Artist & Craftsman: The story of decoy carver Elmer Crowell
It all started as a utilitarian quest to improve duck hunting. But A. Elmer Crowell’s decoys were so beautiful, the art world quacked with joy!
The Crowell Barn Museum on the grounds of the Harwich Historical Society (80 Parallel St.).
A New England Historical Society story summed up the transformation this way: “In 1900, an Elmer Crowell decoy sold for $2. In 2007, an Elmer Crowell decoy sold for $1.13 million.”
The tradition continues at the Crowell Barn Museum on the grounds of the Harwich Historical Society (80 Parallel St.). Folks can tour the restored building where all the carving magic happened, and if you can’t resist the lure of making your own decoys, you can sign up for a carving class and let the wood chips fly.
A duck hunter turned artist
Crowell was born in East Harwich in 1862. As a kid exploring the surrounding wild lands, he became fascinated with duck hunting. And he was good at it, handy with a shotgun and also unusually proficient at creating decoys to lure live ducks in for a look-see. According to a historical display at the barn, “by 1884, Elmer was earning a living as a gunner, shooting ducks and waterfowl for the commercial market.”
He found work as a hunting guide for wealthy sportsmen, who were also impressed with his decoy-making skill. By 1900, Crowell was running an off-Cape hunting camp for part of the year, making working decoys and decorative birds for display on customer’s mantles.
Eventually, Crowell returned to Harwich full-time, where he also farmed cranberries. According to a timeline at the Crowell Barn Museum, “at the age of 50, Crowell gives up cranberry farming and starts making decoys and carvings full time, as his reputation as a carver grows, setting up shop in part of his barn.”
Along the way, Crowell’s son, Cleon, also a talented carver, joined his father in the family business. The two Crowells are believed to have turned out thousands of decoys during their careers.
A. Elmer Crowell, Black Duck Preening Decoy, 1920. Wood, paint, and glass, 7 5/8 x 6 1/2 x 15 3/8 in. Collection of Shelburne Museum. 2015-0.3. Photography by RLPhoto.
How the barn was saved
The fact that the barn is now standing proud in its present location is a testament to the efforts of the A.E. Crowell American Bird Decoy Foundation and Harwich community members, including Harwich Conservation Trust board member Patti Smith.
Smith recounted the somewhat bumpy travels of the barn before it arrived at its current location. Around 2008, the owner of Crowell’s former home wanted to remove the somewhat decaying barn for child safety reasons, but recognized that the structure had historical significance.
A scene from the interior of the Crowell Barn Museum includes a photo of Elmer Crowell (right) and his son Cleon.
The A.E. Crowell American Bird Decoy Foundation stepped in and saw to the careful deconstruction of the barn. It ended up in a storage trailer in Sandwich, and was eventually donated to the town of Harwich.
By then, the contents of the trailer were something of a mystery. “We didn’t even know what was in there,” said Smith. “No one had opened it.”
Luckily, the barn’s components were in good shape. But funds were needed to put the barn back together. Smith modestly said she started “asking questions to the right people” to move the project along.
A combination of Community Preservation Act Funds and other fundraising activities got the job done. In 2014, David Ottinger, a talented conservationist contractor, reassembled the barn on the grounds of the Harwich Historical Society.
What set Elmer Crowell apart?
Last Saturday, expert carver Paul Phillips was holding a class at the barn. He kindly took the time to chat while working on a bird, and helping two talented students who had their own projects going.
Phillips was asked what set Elmer Crowell apart as a decoy and bird carver. “He was a true master and he had a great eye,” said Phillips. “A great way of thinking in three dimensions.”
Expert carver Paul Phillips (right) leads a decoy carving class at the Crowell Barn Museum.
And Crowell’s decoy painting skill was beyond compare. “They’re still trying to figure out how he painted them,” said Phillips. “He had a dry brush technique that he used. He was able to push one color into another, and make them — for lack of a better word — make them ‘fog’ together. A very muted transition from one color to the next.”
The modest and funny Phillips is obviously a highly gifted carver. But he said that no one has approached the artistry of Elmer Crowell. “Some people call me a master,” said Phillips. “I don’t think I’m a master. Compared to Elmer, I’m just a peon.”
Phillips said he is usually at the Crowell Barn Museum in the mornings, after 9 a.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Look for the “Open” sign and the open doors. You can pop in, see the cool exhibits and, if interested, chat with Phillips about taking a carving class. Who knows, you could be the next Elmer Crowell!
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