George Soule Decoys?

J

Jim Cloninger

Active member
In the middle 1960's I bought 6 cork decoys, 1 Mallard drake, 3 Mallard hens, 1 Pintail drake and 1 Pintail hen. These were the last 6 of these decoys the sporting goods store had. Since then I have had 60 - 70 L.L.Bean cork puddler decoys and Canada geese. The six I bought in the 1960's are superior to all of the Bean decoys I have ever had:
1) The heads and bodies are shaped much better.
2) The hens are a more yellow brown color than chocolat brown.
3) All the hens are "feather" painted all over the body and head.
4) The keels on the decoys are just under 1" deep at the front and 1 1/2" deep at the rear.
5) All the color of all the bills is correct except the drake Mallard. It has the color of a Black Duck's bill.

What do you think, original George Soule decoys?
Jim
 
Jim~


Got photos?


Dale Dalrymple at Dale's Decoy Den is the expert. It's worth visiting his site to view many different Bean's birds. I do not know when George Soule "left" the Bean's decoys world.



There have certainly been many changes over the years. To my eye, the quality has declined. Some of the bill shapes are "unusual" to say the least.



I am curious about the tapered keel - never come across one.


All the best,


SJS



All the best,


SJS

 
If you put up a picture, someone will know. The heads on the George Soule decoys were very distinct. Now, in fairness, I am not either a decoy collector or any kind of authority on decoys in general. But those heads were very elegant, maybe a little small for the size body. They are usually easy to spot.
View attachment george soule decoys.jpg
 
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Jim and Greg~


Here is a highhead from the late 1960s, I believe. Pretty sure George was still running the show then. I restored most of this rig

( https://stevenjaysanford.com/re-painting-l-l-bean-coastal-blacks-and-mallards/ ) but kept the best pair in original condition - with just a nourishing coat of Linseed Oil to halt the drying and crumbling so common in black cork decoys of all kinds. They now ridew a shelf in my shop.



View attachment 2 Highhead - BEST.jpg



Here is the keel detail. This was not the moveable head era. The dowel was pinned through the keel - and also through the head.


The keel was nominally 3/4 x 1.5 x full length - all edges cut square.



View attachment 3 Head Dowel.jpg



All the best,


SJS





 
I don't have the capability of taking digital pictures, so I will have to get a friend to take some pictures. I thought the keel would be a give away. The keels have a rounded radius in front and a straight angled from back to front in back. The head is fixed with a dowel thru the keel. I was thinking the drake Mallard was painted to represent a Mallard / Black Duck hybred because of the color of the bill. Would a hybred have a bill colored the same as a Black Duck?
Jim
 
Good morning, Jim~


I'm not sure I understand your question about the bill colors on Drake Blacks and Mallards. I have noticed that makers - like Herter's and Bean's - have often used an Olive for Black Ducks. I always attributed this to their northern geographic locations - more likely to shoot early migrants and young-of-the-year. Having grown up on a major Black Duck wintering area, I paint my birds in their full nuptial colors. This is a long way of saying that Bean's may use different bill colors for Drake Mallards and Blacks, but - to my eye - there is no difference. I use Behr Curry Powder for both.

View attachment Beans Mallards and Blacks - HEADS only.JPG

I will say that - in recent years - the bills on many Bean's Mallard Drakes are too bright. Looks like their hue is based on a Chromium Yellow (a cooler yellow) - whereas I prefer one based on Cadmium Yellow or Yellow Ochre (both warmer tones).


All the best,


SJS
 
Joe~


Yes - they are Al's "Humpbacks". You can see they are4 destined to become Hen Mallards. My old brain cannot recall who I painted them for.....


All the best,


SJS

 
Good morning, Jim~

Here are the photos you sent. I have shipped them off (after just a bit of editing) with these observations and questions to Dale Dalrymple at Dale's Decoy Den.

I have not seen these birds in hand - just these photos. To my eye, the condition is very good/fine and shows very nice original paint. Notable, though, is the shape of the keel - shallow up forward and deeper astern. I have not seen this feature in any Bean's birds.

View attachment Dahlman 1 - Beans Drake Mallard profile.JPG


The paint was carefully done - and shows just a few patches of wear.

BTW: I think the bill color is just fine. It is the muted olive seen in the Fall - and not the richer ochre seen in full nuptial dress. I prefer it to the too bright chrome yellows I have seen on some decoys, including more recent Bean's.

View attachment Dahlman 2 - Beans Drake Mallard back.JPG

This shows the tapered keel and the pinned head dowel (not the screw and washer used on the movable heads).

View attachment Dahlman 3 - Beans Drake Mallard bottom and keel.JPG

The Hen is equally fine. The fairing of the neck onto the chest is wonderfully done. And, of course, she is not in the tucked "low-head" so conventional with so many Bean's females.

Also, the anchor line hole is generous and chamfered.

View attachment Dahlman 4 - Beans Hen Mallard profile.JPG

The paint is exceptional - but I am surprised there is no white on the tail - and no speculums showing.

View attachment Dahlman 5 - Beans Hen Mallard back.JPG

I see no wear in these photos - never used?

View attachment Dahlman 6 - Beans Hen Mallard bottom and keel.JPG

I hope you enjoy these birds as much as I do.


Merry Christmas!


SJS
 
Thanks Steve for posting the pictures. I have 1 Mallard drake, 3 Mallard hens, 1 Pintail drake and 1 Pintail hen. All are in the same condition except a touch up on 2 decoys. I used these decoys a few times at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (White Lake unit, long closed to hunting) in northern CA in the 1960's. They were purchased at Kerr's Sporting Goods Store in Beverly Hills, CA. Kerrs was known as the "sporting goods dealer to the movie stars"! These 6 decoys were the last 6 that were not broken.
Jim
 
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I'm not a expert, but after looking at the photo's, and reading where they were purchased they may very well be special order decoys.

That style keel is sometimes used in moving water, rivers, streams, etc. Also for weight without adding lead.

The paint on the hens is very good, and can serve as a hen Mallard, or hen Pintail. A two for one, (without specific detailing) that makes sense in Cali. Mallards & Pintails big bread and butter ducks.

Fine looking & working decoys IMO.




my 2 cents
VP
 
I read somewhere george left ll bean in 1977. Don't quote me on it. Fine looking birds. We had a camp in maine and went there to pick up our license, chamois shirts and all the good stuff. Remember the split log front steps, canoes strapped to the side if the building and the smell of trapping supplies [looks like tiffanies now].
 
Look up Kerr's Sport Shop in Beverly Hills, very interesting. It was the best sporting goods store on the west coast for many years. It was known for it's instore gunsmith shop. The owner, Alex Kerr, was 16 time world champion skeet shooter. Many big time movie stars shopped there. Elvis Presley bought many guns there, especially elaborate handguns. His handguns have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars each at auction!

Yes, the Kerr family business was Kerrs bottles for canning. Your mother and grand mother probably used these bottles and maybe some of you still do.
Jim
 
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