C595 Early Canvasback Drake by John B. Graham (1822-1912) Charlestown, MD, working repaint with great form, paddle tail chip to under side of bill.
Though John Graham was a cabinet maker, guide, market hunter and Charlestown's undertaker, he still found time to produce large quantities of decoys between the 1840's and 1860's. He concentrated on canvasback, black duck and redhead decoys, but also carved a few teal. His decoys display a variety of different carving styles, though mandible carving, prominent neck shelves and full bodies are common to all his decoys. Graham sold many of his decoys commercially, but kept a rig for himself. Identified on the bottom with "J.B. Graham," these particular decoys are quite rare (Fleckenstein, Decoys 236).
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