"Masterworks" G.K. Schmidt Rig Mallard Hen
Robert Elliston (1847-1925)
Bureau, IL, c. 1920
17 in. long

Widely regarded as the father of the Illinois River decoy carving tradition, Robert Elliston, along with his wife, Catherine, set the standard against which all Illinois River decoys are measured. They made beautifully crafted decoys using the finest cured white pine. Robert?s honed woodworking skills allowed him to produce birds with nearly invisible body seams, many of which are still imperceptible to this day. The unmistakable raised ?V? notched bill carving, pointed head crests, and exquisite paint by Catherine Elliston and Edna Perdew give these Elliston decoys their bold and dynamic appearance.

Catherine applied graceful paint patterns that are virtually unequaled by any of her contemporaries, with the exception of Edna Perdew. She developed her own techniques of scratch feathering that echo the finest grain-painted chests of Pennsylvania made during the mid-nineteenth century. Implementing a metal grain-comb and a stiff bristled brush to help suggest feathering and to give the decoys a more realistic look, her painting techniques were later copied by Millie Graves and other painters up and down the Illinois River.

It is no secret among collectors that Catherine Elliston and Edna Perdew used hens to showcase their abilities. While most decoy painters shied away from the difficulties of painting a hen?s plumage, these two women embraced the challenge, defining the paint of the region. Indeed, today the world records set for each of the maker?s work stands at over $200,000, with both records set by hens.

At the turn of the twentieth century, as more and more gentlemen arrived by train from Chicago to partake in the growing sport of duck hunting on Lake Senachwine, word about the decoys made by the talented Ellistons continued to spread. The ?sports,? as the local guides and carvers called them, began placing orders with the Ellistons for hunting rigs en masse. The orders quickly blossomed into a full-time business and soon the couple was shipping decoys to sporting goods stores and individuals around the country. Though the Elliston?s likely produced hundreds, if not thousands, of carvings in their lifetime, perhaps none hailed from a rig more famous rig than G. K. Schmidt?s, whose brand is burnt crisply on the underside of this decoy.

George K. Schmidt (1869-1939), a Chicagoan, was the president of the Prudential State Savings Bank who famously secured his decoy rig in bank storage for over four decades. According to waterfowling historian Donna Tonelli, the Schmidt family ?...owned the K.G. Brewery in Chicago which was started during the late 1880?s...As a young man Schmidt graduated as a Brew Master from Brewers Academy at Worms, Germany in 1890 and then served as an apprentice at his father?s K.G Schmidt brewery.? Schmidt would eventually rise to president of the company in 1933, soon after Congress repealed Prohibition.

Noted for enjoying the finer things in life, including being a gun collector and hunter, Schmidt purchased some of the best decoys ever produced in the Midwest, with representative carvings by the Mason Decoy Factory, Charles H. Perdew, and Robert Elliston, including this important mallard hen. This hen displays some of the best paint found on any Elliston decoy. The underside is struck with the large ?G. K. SCHMIDT? brand.
In excellent original paint by Catherine Elliston and Edna Perdew with minimal wear.

Provenance: George K. Schmidt Rig
Walter White Collection
Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, p. 30, exact decoy illustrated.

Exhibited: Salisbury, Maryland, ?The Illinois River Meets the Chesapeake,? Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2 - November 13, 2005.

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17 in