Bernard, Henry and William Christie were bachelor brothers who were active collaborative decoy carvers from the late nineteenth century until sometime in the 1920’s. The first recorded mention of them indicates that they were active in and around Detroit before 1900. At that time, the region from the St. Clair Flats through Lake St. Clair to the delta of the Detroit River was arguably one of the best hunting grounds for market hunters. With the end of market hunting in 1918, the Christie brothers migrated to Au Gres about 120 miles north of Detroit. Located in eastern Arenac County just a few miles from the shore of Lake Huron, this spot on Saginaw Bay was a “good place” for sportsmen who wanted to try their hands at duck hunting along this stretch of the Mississippi Flyway.
The Christie Brothers carved in the so called “St. Clair Flats” fashion. Their decoys are hollow bodied with a thin bottom board. They are light, easy to carry and floated high in the water. The Brothers are credited with black duck, bufflehead, and merganser decoys.
For additional information
Decoys – A North American Survey, 1983 by Gene and Undy Kangas
Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the Lake St. Clair Region, 1983 by Clune Walsh, Jr. and Lowell G. Jackson