Wetland Heritage

During the last two decades, the duck decoy has emerged as a distinctive and widely acclaimed art form. Wetland Heritage documents the evolution of the decoy from a simple craft skillfully executed in the Louisiana marshland to the magnificent objet d'art created by modern-day carvers. Author Charles W. Frank, Jr., pays special tribute to the outstanding early craftsmen and their extraordinary work.

Of special interest to decoy aficionados is the exhaustive list of Louisiana carvers and the background information supplied on each. Close attention is paid to Louisiana's most famed carvers--masters such as Warren Seebt, Mark McCool Whipple, Mitchel LaFrance, Nicole Vidacovich, Marc Alcide Comardelle, and the prolific Vizier family of the Bayou Lafourche area.

Unique in style, color, and form, Louisiana duck decoys are highly prized by serious collectors. Through some 318 color photographs, the author depicts the step-by-step development of this unusual art. Chapters offer valuable advice on carving techniques as well as suggestions for the collector. Louisiana's most noted patterns are discussed in detail, as are the collections that Frank feels are the most outstanding in the state.