History
In September 1964 “National Geographic Magazine” ran a major article titled “Chesapeake Country”. This article was about Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Region which includes “Crisfield Maryland”. Pictured in this article are Lem and Steve Ward working at carving decoy ducks. Next to this picture there are 6 short lines that launched Lem and Steve Ward into super notoriety and fame as artists of Decoy Ducks and waterfowl. “National Geographic Magazine had written about Lem and Steve Ward before, yet it was this particular article in 1964 titled “Chesapeake Country” that really launched them. I discovered that in this picture of Lem and Steve Ward they are working on their waterfowl in their old barber shop.
My Aunt (Miss Grace Borzi my mother’s older sister who lived with us) was a long standing subscriber to “National Geographic Magazine”. Upon reading the “Chesapeake Country” article, she immediately wrote the Ward Brothers Lem and Steve asking them for a catalog or brochure on their Decoy Ducks and Waterfowl. Lem Ward responded to Miss Grace Borzi’s letter saying that they had no brochures or catalogues, and that they were not taking any more orders. Yet Lem Ward did quote a price of $ 50.00 as a starting point for their least expense single half-size Decoy Duck.
Even thought Lem Ward emphatically stated in his letter that the list of order was impossible to fill Miss Borzi was not dissuaded. Miss Borzi suggested to my parents that when it was possible we should all travel to Crisfield Maryland and meet Lem and Steve Ward and to see their work shop which was pictured in the “Chesapeake Country” article.
This is what happened on the first trip we took to Lem and Steve Ward’s work shop /barbershop in Crisfield Maryland. This first trip took place sometime between late 1964 and the spring of 1965. Along on the first trip were Louis (my father), Jane (my mother), Lawrence (me), Christina (my sister), Sciscenti & Grace Borzi (Jane Sciscenti’s sister who was part of the extended family in partnership with the Sciscenti’s). Upon arriving Louis Sciscenti recognized Lem and Steve Ward. Louis Sciscenti also recognized Lem and Steve Ward’s Art Studio as their old Barber Shop that he had serviced in the past. At this point Lem and Steve Ward recognized Louis Sciscenti and realized that they had a common bond between them barbering. This unique one in a million common bond dated back to the late 1940s thru the 1950s. For most of their lives Lem and Steve Ward were barbers first and then duck decoy sculptors second. In truth Lem and Steve Ward started real carving of decoy ducks started as a pastime in the barber shop (this connection of barbering is why I own this mated pair of canvas back Decoy Ducks and hundreds of other prepaid collectors do not). In the being carving was a hobby/pastime when times were slow and there were no customers in the barber shop. Then over time carving decoy ducks became all consuming. Louis Sciscenti was a barber shop supplier who had traveled throughout the region regularly selling Barber and Beauty Supplies. One special product of the 1940’s and 1950’s that Lem and Steve Ward used was STEPHAN PRODUCTS which Louis Sciscenti sold exclusively. Louis Sciscenti owned and operated several Companies from 1920’s to the late 1950’s all based in Washington D.C., National B & B, Stephan’s Franchise Distributors; and soon to be a new company Eagle B & B supply. Louis Sciscenti had been one of only a few of Lem and Steve Ward’s barber supplier. Louis Sciscenti had forged a business relationship/friendship with the Lem and Steve in the late 1940s thru the 1950s. This is a unique business relationship/friendship that develops between barbers and some barber suppliers i.e. Louis Sciscenti. Lem and Steve Ward had no trouble remembering the past relationship with Louis Sciscenti and particularly STEPHAN PRODUCTS. Louis Sciscenti was also a former radio singer and Lem and Steve were barbershoper which enhanced there business relationship/friendship bond. Lem and Steve Ward told us that we should call them by their first names, and they graciously gave us a tour of their once barbershop now art studio. Lem and Steve talked about the history of their decoy duck carving while working as barbers in their shop. How during the free time between barber shops customers Lem and Steve would carve which gave them lots of practice to perfect their skill. Toward the concluded of this first trip we told Lem and Steve that we wished to purchase a pair of their best full size decoy ducks. In response to our request to purchase a pair of their ducks Lem and Steve said that ever since the 1964 National Geographic article the demand was so great that, Quote; “the prepaid waiting list was now between 15 to 20 years (this was none refundable in the event of their death)”. The article had elevated all of their decoys and waterfowl work to highly valued art collectables. Lem and Steve were very elderly at that time and they sadly indicated to us that they would not live long enough to fill the hundreds of orders. And with each arrival of the U.S. Mail the order list was growing. Miss Borzi said and I quote, “lets prepay for one of their best mated pair of life like authentic (full size) Decoy’s, so we could at least say we are on the elite list of paid up collectors”. Miss Borzi paid for them around $450.00 for the most expensive and finest canvas back mated pair of ducks they offer at that time.
This was done Knowing we would never receive the ducks.
Lem and Steve reiterated
“The list of paid orders was “15 to 20 years long and getting longer, they were too old to fill the orders”.
We said we understood but we wanted the honor of being on the list. We thanked them for their graciousness, wished them well, went back to Rockville Md.
In 1966 to our shock and amazement, we received a package from Lem and Steve which contained my mated pair of full size Canvasback Decoy Ducks. Louis Sciscenti and I, Lawrence Sciscenti (now working as my father’s young partner/first employee with Eagle Barber Supply) decided to travel to see Lem and Steve we took the Decoy Ducks with us. On this second trip to Crisfield Maryland Lem and Steve explained to us that that the list of prepaid collectors was NOW “20 to 25 years long and they were still getting older and not any younger. Lem and Steve said the Decoy Ducks we received were initially intended for a very high level official they knew personally, an important Judge to be exact, who was at the top of their prepaid order list. But as it turned out the Judge had annoyed them in a major way which caused Lem and Steve to move him to the end of list, now (20 year to 25 year old). Lem and Steve did not tell us what the situation was that merited the Judge being put to bottom of the prepaid order list. This key event plus the unique barber/barber supply bond was what caused us to receive my pair of and I Quote “very special Decoy Duck’s”. According to Lem and Steve they put us ahead of everyone else on the 20 to 25 year prepaid order list because of the barber/barber supply connection. Lem and Steve told us that the Judge would probably never receive his Decoy Ducks.
This is why on the bottom of one of our Decoy Ducks a name had been had rubbed out and in its place my father’s name Louis Sciscenti was put by the Ward’s.
Louis Sciscenti’s name was hand printed in ball point ink on the bottom of both Decoy Ducks
This is very important!!!!!!!!
This was at that time Lem and Steve unique way of officially signing their work.
Before we went to Crisfield Maryland to my Aunt Miss Grace Borzi had requested we ask Lem and Steve whether a pictured pair of Decoy Ducks on the cover of the Baltimore Sun Sunday Magazine dated Sunday December 18, 1966 were the Decoy Ducks we received. We brought a copy of the magazine along with us and Lem and Steve confirmed that the Decoy Ducks pictured on the cover of the Baltimore Sun Sunday Magazine were in fact our Decoy Ducks. Lem and Steve then offered to sign the cover of the Baltimore Sun Sunday, magazine which they did.
Included is a Photo Copy of the cover Baltimore Sun Sunday Magazine.
With Lem and Steve’s autograph which
Authenticates my mated pair of full size Canvasback Decoy Ducks and this unique history.
This second trip was the last face to face contact we had with Lem and Steve Ward but we kept up with their increasing fame and notoriety until their passing.
*Authentication of these Ward Brothers Decoys include the actual letter sent by L. T. Ward and the original Sun Magazine supplement of the Sunday Dec. 18, 1966 Baltimore Sun which is autographed by the Ward Brothers and features a picture of the Ward Brothers working on the very decoys available for purchase.
