Jack and Bette Holt

( - ) Wilmington, DE

Jack and Betty Holt are a husband and wife team that have worked together for a number of years to make both working and decorative decoys.  Jack was an engineer at Dupont and went wildfowling as a hobby around Wilmington, DE.  At this point, he carved and painting his own birds without the help of his wife.  This changed in 1965, when the couple attended their first wildfowl carving show in Chestertown, MD.  At this point, they began collaborating to produce more decorative carvings, including ducks, owls and local songbirds.  Jack would carve the wood and Betty would then paint them.  After his retirement from Dupont, carving became their full time occupation.