Description: Carved at the request of Addie Gilley, who was inspired by an illustration in a book about birds of the world. Signed "Gilley" on bottom of driftwood branch. Underside of base marked "Native of India, Sumatra, Indo China".
Description: Adult, standing on mesquite base, tail erect ; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned, and painted detail ; carved circa 1977, painted and completed winter, 1981. Signed "Gilley" with artist's branding iron on flat side of base. Companion piece 81.1.175.
Description: Life-size adult "running" on mesquite base ; glass eyes, metal feet, carved, burned and painted detail ; carved circa 1977, painted and completed winter 1981. Unsigned. Companion piece 81.1.174.
Description: Glass eyes ; wire and metal feet and legs ; feet are atop a "stump" of a small branch mounted in turn on a carved pine base. Underside of base marked "Hermit Thrush by Wendell Gilley 1977.
Description: Two adult birds on a roughly "J" shaped driftwood base ; glass eyes ; cast lead legs and feet. Signed "Gilley" on right side of driftwood base below the sitting gull ; inscribed "Made for Hilda - Hulda Bragdon 1972" on underside of base.
Description: Adult bird balances on the front face of burl base with wire legs and toes with talons clutching downward ; deeply arched back with vertical tail and bill pointing almost to sky. Glass eyes. Signed "Gilley/'78" on top edge of base. Underside of base marked "House Wren 1978, #34" and stamped "Wendell H. Gilley".
Description: Published: New York : Winchester Press. Page 69 is signed by Frank C. Wilson, a Massachusetts decoy carver who is featured in the book. Wilson's work was for sale in the Wendell Gilley Museum shop.
Description: Letter to the President of Warren Tool Co., Fred Clark, concerning wood carving tools and ways of holding tools on a work bench. Also mentioned is a grouse carving loaned to Harry Meech, one of the founders of the National Carvers Museum.
Description: Cheever writes that he has received the materials for Gilley's book and that he read the new chapter on decoys and thought it was well done. He also talks about meeting carver Harold Haertel in Chicago at a meeting of decoy collectors.
Description: This letter acknowledges receipt of a letter and chisel from Gilley, and discusses various carvings including a spotted sandpiper on a mussel shell and two pairs of quail
Description: Letter discusses sending text, artwork, and photos for the book, Art of Bird Carving, to Byron Cheever. Flying goose, bob-white and blue quail carvings are also mentioned.
Description: Note from O'Brien included with a copy of a letter from Byron Cheever. O'Brien mentions having been asked by Peggy Rockefeller if Gilley would sell her a flock of geese.
Description: O'Brien acknowledges receipt of a spotted sandpiper carving from Gilley and discusses a handle Gillely designed for an X-Acto blade as well as decoy designs.
Description: Approx. 1/4 life size; three part composition: one swimming, flat-bottomed adult, two swimming, flat-bottomed chicks; adult's head turned slightly to left, with glass eyes and painted detail; chick a's head is erect, chick b's head is down, both have burned detail. Adult marked, dated, signed "Loon, made for Addie Gilley by W.H. Gilley, 1973" on underside. Chicks unmarked.
Description: Marked "Model made by Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Carved on a carving machine. Assembled + painted by Wendell Gilley." Has round label "1M" on bottom.
Description: Adult male perched on branching twig on carved pine base ; wire legs and metal feet with talons grasping the branch ; glass eyes. Entire body covered with fine incised lines, deeper where suggesting primaries and tail feathers. Underside of base marked "Red-winged blackbird by W. H. Gilley 1977".