Wild Fowl Decoys
Joel Barber

140 illustrations with 4 in color.

This book written by America’s pre-eminent authority and collector, reveals practically everything worth knowing about wild fowl decoys the history of decoy making and rigging, their place in American culture, the different kinds of decoys, how to make them, and how to use them. It is the most complete and reliable account of the subject, yet it is written in an informal, intimate style that makes it enjoyable reading even to the uninitiated

This heavily illustrated book aimed to be a comprehensive guide to the carved wooden duck decoys. Used by early American waterfowl hunters, this type of decoy was promoted by the author as a form of folk art. The book is considered by art historians to be the first on the subject, and was a bible to decoy collectors throughout the 20th century. The watercolor illustrations painted by Barber for the book are in the collection of the Shelburne museum.