Description: Six-board pine box, lap-joined and nailed, with clear acrylic finish ; rounded-edge lift cover, carved underneath to set in box cavity. Five-inch long mallard is screw-mounted lengthwise in the center of cover ; has two curled lead-strip tail-curls, glass eyes. Marked "Made for Hilda and Hulda Bragdon" on underside of box. Signed "Made by Wendell Gilley" and dated 1950 (in a circle).
Description: Adult male sitting in the crotch of a Y shaped twig mount, body facing forward but head turned completely to the left ; glass eyes ; swirled driftwood root base. Signed "Gilley" and dated '71 on underside of base. Appears to have been overmarked '72
Description: Adult male goldfinch in summer plumage sitting on real branch ; "Gilley" signature on front topside of base almost completely faded ; additionally underside bears jackknife rubber stamp Gilley mark ; underside of base marked "Wedding gift to Joe + Anne Bragdon from Wendell H. Gilley + Addie" ; dated Oct, 4, 1981.
Description: One marked "Made for Hilda Bragdon by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base. The other marked "Made for Hulda Bragdon by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base. Both dated 1970.
Description: Miniature adult; glass eyes, wire legs set into smooth round base with painted feet; body horizontal, head semi-erect, facing forward; underside of base marked/signed "Addie Gilley, by W. H. Gilley." Elmer Crowell copy
Description: Marked "Model made by Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Carved on a carving machine. Assembled + painted by Wendell Gilley." Has round label "1M" on bottom.
Description: Birds painted in summer plumage. Bottom of driftwood base marked "Made for Hilda + Hulda Bragdon, Xmas 1971." Signed "Gilley" on right front of base.
Description: Smooth oval pine disc base with gnarled driftwood root ; midway up the driftwood is mounted the bird, carved in characteristic seed-opening position with tail braced downward and bill pointed at ground ; glass eyes, wire legs, and metal feet grasping "branch." Signed "Gilley" on top edge of base. No date
Description: Painted board with miniature flying mallard attached. Inscribed on back "Given to J.E. Brown by Wendelll Gilley circ. 1936"; "Presented to the Gilley Museum July 1984."
Description: Very early Gilley diorama ; carved and painted American goldeneye against painted winter scene on board. Marked "Made about 1935 Wendell Gilley" on back. Signed "Gilley on bottom front.
Description: L-shaped driftwood branch serves as base for three gulls, positioned (left to right) taking off, raising wings, standing erect ; birds show totally different bill carvings, and the similar but minutely different paint indicates a transitional period (1940's?); unsigned
Description: Two chickadees, near life size, on driftwood, both with glass eyes, metal legs and feet, carved and painted detail ; both upright, left chickadee has head down. Signed, dated on rear of base "Gilley '58".
Description: Adult male in a naturalistic, though simplified pose, mounted on the larger prong of a smooth, two-pronged driftwood branch ; ovoid gouge-carved pine base ; glass eyes, wire legs and broadly-spread toes gripping driftwood "tree". Signed "Gilley" on back of driftwood mount near the base. No date
Description: Resting bird, head slightly tucked, bill downwards, tail swept up and wing tips cropped; minimal carved detail, incised wings ; glass eyes, metal legs and feet with talons clutching downward on driftwood burl base. Signed "Gilley" on top of base, lower left; no date on piece but approximately 1948.
Description: Figure permanently mounted on round footed base, intended to be covered with a glass dome. Top of base is a 3/4 inch diameter inner-ground of fine sand. Heron has cast lead legs and feet, lead-strip crest feathers, glass eyes. Signed "Gilley" on side of driftwood "stump" below left side of bird ; no date.
Description: Gull in adult plumage, head erect and straight ahead, wing tips balanced high over tail, feet braced on a navigational buoy called a red nun. Glass eyes, wire legs and metal feet. Buoy painted with white Arabic numeral "4". Carved oval pine base, gouge-carved and painted to resemble sea water. No date visible.
Description: Adult male, approximately life size, sitting on twig, head slightly cocked and turned left ; no visible legs, cut metal talons ; glass eyes. Signed in felt tip pen "by W. H. Gilley" and dated 1976 on underside of base; also faintly signed on top lower right of base
Description: Herring gull in adult plumage, taking off from a smooth burl driftwood base ; carved with minimum of detail; outside wing edges notched to suggest feathers; painted eyes, bill, legs and feet. W.H.G. marked on underside of base ; no date on piece but probably from the 1940s
Description: Male bufflehead in adult plumage, swimming position ; head withdrawn and turned slightly to the left ; glass eyes, matte black, white, greys with minimal body detail ; blending of red/orange on head behind white wedge. Underside signed in pyrographic scratching "W.H.G." "Gilley" branded in script. Also written in felt-tip pen " '82 Buffle-Head".
Description: Canvasback drake in swimming position, adult plumage, scant carved detail ; completely withdrawn head, turned slightly to the right. Signed "by W. H. Gilley 1971"
Description: Adult in swimming position, head erect on slightly bent neck facing straight forward; glass eyes ; signed "Gilley 72" on underside where felt is cut away
Description: Adult bald eagle, approximately one-sixth life-size, sitting upright on small driftwood knot ; lead feet with talons realistically gripping the base ; undercut wing tips crossed over carved tail ; Signed "Gilley" on left side of driftwood base; marked "Hilda, Hulda Bragdon, Xmas 1973" on underside of base
Description: Now known as American Wigeon ; marked "Baldpate '74, #28" on underside of base ; humped "clamshell" base is a driftwood burl ; wire legs and metal feet with tiny talons; signed "Gilley" on left front of base
Description: Adult male and female mounted on pine and twig base, the lower bird (female) in downward crouching position, the male perched on lower fork of twig ; wire legs and metal feet, glass eyes ; signed "Gilley" on carved base.
Description: Adult, standing on mesquite base, tail erect ; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned, and painted detail ; carved circa 1977, painted and completed winter, 1981. Signed "Gilley" with artist's branding iron on flat side of base. Companion piece 81.1.175.
Description: Life-size adult "running" on mesquite base ; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail ; carved circa 1977, painted and completed winter 1981. Unsigned. Companion piece 81.1.174.
Description: Pair of adult herons on roughly "x" shaped driftwood mount. On lower right arm of the "x" a heron in hunting posture is loosely mounted. On upper arm of the x, another heron is depicted in a guarding posture. Twin metal-strip crest, glass eyes, metal feet and legs realistically painted. Signed "Gilley" on top side of sand-finished oblong base, lower right.
Description: Solitary sandpiper perched with wings upright on driftwood branch ; spotted sandpiper standing, body tilted downward, on carved oblong base. Signed "Gilley" on left front of oblong base ; no date
Description: Adult male on gnarled driftwood root; glass eyes, wire legs and cut metal feet. Signed "Gilley '78" on oblong pine base ; underside of base marked "Evening Grosbeak #33"
Description: Adult male Eastern bluebird ; ovoid pine base with multi-twigged branch rising from off-center; narrow-bodied bird sits on a lower twig, head turned to left and slightly raised ; glass eyes, metal feet, no visible legs. Inscribed: "Bluebird by Wendell Gilley for Harold and Gladys Townsend Xmas 1976" on underside of base
Description: Adult woodcock with feet stretching downward over face of the domed burl base ; head erect facing straight ahead with long bill pointed downward ; glass eyes, wire legs and metal feet. Signed "Gilley '80" on right side of base ; Marked "Woodcock by W.H. Gilley 1980" on underside of base.
Description: No base ; carved from balsa wood ; glass eyes, cast metal three-toed feet ; flat polychrome paint is applied in a somewhat stylized rather than strictly naturalistic, feather treatment ; Signed "Gilley" between feet below a small round hole ; no date
Description: Two adult birds on a roughly "J" shaped driftwood base ; glass eyes ; cast lead legs and feet. Signed "Gilley" on right side of driftwood base below the sitting gull ; inscribed "Made for Hilda - Hulda Bragdon 1972" on underside of base.
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: Postcard depicting a carved mallard on a driftwood base signed "Gilley" ; "Mallard Drake bird carving by Wendell Gilley" printed on reverse side of card.
Description: Postcard depicting a carved Canada goose which appears to be flying over a hedge ; "Canada Goose bird carving by Wendell Gilley" printed on reverse side of card.
Description: Wendell Gilley carved the chickadee in this photo used as an advertisement for Warren Tool shortly before his death in 1982. Mounted on mat board ; Warren Tool Co. label on reverse side of board. Accompanied by handwritten note from Fred Clark, President of Warren Tool.
Description: Photograph of an interior showing gull carvings, including a mobile, by Wendell Gilley. Stamped "Anchor Light Studio, W.H. Ballard, Southwest Harbor, Maine" on back.
Description: Photograph of a herring gull carved by Wendell Gilley. The gull is perched on a buoy with the number 7 painted on it. Behind the gull is a painted scene of water and rocks. Stamped "W.H. Ballard, Photographer, S. W. Harbor, Me" on back.
Description: Photograph of a pair of cinnamon (?) teal carved by Wendell Gilley. Marked "Sam Rayburn" on reverse. "1958" written in blue ballpoint lower right corner.
Description: Photograph of five birds carved by Wendell Gilley. Clockwise from left: black duck, Canada goose, canvasback, harlequin duck, and common eider. Stamped "W.H. Ballard, Photographer, S. W. Harbor, Me" on back. Numbered "#28" in pencil above stamp.
Description: Photograph of bald eagle, perched with wings spread above fish on oval base, carved by Wendell H. Gilley. Marked "Eagle with fish by Wendell Gilley" in ink on reverse side.
Description: Photograph of a marbled (?) godwit carved by Wendell H. Gilley. The carving appears to be part of a diorama. On reverse side in pencil: "George W. Pepper 3rd" . "Roche Photography, Caldwell N.J." stamp on reverse.
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: Photograph accompanies letter from Donald M. Fenner to the Gilley Museum. Back of photograph marked: "DMF, Wendell Gilley, NWCA Meeting Herkimer, N.Y. May 1967, examining carvings by Erwin Caldwell".
Description: Photograph accompanies letter from Donald M. Fenner to the Gilley Museum. Back of photograph marked: "Helen Lay Strong - died June 13, 1995, Ed Gallenstein - President National Woodcarvers Association, Wendell Gilley, NWCA Herkimer Meeting, May 1967".
Description: Photograph accompanies letter from Donald M. Fenner to the Gilley Museum. The two carvers are shown seated with various carvings by Wendell Gilley. The pintail in Gilley's hands was given to Fenner. Back of photograph marked: "'Captain' Ed Moore, Wendell L. [sic] Gilley, Woodcarvers Meeting, Herkimer, N.Y. May 1967"
Description: Photograph accompanies letter from Donald M. Fenner to the Gilley Museum. The two carvers are shown seated with various carvings by Wendell Gilley. The pintail in Gilley's hands was given to Fenner. Back of photograph marked: "N.Y.S. Wood carvers Convention Herkimer - May 1967 " ; stamped: "Carlyle W. Kennedy."
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: Adult on small driftwood base ; body appears to be "bobbing" downward ; tail swept up, wing tips folded over ; glass eyes, wire legs and metal feet ; body covered overall with finely incised lines. Signed, dated and marked "Semipalmated Plover (Lifesize) by W.H. Gilley, 1975" on underside of base.
Description: Wendell Gilley seated in his workshop next to a window with miniature carvings on windowsill. "Credit: Roche, Caldwell N.J." stamped on reverse.
Description: Adult male in breeding plumage depicted on a wooden piling attached to egg-shaped pine base ; cast lead legs and feet, glass eyes ; signed "Gilley '75" on front of base. Underside of base marked: "Hilda and Hulda Bragdon, 1975" and signed "by Wendell Gilley"
Description: Owl looking over left shoulder, glass eyes, wire toes. Signed "Gilley" on rear of driftwood base. Underside of base stamped Wendell H. Gilley.