Description: A guide to a fascinating hobby! Wendell Gilley was a bird watcher and artist who carved birds in wood on Mount Desert Island, Maine. He started out carving two-inch wooden birds for Abercrombie & Fitch. The book is beautifully illustrated with color photographs and with drawings.
Description: This letter describes three birds (a bobwhite, a yellowlegs, and a gull) carved by Wendell Gilley and owned by the letter writer, Isabel Thacher.
Description: Letter acknowledging return of a bob-white carving as well as discussion of solder and advice on where to get bass wood. Also included are sketches of the leg and foot of a Canada goose.
Description: Letter concerning the packing and shipping of a pintail duck carving commissioned from Wendell Gilley by Norman Willock and returned to the museum for repair.
Description: Letter describing O'Brien's sailing trip around Buckle Island, Swans Island and others and the eiders and ospreys he saw. This letter also mentions Gilley's idea for a museum.
Description: O'Brien acknowledges receipt of a spotted sandpiper carving from Gilley and discusses a handle Gillely designed for an X-Acto blade as well as decoy designs.
Description: Letter discusses publishing Gilley's book in a limited edition as well as including a photograph of Gilley with an osprey as an insert. It also mentions a carving of an owl and another of a bobwhite quail on a hatchet.
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: 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.