Description: Panel carved by Gilley Museum Artist-in-Residence Steven Valleau ca 1995 ; one of a series marking the fifteenth anniversary of the museum.
Description: Panel carved by Gilley Museum Artist-in-Residence Steven Valleau ca 1995 ; one of a series marking the fifteenth anniversary of the museum.
Description: Group portrait of Wendell Gilley Museum Board with Museum Director Nina Gormley in front of the museum building. Back row, left to right: Sarah Elliott, Carol West, John Wilmerding, Trustee Emeritus, Ashley Bernhard, Nina Gormley, Executive Director/Curator, Clare Shepley, Jennifer Nolan, Roc Cavino, Elizabeth Hughes, Douglass Gott. Front row, left to right: Barbara Rockefeller, Steven Rockefeller, Kate Briggs, Robert Hinkley, Eleanor Hoagland. Not pictured: Arthur Rogers. [show more]
Description: Black and white photograph with label: "Pileated woodpecker. 1970 carving by Wendell Gilley - Collection of Wendell Gilley Museum - photo by Dori Selene Rockefeller" on reverse
Description: Black and white photograph labeled "Ruffed Grouse. 1981 carving by Wendell Gilley - collection of Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Gilley - photo by Dori Selene Rockefeller" on reverse
Description: Black and white photograph labeled "Wendell Gilley - Great Blue Heron" and inscribed "Woodcarving of a 'Great Blue Heron with Trout' by Wendell Gilley, 1974 - collection of the Wendell Gilley Museum, Southwest Harbor" in red ink on reverse
Description: Black and white photograph labeled "Golden eagle. 1980 carving by Wendell Gilley - collection of Wendell Gilley Museum - photo by Dori Selene Rockefeller" on reverse
Description: Wendell Gilley standing next to a life size great horned owl carving. Also shown are carvings of a Canada goose, woodcock, and an unpainted pair of cormorants.
Description: Wendell Gilley, holding a carving of a ruffed grouse, with Steven Rockefeller. On reverse side of photograph: "Wendell Gilley in his S.W. Harbor Studio"
Description: Polaroid photograph of Wendell Gilley standing in his workshop. In front of him is a table holding a saw. Behind him to his right is a carving of a Canada goose.
Description: Panel carved by Gilley Museum Artist-in-Residence Steven Valleau ca 1995 ; one of a series marking the fifteenth anniversary of the museum.
Description: Wendell Gilley Museum Director Nina Gormley and members of the museum's board of trustees standing in front of the museum with Whooping Cranes by Walter Matia, 1990.
Description: Wendell Gilley standing in front of garage holding two carvings, an eagle and his first carving, a mallard made in 1930. On back of photo: "Wendell, Gilley, summer 1971, taken by Diane L. Kelly, his 1st & present bird in progress."
Description: Sign at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for Wendell Gilley's Downeast Bird Carvings exhibit, October 29, 1976 through January 9, 1977.
Description: 3 Guestbooks containing signatures of Wendell Gilley's visitors from March 1944 - Nov. 1951, July 24, 1971 - July 9, 1974, and July 12, 1974 - June 13, 1977. 1 notebook listing names of visitors to his workshop between May 1970 and July 24, 1971
Description: The published version of this draft appeared with the title "A Visit with Wendell Gilley, A Legend in the Carving World" in the National Carver's Museum publication, The Mallet. The author indicates that in Nov. 1979 Wendell told him about the planned building of the Wendell Gilley Museum.
Description: Christmas card featuring a carving of a family of bald eagles, the female perched on the edge of the nest of two chicks, the male on a branch above with wings spread. Marked 1969 on reverse of card
Description: Christmas card featuring a carved barn owl on a piece of driftwood. Signed "Addie & Wendell Gilley." Marked "Xmas 1976" on reverse side of card
Description: Christmas card featuring a carved saw-whet owl surrounded by snow covered greenery. Signed "Sincerely, Wendell & Addie Gilley" and dated 1967 on reverse side of card
Description: Original letter from Byron Cheever, Publisher of North American Decoys, expressing Cheever's willingness to publish Wendell Gilley's book and asking questions about publication and printing details.
Description: Wendell suggests carvings he had on hand that could be photographed to illustrate his book. Birds he suggests are: bob white quail, scaled quail, flock of 7 Canada geese, pair of Wilson snipe, pair of grouse, single woodcock, several miniature birds of all types, great blue heron with trout in mouth, group of three pintails, life size eagle, pair of life size wood duck, spotted sandpiper on mussel shell, life size pileated woodpecker, pair of eagles with two babies in nest. [show more]
Description: This letter is a reply to the Gilley Museum Director's request for a garden to be donated by the Garden Club of Mount Desert. It also mentions a carving of three gulls on a driftwood based that Mrs. Bancroft commissioned from Wendell Gilley.
Description: The letter writer is asking for more information on Wendell Gilley after watching a Boston television program profiling him. She also mentions owning a Gilley carving of a mallard pair.
Description: Letter describes Mr. Silver's visit to Elmer Crowell's workshop where he purchased several miniature bird carvings, and his subsequent visit to Wendell Gilley's workshop. Enclosed are photographs of a greater yellowlegs and a duck carved by Crowell. Silver also describes Wendell Gilley's trip to Abercrombie and Fitch where he was inspired to start bird carving.
Description: Letter to the President of Warren Tool Co., Fred Clark, concerning wood carving tools and ways of holding tools on a work bench. Also mentioned is a grouse carving loaned to Harry Meech, one of the founders of the National Carvers Museum.
Description: Describes Wendell Gilley's visit to Herkimer New York where in 1967 Fenner invited him to be guest speaker at the National Woodcarvers Association Woodcarving Show held there. This letter is accompanied by photos of Wendell Gillley at the show.
Description: Letter to the president of Warren Tool Co. from artist Ekstrom about an article and artwork of Wendell Gilley's chickadee for Popular Woodworking. Ekstrom describes how he had to carve the chickadee himself before he could finish the article.
Description: Notecard reads "Dear Nina: We are lifelong summer residents of SWH and had the great fortune growing up to meet Wendell several times in his workshop while he was carving birds for my grandparents which we now cherish. My mother Linda Madara was asked by Downeast Magazine to write a story about Wendell and to photograph him and his carvings. We came across the text and original copy this summer and thought you may want it for the archives. Best regards, Ted Madara" Note accompanies a typescript of the magazine article, "Wendell Gilley - The Art of Fine Bird Carving" and photographic negatives. [show more]
Description: Letter thanking Fred Clark, President of Warren Tool Co., for promoting the Gilley Museum in its catalog. The letter also describes winter events at the museum as well as the museum's collection of taxidermy.
Description: Letter mentions meetings of the Mount Desert Island Bird Club and MDI Hospital Auxiliary being held at the Gilley Museum. Enclosed with the letter is a Polaroid photo of an unpainted eagle carving. Wendell also mentions working on two life-size grouse .
Description: Letter mentions receiving a bird book from the Whitlocks. It also talks about working on carvings of an eagle with a fish and a ruffed grouse with spread tail and another taking off in flight. Enclosed with the letter are drawings of male and female swimming buffleheads.
Description: Letter from the founder of the Order of Demolay, Frank S. Land, instructing Wendell Gilley to choose and send carvings to Harry S. Truman, Dr. Frank Stanton, president of CBS, Leon Leonidoff, producer of Radio City Music Hall shows, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and White House aide Bernard Shanley. The cost of the five carvings was $250.
Description: Letter regarding the possible exhibition of a Gilley piece in the Spirits and Nature Exhibition organized by Steven Rockefeller and held at Middlebury College. The piece was a carved and painted group of eiders made in 1970. Color slide transparency enclosed with letter
Description: Letter typed on FBI letterhead and signed by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in gold ink thanking Wendell Gilley for the gift of carved bobwhites sent on behalf of Frank S. Land.
Description: Thank you letter from the Governor of California thanking Wendell Gilley for a carving of a quail, which he placed on his desk in the Governor's Mansion.