early 1900s. Hambone worked with Ned Burgess and Joe Hayman as a boy and this association led him into decoy carving." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

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Henry is one of the highest regarded decoy carvers from Carteret County. He was recognized by Conoley's 1992 decoy referenced book, Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, as one of the most significant carvers from the community of Davis, one of Core Sound's most well-known waterfowling communities. Henry Murphy was a well-known guide and is best known for his fine puddle duck decoys.

This Harry Hamilton drake and hen canvas decoys were purchased by Kroghie Andresen in October 2013 at the House auction sale at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center. This auction was held to sell part of the collection of Roy Hilton Willis (12-18-1932 to 9-6-2012) of Stacy which consisted of the largest number of Carteret County decoys ever brought to market. (Kroghie Andresen)

A part of North Carolina's waterfowling history, sinkbox decoys are hard to find!

Eldon and Roy Willis, famous father-son decoy makers, represent the "decoy capital" of Core Sound, the community of Stacy.

John Lupton was known for hunting with live geese early in his life and from that he learned the details of Canada Goose decoy making.

A fine example of Maryland working decoy history.

"The community of Sea Level is the home of John Lupton .. Lupton made a number of large canvas geese and ducks. His ducks // are unusual since a wood tail penetrates the canvas in a design characteristic not found in other North Carolina canvas decoys." Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoys and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

John Lupton's canvas-over-wire geese have their own unique style of construction; many of the early ones were made from scrap telephone wire.

"Barnes carved two different sizes of canvasbacks. One was a standard size while the other was made larger to help hide the sinkbox gunners. His best known decoys replicate swans, one of which is on display at Vermont,s Shelburne Museum." (Information gathered from the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art)

Joe Bailey, son of the late Capt. Josiah Bailey of the "Diamond City" sailing ferry to Cape Lookout, has created an excellent model of the landmark Chesapeake Bay skipjack.

Mason Factory Decoys were common place around the hunting clubs of Core Sound throughout the early 1900s. Brought to Core Sound by hunters from Up North,  the Mason style became part of what is known today as Core Sound style.

Doily Earl is a Stacy native and recognized historian of Core Sound history based on his deep family roots along Core Sound and a lifetime of experiences hunting and fishing with the men who have made Core Sound decoying what it is today. His collection and writings reflect a deep commitment to the written knowledge of waterfowling traditions from Chincoteague to Core Sound. Doily serves on the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center Board of Directors, filling the Founding Lifetime Member seat of his cousin, Roy Hilton Willis. Like Roy before him, Doily is the go-to person for Core Sound history and decoy documentation.

Gerald and Marion Davis were important figures in the "revival" of decoy carving that took place in Carteret County during the 1980s. They had their own shop, "Fishtowne" and worked many of the arts and crafts shows of that era promoting decoy carving. Gerald was featured in North Carolina Travel and Tourism publications as an icon of coastal maritime culture.

David Lawrence was a member of the Original Seven carvers who met at the home of fellow carver, Wayne Davis, to consider the idea of a carvers guild and festival on Harkers Island. David served on the founding board of the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild and in 1992, served as a founding board member of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum. David was an accomplished graphic artist and two-dimensional artist, as well as an expert carver. He created the popular Decoy Festival posters and served as its artist for the first twelve years. He was also the first commissioned membership artist for the Museum's membership print series, David's talent was honored nationally by Ducks Unlimited and Kinkaid Home Interior Line artist. More than all these accomplishments, he was a wonderful person; and a friend and mentor to all who loved him

Stevie Lewis, the youngest brother of NC Heritage Award recipients and boatbuilders Jamie and Houston Lewis, was known far and wide for his rough models of Harkers Island workboats. This "channel net boat" is a prime example and represents one of the Island's most treasured traditions, channel net shrimping.

"Julian Hamilton, Jr., of Beaufort, began carving as a boy when he made hunting decoys with his father. Julian has developed and refined his skills and he now carves duck and shorebird decoys for decorative purposes" Waterfowl Heritage: North Carolina Decoy Makers and Gunning Lore, Neal Conoley

True Core Sound style blackhead from the decoy carving community of Stacy

"Edward Roger (Ned) Burgess (1868-1958), from Churches Island, was North Carolina's most prolific decoy carver, producing between 5,000 and 10,000 decoys over more that 70 years. Burgess made his decoys using simple tools such as a hatchet, a pocketknife, and a wood rasp." Art Ducko: Waterfowl Culture in North Carolina, Kroghie Andresen

North Carolina artist, has shown in premiere waterfowl and coastal venues up and down the Atlantic coastline

These decoys were from Roy's own hunting rig. Roy began collecting decoys at the age of seven and built one of the most important collections of NC decoys. He was an accomplished carver, having learned from his father Eldon Willis, and the long list of distinguished carvers around him during his life spent in the community of Stacy.

Roy was not only a carver, but also a highly regarded waterman and waterfowling historian for Core Sound. His first-hand knowledge of the hunting traditions and carving history has informed all who have researched North Carolina's decoy heritage. The waterfowling heritage of this area has been preserved thanks to the many fine people like Roy Willis, Neal Conoley.