Historic Duck Decoys Carved by Local Legend William McKinley Smith.

Gloucester Museum Launches New Exhibit Featuring Historic Duck Decoys Carved by Local Legend William McKinley Smith.

The Gloucester Museum of History is launching a new exhibit, The Art of Carving: The Decoys of William McKinley Smith. The exhibit, which will be available through 2024, will showcase 25 duck decoys, hand carved and painted by local Gloucester legend, William McKinley Smith. The exhibit also includes remembrances and photographs of William McKinley Smith and serves as a tribute to his life and legacy.

Each decoy is well over 60-years-old and features lifelike details that make it easy to identify the 12 different duck species represented.

A Gloucester waterman, veteran of World War I, and prolific duck carver, William McKinley Smith lived from 1897-1986. He married Carrie Pearl West in 1920 and they had seventeen children together, thirteen of whom lived to maturity. Smith lived his entire life in the Naxera region of Gloucester County, harvesting clams, crabs, oysters, and fish in the local waters for his profession. His greatest joys are said to have been hunting, fishing, and raising his large family. Smith often carved seagulls and songbirds for his relatives, but he is most widely known for his duck decoys.

Learn how decoys are made and how they work and see the numerous species of ducks that call Gloucester home. Featuring decoys that are well over half a century old, this exhibit showcases local history, art, and the beauty of Gloucester’s waterways and wildlife. “This collection is truly amazing and demonstrates the art of decoy carving in Gloucester. It is very special to have such a large collection of William McKinley Smith decoy’s all in one place for public viewing,” said Robert Kelly, Gloucester County’s Museums Coordinator.

To make this exhibit possible, the Gloucester Museum of History worked with family members of William McKinley Smith and is grateful to museum volunteer, Vern Garnett, for offering the collection of decoys on loan. The Museum is located at 6539 Main Street and is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, contact Kelly at 804-693-1234 or rkelly@gloucesterva.info.