just4decoys.com

Dedicated to the old working decoys of a bygone era

John B Graham, Redhead; Circa 1870s

This wonderful John Graham redhead is the very rare long body style.  Both this long body and the short body variety have a similar style head carving. Only the body length is different. I have seen only two examples of the long body style on Graham redhead decoys.

 

 

 

 

I believe that this decoy was carved in the 1860s. Early Graham Redheads are rare finds. I have seen very few of this age that have survived.

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the lead weight. This is a replacement weight as the original weigh was an iron keel weight. This lead weight is a type that is seen on many early Graham decoys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Black Graham 1822-1912

This small decoy is one of the rarest Graham decoys I have had the priviledge of featuring on this site. It is in original paint, other than a very small percentage of touch-up to the black paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a personal note here is that I have seen many more Graham redheads that have been repainted as bluebills than I have seen original Graham bluebills. this is one of three that came out of a collection on the east coast. The other two have found homes with my friends and are in better condition than this one, but all exceptionally rare birds from one of the earliest pioneers in decoy carving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the original Graham lead weight. I date this decoy in the late 1880s/1890s. I believe even though this decoy is smaller than other Graham decoy carvings that this one would have had an iron keel if it were made earlier than the late 80s. It has wonderful form and style and is among the great rarities of the decoy world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Heverin Circa: 1900

This is a rare early example of a William Heverin Bluebill. These are far less common than the Canvasback carvings from this prolific Charlestown carver. It is in Ralph Murphy paint and is originally from the Murphy rig.

Ralph Murphy was a Market hunter. Murphy and William Heverin were very good friends and hunting partners. It is known that Mr. Murphy used a great number of Heverin decoys along with other Charletown makers in his large decoy rig. This is wonderful original Ralph Murphy paint. Please look in the John Graham section to see a Ralph Murphy painted John Graham decoy also from the Murphy Rig and the Bob Litzenberg collection.

 

 

 

Notice the multiple Brand SGH on the bottom. This brand is related to the Somers Headley collection of New Jersey.