Description: Adult male roadrunner in a typical "striding" position, head outstretched with slightly dropped wings. Minimal carved detail, more developed painted detail. Glass eyes, wire legs, metal feet. Mounted on oval pine base, gouge-carved and painted. Marked on underside of base in ballpoint pen: "Road Runner"; signed "Gilley" on lower edge of top of base. No date
Description: Carving of a half-bodied mallard duck in flight superimposed on a painted scene of shoreline and water ; duck approximately seven inches long, six inches high ; both legs are broken off and missing ; traces of practice painting on reverse ; edges painted silver ; signed bottom right "Gilley"
Description: Family of bald eagles, the female perched on the edge of the nest containing two chicks, the male on a branch above with wings spread ; signed "Gilley" on base ; no visible date
Description: Two Chickadees mounted on driftwood branch attached to carved wooden base ; upper bird is upside down, lower bird faces out from branch ; glass eyes, wire legs and feet ; no visible date ; signed "Gilley" on rear of base.
Description: Chickadee with head down perched on driftwood branch attached to carved oval wooden base ; glass eyes, wire legs and feet ; signed "Gilley" on rear left of base ; no date visible
Description: Male mallard mounted on driftwood attached to smooth painted wooden base ; signed "Gilley" in light grey on front of base; no visible date
Description: One chickadee hanging upside down near top of branch above second chickadee perched on lower part of branch. Branch attached to carved oval wooden base. Underside of base inscribed "Chickadees by Wendell Gilley S.W. Harbor, Maine. No date visible.
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: 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: 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: Adult male perched facing downward on driftwood branch attached to carved oblong base. Glass eyes ; wire and metal legs and feet. Oval pine base gouged and stained ; underside of base covered in felt. No visible signature or date
Description: Owl perched on U-shaped branch mounted on flat wooden base. "Gilly" faintly visible on base near bottom of branch. Inscribed "Saw Whet Owl made for Evelyn Foss" and stamped "Wendell H. Gilley" on underside of base. No date visible.
Description: Male eider perched on carved rock facing female. Female faces forward on the carved wooden base. Underside marked Northern eiders by W.H. Gilley, S.W. Harbor, Maine. No date.
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: 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: 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: Woodcock on driftwood base ; head turned slightly to the right. Signed "Gilley" on right side of base ; inscribed "Woodcock by W. H. Gilley" on underside of base. No date visible.
Description: Herring gull perched on wooden post. No date or signature visible. Stamp "W.H. Gilley" visible under white paint between legs. Bird detaches from base.
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: 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: This letter expresses Lucretia Evans' intention to donate her copy of Wendell Gilley's book Bird Carving, a Guide to a Fascinating Hobby, which she believed might be a first edition.
Description: Wendell Gilley is a name well known among carvers and carving collectors. Author of The Art of Bird Carving: A Guide to a Fascinating Hobby, one of the earliest instructional books on the subject, Gilley was a pioneer in the field of decorative bird carving. By his estimate, he created “ten thousand birds of pine and paint” between 1931 and 1983. (Gilley also loved alliteration; it should be noted that most of his carvings were made of basswood.) [show more]
Description: Addie Gilley’s created an outstanding collection of her husband’s work. The carvings that Addie so wisely saved over the years became the core of the Museum’s permanent collection. Wendell and Addie were the guests of honor at the opening of the Gilley Museum on July 12, 1981. They remained active in the museum until their deaths a few months apart in 1983.
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"