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: Approx. 1/3 life size; adult on driftwood base, head turned over left shoulder, preening left wing; glass eyes, metal legs, carved and painted detail. Underside of base marked "Addie Gilley" faded stamp: Wendell H. Gilley, Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679."
Description: Adult male perched on branching twig on carved pine base ; wire legs and metal feet with talons grasping the branch ; glass eyes. Entire body covered with fine incised lines, deeper where suggesting primaries and tail feathers. Underside of base marked "Red-winged blackbird by W. H. Gilley 1977".
Description: Life size; clinging to twig in characteristic upside-down position, twig screwed to shaped wooden base; pinhead eyes, wire legs and feet, detail in color and relief; Signed "Gilley '73." Marked "Chickadee for Addie Gilley, 1973" on underside.
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: Life size; mounted on driftwood base, head and tail erect; glass eyes, wire legs, painted detail. Signed, dated and marked "White-throated Sparrow by W.H. Gilley, 1974 for Addie Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Almost life size; three flying adults attached by wires from male's (center bird) feet to driftwood piece attached to oblong carved wooden base; base has metal grass, two additional pieces of driftwood, touches of green paint. Birds attached to each other with wire, upper female attached to male by hole beneath tail, lower female attached to male by wire from left wing, all birds with glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley" on side of driftwood stump. Marked "Bob White by W.H. Gilley, 1974" on underside of base. [show more]
Description: Approx. 1/4 life size; pair mounted on driftwood base, lower duck has head turned around right shoulder, upper duck's head turned slightly left, neck withdrawn; both with glass eyes, painted detail, lead feet. Signed, dated, marked "Black duck for Addie Gilley by W.H. Gilley, 1974" on underside of base.
Description: Approx. 1/5 life size; mounted on driftwood base, standing erect on right foot, left foot raised; glass eyes, bristle "beard", metal legs and feet, painted and carved detail. Signed on base, underside of base dated 1974, marked "Addie, Wild Turkey."
Description: Approx. 1/4 life size; adults on driftwood base; gander on left has head turned slightly left, neck erect; goose on lower right bent left with neck down; both with glass eyes, metal legs; carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley" on left of base, marked "Addie Gilley, Canada Geese, 1971 by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: 3/4 life size; outstretched wings, alighting on driftwood limb mounted on carved oblong base, Phillips head screw in base, toes 3:1; glass eyes, carved and painted plumage detail. Signed: "Gilley '72" on lower right side of base. Underside marked: "Addie Gilley, xmas 1972."
Description: Life size adult ; perched on twig, mounted on carved oblong base; glass eyes, metal legs and feet, upright posture, head turned slightly to left. Signed “Gilley ’76” on rear end of base. Some blue paint on base; underside marked “11;” Phillips head screw attaching base to twig.
Description: Life size; adult perched on driftwood piece set into shaped wooden base, body in profile with head turned over right shoulder to "front" of piece; glass eyes, wire toes, four first toes protruding, painted plumage detail. Signed "Gilley '75" on right front of base. Marked and dated "Addie Gilley, Saw-whet owl by W.H. Gilley, 1975" on underside of base, which also has artist stamp. Artist considered this his best saw-whet owl. [show more]
Description: 1/10 life size; perched on driftwood piece attached to carved wooden base, owl's head turned over left shoulder; glass eyes, painted detail. Signed "Gilley," on top of stamp, marked "Addie Gilley," on underside of base.
Description: Approx. 1/5 life size; mounted on driftwood base, walking pose, left leg forward, attached by middle toe, right leg behind, attached by left toe; glass eyes, wire feet, carved and painted detail. Signed and dated "Gilley '74" on right side of base, marked "Wild Turkey by W.H. Gilley, 1974, Addie Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Owl looking over left shoulder, glass eyes, wire toes. Signed "Gilley" on rear of driftwood base. Underside of base stamped Wendell H. Gilley.
Description: 3/4 Life size; perched on driftwood piece attached to carved wooden base, head turned right, two toes of left foot exposed, three toes of right foot exposed, ear tufts laid back; glass eyes, metal toe nails, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley '75" on left of base, marked "Screech Owl 3/4 life size, 1975, by W.H. Gilley, property of Addie Gilley" on underside of base. Gray phase.
Description: Approx. 1/4 life size; adult on shaped wooden "pier" attached to round, flat wooden base, standing, head raised, two fish hanging out of bill; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley" on front of base, stamped "Wendell H. Gilley, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679" on underside of base. Marked "Addie Gilley, xmas 1975."
Description: Approx. 1/4 life size; adult on shaped wooden "pier" attached to circular, flat wooden base, standing, facing forward, head and beak vertical; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "by Wendell Gilley," marked "Addie Gilley, Xmas 1975" on underside of base. Companion piece no. 81.1.21.
Description: Life size; adult on burnt driftwood base, attached to base by left foot, standing, right leg slightly raised, hood turned slightly left; glass eyes, metal legs, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley '76" on left of base, marked "Gilley, Clapper Rail" on underside of base.
Description: Approx. 1/4 life size; three part composition: one swimming, flat-bottomed adult, two swimming, flat-bottomed chicks; adult's head turned slightly to left, with glass eyes and painted detail; chick a's head is erect, chick b's head is down, both have burned detail. Adult marked, dated, signed "Loon, made for Addie Gilley by W.H. Gilley, 1973" on underside. Chicks unmarked.
Description: Life size; adult male and female perched on twig, facing opposite directions, attached to shaped fiber board base, male higher on twig, distinguished by orange in crown, female below; both with glass eyes, wire feet and legs, painted plumage detail, base brown with green. Signed "Gilley" on right of base. Marked and dated "Golden Crowned Kinglets, Addie Gilley, 1972" on underside of base.
Description: Life size; adult on driftwood attached to carved oblong base, perched upright, head turned slightly left; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Marked, dated, signed "Kingfisher, made for Addie Gilley, 1973, by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Life size; swimming; flat bottom, tail up, head turned slightly left; glass eyes, carved and painted detail. Signed, dated and marked: "Oldsquaw (male) 1970, made for Addie Gilley by W.H. Gilley" on underside. Companion piece no. 81.1.85
Description: Life size; horizontal stand, perched with one foot in crotch of twig, one up on branch, twig mounted in oblong mound, carved wooden base. Signed "Gilley '76" on lower right of base, underside marked: "Bluebird by Wendell Gilley, 1976, 7."
Description: Approx. 3/4 life size; pair on driftwood base, bird on left standing erect, head turned to right and raised, looking upward, bird on right squatting, neck down, facing forward; both with glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley '72" on base.
Description: Approx. 1/5 life size; mounted on driftwood base, standing on toes, wings outstretched; glass eyes, lead feet, painted and carved detailed. Signed "Gilley" on front of base. Marked "Made for Addie Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Life size; swimming, flat bottom adult, head turned to left, crest down; glass eyes, burned and painted detail. Marked "Wood Duck made for Addie Gilley, Christmas 1970, by W.H. Gilley."
Description: Approx. 1/3 life size; adult on driftwood base, standing upright, mouth agape, head turned to left, crests erect; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley 74" on base. Marked "made for Addie Gilley, 1974, Double Crested Cormorant by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Life size; adult on driftwood base, standing with right foot forward, head turned slightly to left; glass eyes, metal legs, carved and painted details. Stamped "Gilley" on body between legs. Signed "Gilley" on base, marked "Yellowlegs by W.H. Gilley, made for Addie Gilley, Aug 1972" on underside of base.
Description: Carved at the request of Addie Gilley, who was inspired by an illustration in a book about birds of the world. Signed "Gilley" on bottom of driftwood branch. Underside of base marked "Native of India, Sumatra, Indo China".
Description: Approx. 1/2 life size; adult on driftwood base, standing, neck down, beak horizontal, facing forward; glass eyes, metal legs, carved and burned detail. Signed "Gilley" on base.
Description: 3/4 to life size; adult male standing, head turned slightly to left on burl base, tail raised; painted eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed and marked "Ring-necked Pheasant for Addie Gilley by W.H. Gilley, 1976" on underside of base .
Description: Life size; perched on green, oblong, wooden mound base, erect posture, facing forward; glass eyes, wire feet and legs, painted and burned detail. Marked, dated and signed "Robin, made for Addie Gilley, 1978, by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Adult standing on weathered driftwood base, right leg retracted, neck slightly outstretched, head erect and looking ahead, bill curved slightly downward ; glass eyes, wire legs and metal feet. Signed on top of base near left foot: "Gilley" in felt tip pen ; also on underside, "Spotted Sandpiper by W.H. Gilley, 1979"
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: Near life size; on driftwood piece attached to oblong carved wooden base, bird on right standing erect, head turned to right, left leg raised, left bird bending over, right leg raised; both birds with glass eyes, metal legs and feet. Signed "Gilley '75" on left of base. Marked "Property of Addie Gilley, Marbled Godwit 1975, by W.H. Gilley" on underside.
Description: Approx. 1/2 life size; mounted on driftwood piece attached to oblong carved wooden base, perched in hunting posture; glass eyes, metal feet, carved burned and painted detail. Marked, dated and signed "Red-shouldered Hawk, carved 1975, painted 1978, by W.H Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Approx. 1/3 life size; osprey on driftwood piece attached to oblong carved wooden base, wings upraised, head down, beak open; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Marked "made for Addie Gilley, driftwood gift of Mrs. David Rockefeller, Osprey by Wendell Gilley, 1971" on underside of base. Separate companion Mackerel: glass eyes, carved and painted detail.
Description: Life size; adult on driftwood base, standing, right foot forward, beak agape, wings outspread, tail erect; glass eyes, metal legs, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley" on base. Marked "Made for Addie Gilley, 1974, by W.H. Gilley" on underside of base.
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: Life size; pair on driftwood piece attached to oblong carved wooden base with painted metal glass in foreground, upper owl has wings up, head turned left facing front of piece, ear tufts erect, tail fanned out, legs reaching down as if alighting, lower owl perched, wings closed, ear tufts erect; both with glass eyes, metal toenails, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed"Gilley '75" on lower left of driftwood. Marked "Long-eared Owls by Wendell Gilley" on underside of base. [show more]
Description: Approx. 2/3 life-size; adult pair on driftwood base, male standing on right, tail partially spread, head turned left, female on lower left, nested on wood, left toes protruding, tail folded, neck down, head turned slightly left; both with glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail. Signed "Gilley" on center of base. Marked "Grouse, made for Addie Gilley" on underside of base.
Description: Published: New York : Winchester Press. Page 69 is signed by Frank C. Wilson, a Massachusetts decoy carver who is featured in the book. Wilson's work was for sale in the Wendell Gilley Museum shop.
Description: Published : Chillicothe, Ill. : Model Technology. Inscribed by the author "To Wendell Gilley, with best wishes to one of the pioneers in this field. We have all benefited from your efforts."
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: 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: 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: This letter acknowledges receipt of a letter and chisel from Gilley, and discusses various carvings including a spotted sandpiper on a mussel shell and two pairs of quail
Description: Letter discusses sending text, artwork, and photos for the book, Art of Bird Carving, to Byron Cheever. Flying goose, bob-white and blue quail carvings are also mentioned.
Description: Cheever writes that he has received the materials for Gilley's book and that he read the new chapter on decoys and thought it was well done. He also talks about meeting carver Harold Haertel in Chicago at a meeting of decoy collectors.
Description: Note from O'Brien included with a copy of a letter from Byron Cheever. O'Brien mentions having been asked by Peggy Rockefeller if Gilley would sell her a flock of geese.
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: Catalog of an exhibition of Wendell Gilley's bird carvings held at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia from October 29, 1976 through January 9, 1977
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: Invitation to a black tie dinner celebrating the opening of the exhibit Downeast Bird Carvings by Wendell Gilley at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pa. On the back page is a handwritten note from Barbara Tyson to Wendell.
Description: Letter congratulating Gilley on the success of the exhibition Downeast Bird Carvings of Wendell Gilley at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. On exhibit were sixty-one carvings of birds "on display together for the first time." 34, 272 people attended the exhibit during its ten week run from October 29, 1976 to January 7, 1977.
Description: Letter thanking Wendell Gilley for the loan of his carvings for the exhibit Downeast Bird Carvings by Wendell Gilley held at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Oct. 29, 1976 through Jan. 7, 1977
Description: Article from the Philadelphia Inquirer's society column by Ruth Seltzer describing the preparations for the exhibit Downeast Bird Carvings by Wendell Gilley. The exhibit was held at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The photograph accompanying the article shows Barbara Tyson, a trustee of the Academy, helping unpack the carved birds.
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 discusses correspondence between Wendell Gilley and Byron Cheever, author and magazine publisher, about Gilley's book. The author of the letter makes suggestions about paper and cover art and discusses copyright.
Description: Letter acknowledges receipt of a copy of O'Brien's letter to Wendell H. Gilley. Cheever promises to work on the material for Gilley's book but says hes is in the process of getting the summer issue of North American Decoys ready for the printer.
Description: Photocopy from the original by Byron Cheever listing questions he had regarding publishing Gilley's book. Gilley's answers as dictated to Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. are in pencil after each question.
Description: This letter praises Wendell Gilley's inventiveness, his carving and his book . O'Brien refers to a vise for holding decoys and carvings for painting that Wendell includes in the book.
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: 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: This article, titled "Capt. Black: Artist and Surgeon", describes Wendell Gilley's influence on sculptor Paul Black. It also mentions Gilley's Canada goose carved for Harry S. Truman.
Description: Wendell Gilley exhibits forty carvings plus carvings-in-progress at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences in the show "Down East Bird Carvings."
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."