The Center for American Decoys at Peoria Riverfront Museum

In 1782, the United States adopted the bald eagle as its national bird and prominently featured the majestic bird on the country's Great Seal.

For Schimmel, a German immigrant and itinerant carver, the eagle served as one of the major subjects of his life's work and a bartering chip as he roamed the Pennsylvania countryside in search of food and shelter.

Equipped with a common pocket knife, Schimmel created thousands of carvings during his lifetime, including hundreds of eagles in a variety of sizes. This eagle is one of his largest examples, measuring in at an impressive forty-one inches wide.

🦆:
Wilhelm Schimmel
1817-1890
Eagle with Outspread Wings
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, 1870-1890 Paint and gesso on pine
American Folk Art Museum, New York Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Francis S. Andrews 1982.6.10

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Charles Justin "Chet" Caswell was born April 30, 1899 in Morton, Illinois. He was president and a partner of Loheide-Caswell Typographers, a printing company located at 114 Fourth St. in Peoria. Caswell was also a life member of the Rice Pond Duck Club and a member of the Peoria Casting Club. Peoria carver Bert Graves made a number of rigs for wealthy sportsmen in Peoria, but surviving decoys from the rig of Chet Caswell, branded with "CJC" on the bottom, represent some of Grave's finest work.

🦆:
Chet J. Caswell
1899-1979
Peoria, IL
Chet J. Caswell "CJC" decoy brand ca. 1930
Gift of Thomas K. Figge 2003.30

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website todayPlan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Center for American Decoys!

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today:

🦆:
Charles Schoenheider Sr.
1854-1944
Peoria, IL
Standing goose
ca. 1918
painted by Jack Franks

Now, this is our kind of tree! 🎄

🦆:
"Bird Tree"
Pennsylvania, late 19th Century
Paint on wood with wire
American Folk Art Museum, New York
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Austin Fine 1981.12.19

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Many of you may remember when the museum hosted the blockbuster exhibition "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" in 2016. I am excited to share that the Titanic is back! An incredible tin Titanic model was recently installed in "FOLK: Selections from the American Folk Art Museum." With this object, we will continue to tell the story of this iconic shipwreck in an interesting way that will surely spark curiosity and learning among students and visitors.

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

Show us your best duck call, and we'll show you ours!

Check out some of these incredible duck calls at the Center for American Decoys today.

🦆:
Duck Calls from the Collection of Ronald P. Bonati
On loan from the Christine Bonati Bollwinkle and Joshua Bonati
From Left to Right:
Charles Perdew fancy call, Henry, IL, ca. 1940-1950
Slinn Brothers "Gutra Pudra" call, Chillicothe, IL, ca. 1900-1920
Charles Perdew St. Francis call, Henry, IL, ca. 1930-1950
Charles Perdew V.L.&A St. Francis call, Henry, IL, ca. 1923-1948
Haddon Perdew red cedar call, Henry, IL, ca. 1950
Charles Perdew cedar call, Henry, IL, ca. 1920-1950
Haddon Perdew V.L.&A "RB"call, Henry, IL, ca. 1950
Unknown Maker "RB"call, 20th century

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Do these images from 1935 (Depression Era) resonate with you?

Through this incredible photography, we can see faces and gestures and communities that are so familiar to us, and for the Center for American Decoys, it allows us a moment to remember why decoys as an art form began: to feed one's family, to provide, to contribute to your community.

🖼:
Sherrie Levine
b.1947 (American)
"After Russell Lee:1-60"
2016
Giclée prints.
Courtesy of Art Bridges Foundation AB.2018.2

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Love decoys?

Subscribe to the Center for American Decoy's free e-newsletters today! Big news is coming... be the first to know!

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Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Want to go more in-depth on decoys? Check out our interactive screen in the Center for American Decoys today and learn about the decoy: as an art form, as a tool, and the birds that inspired them.

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Does this holiday season have you thinking about the Christmas goose?

While it has been a tradition for decades to serve goose at a Christmas dinner, we at the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Center for American Decoys are celebrating by admiring them as art!

Which kind of goose 'carving' do you prefer?

🦆:
Charles Schoenheider Sr.
1854-1944
Peoria, IL
Standing goose
ca. 1918
painted by Jack Franks

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

Did you know that you can ask for a "Center for American Decoys" activity at the front desk?

Take your little decoy enthusiast and get a special, interactive worksheet, to help you enjoy your visit to the fullest!

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Did you know that you can earn "Center for American Decoys" points on your Peoria Riverfront Museum Achievement Passport this Friday, November 25, 2023?

Get a Center for American Decoys stamp when you complete an art activity in the membership lounge!

Members get double points!

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

These four "Hy" Hotze canvasbacks are representative of the only four styles of canvasback the carver produced during his lifetime. Often carvers would, and still do, experiment with different shapes and styles of a species until they create a form that satisfies their creative vision.

🦆:
Hiram Hotze 86-1977
Peoria, IL
From left to right:
Canvasback drake ca. 1930 Museum purchase 1994.34
Canvasback drake ca. 1925-1930 Collection of Thomas K. Figge formerly in the Dr. James McCleery Collection
Canvasback drake ca. 1930 Collection of Thomas K. Figge
Canvasback drake ca. 1935 Gift of Guy Rodrick 1997.71
Carving tools Gift of Bud Tyler 1995.46

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Did you know that you can get an exclusive "Center for American Decoys" stamp in your achievement passports?

Stamps range from 10 to 100 points each. Build up enough points, and you can win some incredible prizes!

Learn more about Achievement Passports at the Peoria Riverfront Museum today: https://www.peoriariverfrontmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/achievement-passport

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

The Peoria Riverfront Museum recently held our first ever "Access for All" day, wherein the entire museum was FREE to the general public!

Among many awesome, educational activities, we were proud to host a live carving demonstration, as well as tours of the Center for American Decoys with curator Zac Zetterberg.

"Access for All" days are the second Sunday of every month.

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

The holidays are fast approaching!

Get decoy related merchandise at the Peoria Riverfront Museum Store.

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

See world-class decoys at the Center for American Decoys today!

🦆:
William J. Mason Decoy Factory
1896-1924
Detroit, Michigan
"Oversized premier black duck"
ca. 1905
Museum purchase in honor of Jamel Bourazak with funds from Nancy and Randy Root 2023.9

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Some of the most incredible decoy patterns are on display at the Center for American Decoys today!

🦆:
Charles Schoenheider Sr. 1854-1944 (Peoria, IL)
Decoy patterns ca. 1918
On loan from Amy and Jon Sarver

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Charles Perdew is a legend and was certainly one of the most prolific and diversified carvers in the Midwest. His name is synonymous with the word decoy and his carvings are collected by museums and collectors across the country. With a carving career that spanned over sixty years, Charlie, along with his wife Edna, created working decoys, decorative birds, miniatures, and calls in numerous shapes and styles. Charlie carved the decoys into a finished shape and Edna did the majority of the painting. Together they produced decoys of almost every species common to the Midwest.

🦆:Charles H. Perdew
1874-1963
Henry, IL
Bluebill pair ca. 1935
painted by Edna Perdew

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

In recent years, Charles A. Safford has rightfully been recognized as one of the most talented and imaginative of all American decoy makers.

Safford was also a passionate hunter and dedicated observer of wild birds who preferred life in the wild to work in town. In the early 1920s, he built a hunting camp on Plum Island, an eight-mile-long barrier beach just south of Newburyport, where he lived year 'round until 1942. There, he created a visionary rig of oversized geese for his own use, including this extraordinary sleeper which is one of only two in existence.

🦆:
Charles A. Safford 1877-1957
Newburyport, MA
"Sleeping Canada Goose"
ca.1920

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

The long-billed curlew (Numenius Americanus) is the largest shorebird species in
North America. In the late 1800s and into the 1900s, shorebirds were hunted in large
numbers and were common menu items in restaurants on the East Coast. With the
passing of the Migratory Bird Act in 1918, shorebird hunting came to an end.

The Mason Decoy Factory made three different styles of long-billed curlews: the two- piece high-neck, the two-piece low-neck, and the one piece. The curlew on display is a two-piece high-neck and an exceptional example by this iconic maker.

🦆:
William J. Mason Decoy Factory 1896-1924
Detroit, Michigan
"Long-billed Curlew"
ca. 1905
On loan from the Collection of Randy and Nancy Root

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Michael Valero began carving commercially in the late 1930's and sold thousands of mallards and pintails through Chicago sporting goods stores and Peoria's own G. N. Portman Sporting Goods Store.

🦆:
Michael Vallero
1906-1952
Spring Wailey, IL
"Pintail pair"
Repainted by Edna Perdew

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

Decoys are one of America's oldest native art forms!

With exquisite carving, painting, and overall craftsmanship, decoys have forever made a mark on the realm of folk art. The Peoria Riverfront Museum is proud to have the Center for American Decoys, where museum-quality decoys are constantly on exhibition for the public to see.

🦆:
Charles Walker 1873-1954 Princeton, IL
Mallard pair
ca. 1945
from the Jolley rig

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website: https://rb.gy/smfjkv

Bert Graves was a carpenter and policeman before he started carving decoys in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1915, Graves purchased Robert Elliston's entire business and continued were Elliston left off. He copied Elliston's patterns and painting style and infused a few of his own personal variations.

🦆:
Bert Graves
1880-1956
Peoria, IL
Over-sized mallard pair
ca. 1930
painted by Catherine Elliston

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website: https://rb.gy/smfjkv

Regarded as the father of the Illinois River decoy carving tradition, Robert Elliston, along with his wife Catherine, invented the style of decoy carving which now represents the Illinois River area. The Elliston's started their career as decoy makers at the Undercliff Motel on Lake Senachawine, near Putnam.

The Elliston's provided decoys for wealthy sporting hunters that traveled to Lake Senachwine during the hunting season. Decoy making turned into a full-time business for Robert and Catherine and soon the couple began shipping decoys to sporting goods stores across the country. For this reason, the Elliston's are credited as the first commercial carvers from the Illinois River valley.

🦆:
Robert Elliston 1847-1925 Bureau, IL
Blue-winged teal pair
ca. 1885
painted by Catherine Elliston

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website: https://rb.gy/smfjkv

September's "Cocktails with a Curator" took place in "FOLK: Selections from the American Folk Art Museum." Curator for the Center of American Decoys, Zac Zetterberg, spoke on American folk art, decoys, and one of the newest collections in the museum.

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

Peoria Riverfront Museum provides seniors 60+ the opportunity to experience all exhibitions and planetarium shows free of charge on Senior Day, the third Wednesday of every month.

As part of Senior Day, we coordinate an informative, engaging morning program that compliments the content included in the galleries. This month, curator for the Center For American Decoys, Zac Zetterberg, was happy to deliver a presentation to more than 70 seniors on one of our latest exhibitions, "FOLK: Selections from the American Folk Art Museum."

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today, link in bio.

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website today, link in bio.

A canvasback drake without eyes? Yes, absolutely!

Did you know most Virginia and Carolina traditional style decoy carvers do not put eyes on their blocks? They were simply not needed! If a duck was close enough to see there were no eyes on a block, they were close enough to shoot.

Dixie Decoys says of this: "Even today, most Virginia and Carolina traditional style decoy carvers do not put eyes on their blocks, and it is actually not allowed in some classes of carving competitions."

This decoy, currently on display in the Center for American Decoys, was made in Illinois, but also has no eyes, but does have incredible detail on the feathering, indicating stylistic choice over utilitarianism.

🦆:
Verne Cheesman
1897-1956
Macomb, IL
Canvasback drake painted by Edna Perdew
ca. 1930

Plan a visit to see museum-quality decoys and related art at The Center for American Decoys on our website today: RiverfrontMuseum.org

To learn more about how The Center for American Decoys is keeping this traditional folk art alive, subscribe to our "Center for American Decoys" newsletter on our website: https://rb.gy/smfjkv