Decoy Museum: It's the real thing
Anyone who's traveled the I-95 in northern Maryland has seen and at least been intrigued by the sign marked “Decoy Museum.” The smarty-pants might remark, “is it a building pretending to be a museum and the actual museum is located somewhere else?” But in fact, the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum is an actual museum, located in the Susequehanna Flats, dedicated to the history and art of decoy ducks.
More than just a giant collection of wood mallards, the Decoy Museum honors prominent carvers and showcases their work against a storyline and history of hunting and fishing in the Susequehanna Flats region. At least 300 decoy carvers are featured at the museum from 1930 to 1990 in the upstairs section marked “Honoring the Masters," allowing visitors to compare the differences and styles of each artisan.
The R. Madison Mitchell Carving Workshop, located in the back, exhibits Mr. Mitchell's actual workshop as he used it. Visitors are allowed to explore a typical carver's working environment where he dominated the market with his pieces and also trained others. The museum displays other decorative arts, wood boats, guns, books, photos and tools, providing a background of American folk art in the Chesapeake Bay region. The museum has a total of 2,700 objects for display.
The main exhibit, “what is a decoy?” introduces the general public to the art and purpose of decoy carving, and its place in regional history. It also explains how Havre de Grace became known as the “Decoy Capital of the World” if not evident from the fact that it houses the Decoy Museum.
Another exhibit, “Gunning the Flats," examines the sport and culture of waterfowl hunting that became quite prominent in the region. Families supported themselves by selling waterfowl to restaurants in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and hunters traveled from around the world to hunt the abundant animals for sport. In this exhibit, decoys are placed in context displays that illustrate their use and techniques at that particular time.
The upstairs of the museum provides a sweeping view of the Susequehanna Flats. The surrounding area is quaint, quiet and peaceful, as many of the artisans and hunters enjoyed, and is a nice break in a roadtrip on the I-95. Even if you've visited once, there are always temporary exhibits featured, including decoy contests, collectors' exhibits, and special events. Tours are available, and there's a gift shop where you can, of course, purchase your own decoy to take with you.
Posted by Rin-rin Yu
