W.C. Humphrey Lifetime Collection & Carteret Co. Decoys
Wonderful collectible red cedar Crow call by Charles H. Perdew, of Henry, Ill. Renowned decoy carver Charles Perdew was also an accomplished call maker. Ask a collector which Illinois call maker's work they cherish the most and the majority would not be able to holler "Perdew" quickly enough. That says plenty about Perdew's contributions to the craft. Perdew's calls have been traced to the 1890s, his earliest models made of cedar and featuring two or three metal bands. Throughout his career, Perdew retained four elements in his call making: All had bands, classic Illinois River mouthpieces, Glodo-style stoppers, and German nickel/silver reeds. A pioneer, Perdew produced many call variations. He produced four-panel, checkered walnut calls, carved customers' names or initials on their calls, spruced up the barrels by carving ducks on them, and utilized colored plastic mouthpieces on some designs. He also went so far as to carve a "crown" stopper on some models. Perdew was indeed an artist, a truly incredible talent. After Perdew's death in 1963, his son, Haddon, carried on the family call-making tradition for years. Please view all photos. Condition as shown.