The Herrick Family’s Oral Tradition Revisited
The Herrick Family’s Oral Tradition Revisited
Since the first articles on Charles Sumner Bunn in Decoy Magazine, we have continued to research and compile additional information that the birds formerly attributed to Bowman are actually the work of Charles Sumner Bunn. Our research yields more evidence for the Bunn attribution, and produces information to refute the faux history for William Bowman as a decoy carver.
It stands to reason that if the history for Bowman is utterly lacking in factual evidence, and there is mounting factual evidence for Bunn, the scales of decoy justice would have no choice but to tip to the weight of evidence for Bunn. However, this has only been partially true. There are those that refuse to accept, or even acknowledge, the amount of research that has been done by many and has been shared with decoy collectors over the last few years regarding the attribution for Bunn, yet nobody has offered any evidence or written any articles that present factual evidence for Bowman, other than the Herrick family’s claim. This claim is the only “proof” for Bowman, therefore it should be examined closely.
The Herricks donated their famous group of “Bowman’s” to the Suffolk Museums at Stony Brook, now known as the Long Island Museums. We have shared our research that identifies Charles Sumner Bunn as the maker of the Bowman decoys with the museum from the very beginning.
The first mention of Bowman by the Herricks was found in a letter exchanged between the museum and Mr. Newbold Herrick in 1959.
Contained in the museum’s archives are the following: a letter from Mrs. Jane des Grange, the museum director at the time, dated April 18, 1959, to Mr. Newbold Herrick thanking him for his initial decoy donation for the museum’s permanent collection, a letter from Mr. Newbold L. Herrick dated July 17, 1962, to Mrs. des Grange, and an appraisal letter from Mr. William J. Mackey Jr. dated September 20, 1966. Each letter offers its own supporting evidence for our research.
The des Grange letter lists the eight donated decoys as follows:
“2 Black-breasted Plovers, made by Capt. Ben Verity, U.S. Life-saving Station, Gilgo Inlet, 1850.
2 Dowitch Decoys, made in late 1890’s, Detroit, Mich. By Mason Decoy Co.
2 Big yellow-leg, made by Capt. Bill Bowman, Big Pond Sand Hills, Lawrence, L.I. 1875.
2 Big yellow-leg made by Capt. Dan Havens, Moriches, L.I. 1880.”
The “Capt. Ben Verity” plovers are now called Obediah Verity plovers. I have never heard them called Ben/Obediah Verity in the past, nor has there been any cry for the sanctity of the Herrick oral tradition regarding these birds. The Mason “dowitch decoys” were later identified as beach robins or red knots, not dowitchers as identified by Mr. Herrick. In reference to the “Big yellow-leg made by Capt. Bill Bowman,” the Herricks state he is a captain from Lawrence, Long Island, with no mention of him being a cabinetmaker or working in a sawmill up in Maine. To my knowledge, no one has ever found a man named Bill Bowman in Lawrence, Long Island during the years 1875-1900, as claimed in the Herrick oral history. Regarding the “Big yellow-leg made by Capt. Dan Havens,” once again, the Herrick’s oral history is changed without any problem, as today these decoys are called William Southard’s. They have never been referred to as Haven/Southard. In the cases of Ben Verity and Dan Havens the Herrick attribution is overturned with no outcry for the validity of the Herrick’s oral tradition.
The Herrick letter sent to museum director Jane des Grange confirms he will be leaving all the decoys he owns to the museum in his will. He states, “…they were made, used and owned by Long Islanders, mostly clam diggers like myself.” He continues:
“1. The most outstanding came from Capt. Ben Verity, who was a
member of the Coast Guard Station at Gilgo Inlet and the decoys
were made around 1850.
Capt. Bill Bowman, who lived on the marshes and sand hills in the big pond area south of Lawrence, Long Island and gunned there for a living- and made beautiful decoys. These were made about 1870-1875.
These two makers comprise the major portion of my collection…”
Curiously, he considered the Ben Verity’s the “most outstanding” and states they were made around 1850. Ben Verity was born circa 1852, according to the book The Verity Family of L.I. N.Y. (2000) by R.P. Baldwin, and I can find nothing that proves Ben Verity carved decoys or was in the lifesaving crew. Herrick once again states that all the shorebirds in his collection now called Obediah Verity’s were from the hand of Ben Verity, as well as a tern donated to the museum said to be made by Nelson Verity, now also called an Obediah Verity.
The Mackey letter appears to be a written appraisal of the Herrick family decoys and descriptions, probably for the museum and the Herricks for insurance and tax purposes (note: appraised values omitted at the request of the Long Island Museums).
“TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The following is a list of shore birds owned by Newbold L. Herrick of Lawrence, Long Island, New York. One group of these, made by WM. Bowman of Bangor, Maine and Long Island, is itemized in the following group consisting of 17 items. He is now recognized as one of the greatest carvers and painters of shore birds in America. This group is unique and comprises examples of his work which is unknown in any collection or museums. Individually the birds are of great value; collectively this group would be conservatively valued at…. The specific items are as follows:
4 – dowitcher – spring plumage
4 – lesser yellow-legs – 3 conventional. 1 rare at rest
3 – greater yellow-legs
2 – golden plover – spring plumage
2 – black-bellied plover
1 – sickle-bill curlew
1 – marbled godwit
---------------
17 items
Included in the overall collection of Mr. Herrick’s are other and what are probably best described as conventional American bird decoys. Since this is not a group collection but an isolated group of decoys, they are listed as follows:
1 – common tern by Nels Verity
1 – tin surf snipe
2 – greater yellow-legs by
Dan Haven, Moriches
5 – black-bellied plover. Conventional
2 – black-bellied plover. feeders
Ben Verity, Gilgo Inlet, L.I.
5 – robin snipe, various Long Island
makers
--------------- ------------
16 items
Very truly yours,
WM. J, MACKEY, JR.
Author of ‘American Bird Decoys’
Antiques Magazine – True – Decoy Collector’s guide”
Mackey appears to be the person responsible for the placement of Bowman in Maine. The Herricks were specific about him being from Lawrence, Long Island. I assume Mackey, like everyone else, who has tried to find a Bill Bowman in Lawrence, was unsuccessful. But somehow he found a Bill Bowman in Maine and appropriated him for the carver.
Another interesting note is many of the decoys the Herricks donated were said to be made by Ben Verity. In the Mackey book, American Bird Decoys, published one year earlier in 1965, Mackey attributed them to H. F. Osborn (page 102), and the Dan Havens, later called Southard’s, on the same page are said to be from the western end of Long Island, “Osborn style.”
It seems in the past the Herrick’s oral traditions were never given the stature and credibility that some wish to give to them today. A statement I have often heard is, “The Herricks should know whom they got their decoys from.” However, this does not appear to be the case. If you feel Obediah Verity and Will Southard made the decoys that the Herricks stated Capt. Ben Verity and Capt. Dan Havens made, then you can’t believe the Herrick’s oral tradition when it comes to the ‘Bowman” decoys. You can’t have it both ways.
-Jamie Reason
With gratitude to Joshua Ruff and the Long Island Museums for all their help, as well as my research partners David Bennett, Joseph Jannsen, Steve Mikle, and with support and assistance from many others too numerous to mention.