Tom Schroeder was born in East Detroit, Michigan in 1885
and was an
accomplished hunter and fisherman who was well versed
in the skills
of the outdoorsman by the time he was in his early teens.
Tom
Schroeder / Sucker Decoy
Carved, painted wood with attached metal fins. Length 6", circa
1940's
Tom
Schroeder /Sculpin Decoy
Carved, painted wood with attached metal fins. Length 4", circa
1930
Schroeder's
primary claim to fame was as a carver of outstanding duck decoys
and
he carved them throughout his long life until he was in his late eighties.
A professional artist and later an advertising executive, he was one
of the first
Midwestern carvers to gain recognition in a field long
dominated
by East Coast craftsmen, winning many first place awards at
the International Sportsman's Shows in New York
between the years 1949
and 1956.
Tom
Schroeder / Bass Decoy
Carved, painted wood with attached metal fins. Length 7.0", circa
1940's
Tom
Schroeder /Bass Decoy
Carved, painted wood with attached metal fins. Length 4.75", circa
1940
After
his death, an estate sale revealed a small number of unused fish decoys,
which brought the total of his known production to only 15.
In the opinion
of many collectors of American folk art,
Schroeder's fish decoys displayed
a lifelike realism and were far superior
to his many excellent and avidly
collected duck and goose decoys.
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