Vincenti Decoys Havre de Grace Maryland
Patrick Vincenti was born in 1954, in Havre de Grace, Maryland. He credits his interest in decoy making to the many days he spent hunting on the Susquehanna Flats. Pat Vincenti started by making his own decoys to hunt over, which soon evolved into making decoys for other hunters as well as for collectors.
As a young man, he spent most of his free time frequenting the shops of the local decoy carvers, where he learned all that he could about the making and painting of decoys. Among the carvers who influenced him are R. Madison Mitchell, Jim Pierce, Paul Gibson, Ed Sampson, Clarence Bauer, and Bill Collins. Pat feels he is very fortunate to have spent such quality time with all of these gentlemen. There were no secrets, they were willing to teach you all they knew, and I learned something from each and every one of them.
In 1986, Pat left his full time job as a baker to become a full time decoy maker. Shortly thereafter, his wife Jeannie left her job to join him the decoy business. The two have worked side by side to build a successful business.
Their work has been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. and their decoys have been purchased and sold at many Ducks Unlimited functions across the United States. Mr. Vincenti was a featured carver in Southern Living Magazine's 1987 Book of the Year By Southern Hands written by Jan Arnow. In 1990, Pat and Jeannie received recognition in Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys and Their Makers by Dave and Joan Hagan of Golden Memories Studio, Inc.
Pat's Black Ducks, depicted in a painting by noted Maryland artist Louis Frisino, were chosen by the state of West Virginia for the 1990 Waterfowl Stamp. In 1994, Connecticut selected Pat's Black Duck as a companion decoy to their First of State Waterfowl Stamp. Most recently, the Vincenti's appeared on Good Morning America. This was a real honor, and both were very proud to have the ABC News show visit their shop.
Pat Vincenti's reputation for making quality decoys is nationwide. Together Patrick and Jeannie hope to ensure the preservation of this truly American Folk Art. Today the Vincenti's can be found making Upper Chesapeake Bay style decoys in their shop in Churchville, Maryland.
Tours-TV.com: Havre de Grace Decoy Museum
One of the main attractions in Havre de Grace is the Decoy Museum with its unique collection of woodcarved decoy ducks, which hunters use for luring the real ones. United States : Maryland. See on map .
The Decoy Museum in Havre de Grace with Yochanan and Ahuva
Yochanan and Ahuva visiting the Decoy Museum in Havre de Grace. This is an amazing place!
Havre de Grace Maryland-Historic, Arts and Entertainment, and Main Street District.
Modern day Havre de Grace is a charming waterfront community that offers an authentic Chesapeake Bay experience between its Historic, Arts and Entertainment, and Main Street District. This video uses photographs taken around town to highlight key aspects of each district and gives a short history of Havre de Grace Maryland. Please Enjoy!
Havre de Grace
Havre de Grace
The Promenade Boardwalk At Havre De Grace
(Season 2 Episode 205) [All New] A Scenic 3/4 mile boardwalk to view the Susquehanna River, adjacent to Tydings Park, Decoy Museum, Maritime Museum and Concord Point Lighthouse. Enjoy waterfowl watching and interpretive signage about the Chesapeake Bay from dusk'til dawn!!! Me And Mr.Seth Walking On The Promenade Boardwalk in Havre De Grace Maryland! [With Some Geese & Ducks In the Susquehanna River!]
Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace
2014
'Decoy Capital' Finds Real Appeal in Fake Birds
From |
Havre de Grace is a town in the American state of Maryland. It sits close to where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay. Captain Bob Jobes goes fishing in these waters.
BOB JOBES: A bushel of crabs, fresh out of Chesapeake Bay today.
This part of Maryland is famous for its wildlife. Havre de Grace is also known for a different kind of bird: Captain Jobes is is one of the top decoy carvers in Havre de Grace.
BOB JOBES: It was just growing up as a kid, learning a skill how to do this. I got two brothers that carve, my son carves, and my father. Yeah. Three generations carving decoys.
Hunters use decoys to get ducks and geese to come close enough to shoot. The wooden birds are so highly respected here that Havre de Grace calls itself the decoy capital of the world. It also has a museum with more than 1,000 decoys. Most were hand made in the Chesapeake Bay area. John Sullivan is director of the museum.
JOHN SULLIVAN: Approximately 14,000 visitors come here each year. We have visitors from all over the United States and all over the world.
Henry Miner came from the Chicago area to see the decoys.
HENRY MINER: I particularly like the older ones, the very first style - and anything that's wood because nowadays everything is plastic or foam or ... so they're all pretty neat to look at.
The demand for decoys rose in the middle of the 19th century because of a device called a sink box. Hunters would hide in the middle of these floating structures, surrounded by decoys.
JOHN SULLIVAN: You would use from 200 to 500 decoys around these gunning devices. And that demand put a lot of the housepainters and carpenters in the business of producing decoys.
The sink box was banned in 1935 and the demand for decoys dropped. The wooden birds became American folk art.
BOB JOBES: People were collecting decoys, and we were selling so many decoys that we could just solely make our living off of carving. It's changing a little bit now, with the economy.
Decoys are beloved in Maryland. They sit in restaurants, store windows and in houses, including the home of Mitch Shank.
MITCH SHANK: It was made in 1955 by my grandfather, R. Madison Mitchell. This is a special one. This is the year that I was born.
Madison Mitchell was the most productive decoy maker in Havre de Grace. Shank started collecting decoys as a young man, when he worked for his grandfather.
MITCH SHANK: In Havre de Grace, if you drove around town and knocked on a door, most of the houses would probably have at least one decoy.
There are many at Vincenti Decoys. Jeannie Vincenti has operated the business for 17 years.
JEANNIE VINCENTI: Well our customers are local people who are aware of the tradition. There are also tourists that come in and don't understand quite exactly what a decoy may be, but then when they come in they find something in the store that they really like and consider a treasure.
She says decoys can cost from 50 to several thousand dollars. This antique decoy is priced at almost 5,000 dollars. Vincenti also sells wood carving supplies.
JEANNIE VINCENTI: There are younger people coming into it every day. Is it the number that we saw years ago? Probably not.
Vincenti hopes more young people become decoy carvers so the tradition will continue in Havre de Grace. I'm Faith Lapidus.
WRDE On Tour: Ward Museum Shines Spotlight on Chincoteague Decoys
(SALISBURY, Md.) – Decoys have been around and used by hunters for years, but some of the best decoys known to man were made right here on Delmarva.
Susquehanna Flats Calling Classic 2013 Havre de Grace Maryland
Susquehanna Flats Calling Classic 2013 in Havre de Grace Maryland held on The Decoy Museum's grounds...
Finley Jones Goose Calling in Havre de Grace Maryland 2013
Finley Jones Goose Calling in Havre de Grac e Mayland 2013 in the JR Maryland Goose Calling Championships
Robert Island Susquehanna River From Havre de Grace, MD Nov 2, 2013
Island Trip
Snow Havre de grace maryland
Finley Jones Duck Calling Duck Calls in Havre de Grace Maryland
Mr. Finley Jones from Delaware calling at the Susquehanna Flats Calling Festival on the Havre de Grace Decoy Museums Grounds October 5th 2013
Nature's Counterfeiters: Lem and Steve Ward
Lemuel T. Ward (1896-1984) and Stephen Ward (1895-1976) are world renowned as decoy makers. Working as a team over their long careers, the two brothers produced a wide variety of decoys in many different styles. Early on Lem and Steve made working decoys, however they gradually progressed into making more decorative renderings of birds. It is the lifelike detail and innovation that the Ward Brothers brought to decoy making that they are now so well regarded for. The new film Nature's Counterfeiters: Lem and Steve Ward, showcases the story of the Ward Brothers by displaying their lives, legacy, and artwork.
To support the work of the sponsoring organizations please contact:
Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University
909 South Schumaker Drive, Salisbury MD 21804
410-742-4988
wardmuseum.org
Crisfield Heritage Foundation
25 Asbury Ave, Crisfield, MD 21817
(410) 968-1225
crisfieldheritagefoundation.org
This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
Copyright 2014
Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University
Havre de Grace Colored School
In 1910, Harford County Public Schools erected the Havre de Grace Colored School to educate primary school-age African American children. In 1930, the county agreed to establish the first public high school for African American students and added a four-room brick building to the 1910 wood-frame structure. This new portion was the Havre de Grace Colored High School. In 2018, members of the community formed the Havre de Grace Colored School Foundation and purchase the former Colored School. The foundation is now in the process to restoring this forgotten piece of American history. For more information on the Havre de Grace Colored School or to donate to this worthy cause go to hdgcoloredschool.net.
Decoy Shop St Michaels, MD
Waterfowl collectible decoys of all types
RIP Buffy. October 10, 1994 - Dec 15th, 2002
Me in 2002 with my cat Buffy. I totally forgot I made a video with him. LOL I was so dorky then. I I remember was I was playing with my new web cam at the time.
He was given to us by my mom's cousin, David who was known to make decoy ducks for the Havre de Grace, MD decoy museum. He couldn't keep Buffy cause it didn't get along with his dog (i think it was dog could have been cat... been too long to remember) When we got him, Buffy wasn't a kitten, between 1-4 years old. we had him for a long time he would let you do anything to him. we dressed him baby doll clothes, stockings, cuddle with him, hold him for a long time. he was the most docile cat I have owned.
it's kinda funny how he died now that I have had years to get over his death. We are totally sure but my mom thinks it was caused from a cat fight. normally Buffy comes in at night before we all go to bed. That night he never showed up to the door to be let in. My mom says she heard a cat fight outside in the middle of the night. the noise stopped after a few minutes so she didn't get up to break it up. The next morning my friend and I went out for a walk in the snow. well we walked by our pool and looked in it. (The pool was an above ground pool and had a hole in the liner so there was only a few feet of water in it) What we saw was not one but 2 cats (the other cat was my brother's her name was Tigger) in the pool under the ice.
What we think happened was the cat that started the fight managed to chase both Tigger and Buffy next to the pool and they must have fallen in or jumped in thinking the ice would be thick enough to hold their weight. It must have been thin... So yeah they both drowned. they were sprawled out in a flying position...
This was 5 days before my 19th birthday, what a great birthday it was...
He was named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer... I didn't care that he was a boy... I loved that TV show...
US Decoy Capital
Madeeha Anwar / June Soh
Havre de Grace is a town in (the eastern US state of) Maryland located where the Susquehanna River flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The town is near a well known habitat for waterfowl and the area has been a popular destination for hunters. Today, it also attracts visitors seeking different birds: wood decoys, the town's traditional craft.
Pat Vincenti on Oils Paints: D3TV
Pat Vincenti on Oils Paints: D3TV
Patrick Vincenti was born in 1954, in Havre de Grace, Maryland. He credits his interest in decoy making to the many days he spent hunting on the Susquehanna Flats. Pat Vincenti started by making his own decoys to hunt over, which soon evolved into making decoys for other hunters as well as for collectors.
As a young man, he spent most of his free time frequenting the shops of the local decoy carvers, where he learned all that he could about the making and painting of decoys. Among the carvers who influenced him are R. Madison Mitchell, Jim Pierce, Paul Gibson, Ed Sampson, Clarence Bauer, and Bill Collins. Pat feels he is very fortunate to have spent such quality time with all of these gentlemen. There were no secrets, they were willing to teach you all they knew, and I learned something from each and every one of them.
In 1986, Pat left his full time job as a baker to become a full time decoy maker. Shortly thereafter, his wife Jeannie left her job to join him the decoy business. The two have worked side by side to build a successful business.
Their work has been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. and their decoys have been purchased and sold at many Ducks Unlimited functions across the United States. Mr. Vincenti was a featured carver in Southern Living Magazine's 1987 Book of the Year By Southern Hands written by Jan Arnow. In 1990, Pat and Jeannie received recognition in Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys and Their Makers by Dave and Joan Hagan of Golden Memories Studio, Inc.
Pat's Black Ducks, depicted in a painting by noted Maryland artist Louis Frisino, were chosen by the state of West Virginia for the 1990 Waterfowl Stamp. In 1994, Connecticut selected Pat's Black Duck as a companion decoy to their First of State Waterfowl Stamp. Most recently, the Vincenti's appeared on Good Morning America. This was a real honor, and both were very proud to have the ABC News show visit their shop.
Pat Vincenti's reputation for making quality decoys is nationwide. Together Patrick and Jeannie hope to ensure the preservation of this truly American Folk Art. Today the Vincenti's can be found making Upper Chesapeake Bay style decoys in their shop in Churchville, Maryland.