1940\'s Vintage Otto Misch Drake Canvasback Hollow Duck Decoy Michigan Wood Old
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1940\'s Vintage Otto Misch Drake Canvasback Hollow Duck Decoy Michigan Wood Old:
$184.90
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Up for saleis a hand-carved woodenDrake CanvasbackDecoy carved byOtto Misch (1886-1978)of Port Huron and Wheale, Michigan in the 1930\'s or 1940\'s. One of the finest decoy makers on Saginaw Bay!
This well made hollow carved Canvasback is in original paint (as is the hen Canvasback also listed). The decoy was hollowed out and a bottom board put on to lighten the decoy and make it more buoyant. There is a tight hairline crack in the neck, but the head remains firmly attached!
This decoyhasa 13 inch long body. This decoy retains the original glass eyes. The keel and line tie have been removed to sit on the shelf easier.
History of Otto Misch:
Charley Misch (b. 1851) and his wife Carleana (b.1842) were born in Saxony, Germanyand immigrated to the United States where theyeventually located in Port Huron, Michigan whereLake Huron funnels into and becomes the St. Clair River. Otto wasborn on December 9, 1886.
Otto would go to school until the 8th grade. In 1920 Otto Misch married Meta E. Sass (b. 1890), a German immigrant born in Saxony, and who only spoke German upon her arrival. Around 1910 and until the mid-1920\'s, Otto worked as a carpenter mainly on houses andsomewhere in the mid-1020\'s and into the 1930\'s Otto worked for Detroit Edison Gas & Light. Around this time and until his retirement in 1945 Misch wood work as a shipbuilders carpenter for bothGar Woodsin Marysville and Chris Craft in Algonac, both further downstream from Port Huron and close to Lake St. Clair. Otto and his wife Meta adopted their only child Elsie that was born in 1913 and her parents were listed as unknown for many years.
In the very early 1900\'s,while he was still living in Port Huron, Otto Misch became close friends and a hunting companion of Bill Finch, Hayes Finkle and Frank Brogan. They initially hunted the St. Clair River region and lake St. Clair and eventually began making trips to Saginaw Bay some 70 miles NNW of Port Huron. Misch began makingat this time while in Port Huron and he used them not only near his home town and Lake St. Clair but they were the decoys he gunned over on his Saginaw Bay junkets.Although Misch was most always employed from 1910 until 1945, he always found time to fit in his true loves which were hunting, fishing, decoy carving and boat building. Misch became so enchanted with the bounties of Saginaw Bay thataround 1925he purchased a small parcel of land on the southEastern shores of Saginaw Bay between Sebewaing and Bayport. He eventually built a rather modest sized cottage and several outbuildings on the propertywhich would be his base of operations in the area while he continuedkeep his main residence in Port Huronat 1434 Baird Street that he and his wife shared with his mother-in-law Adeline Sass (b. 1870 in Germany).
In 1945 at the age of 58, Otto Misch officially retired and moved his family full-time to his Weale homeand earnestly began makingduck decoys and duck boats to supplement his retirement income. After hunters witnessed justhow effective Misch\'s decoys performed, theygained inpopularity through word of mouth andduring this time he charged as much as $3.00 to $4.00 for his best decoys and as high as $6.00. This was an exorbitant amount at that time, but his decoys were certainly better than anything else available
One of Misch\'srigs did earn a degree of notoriety as it was hunted over in the late 1940\'s by President Dwight David Eisenhower. The rig was owned by A. J. Rheaume, who was in real estate in Detroit and in Michigan\'s Thumb area and it consisted of canvasbacks, redheads and bluebills.
Otto Misch continued to huntuntil he was 85 years old, at which point heconcluded it was just too much of an effort. Otto Misch lived the rest of his life at his Wealehome and passed away at the age of 91 on June 6, 1978.
It is anexcellent example of a large and very visible decoy that was so well hollowed out thatitwas avery sought after hunting decoy.Misch\'s decoyswere also so well made that they could take a tremendous beating and not only stay in superb condition but were considered relatively unbreakable. Although not the fanciest paint jobs ever put on a decoy, they were exemplary at decoying wary birds and the paint was applied in a utilitarian manner. Not only did he mix his own oil-based paints, but he used all quality ingredients and applied the paint perfectly uniformly and thick enough to last for as long as the decoy itself.
We have over 40 years of experience collecting, picking and buying &selling old wooden decoys. Please ask any questions you may have.
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1940\'s Vintage Otto Misch Drake Canvasback Hollow Duck Decoy Michigan Wood Old:
$184.90