Wendell H. Gilley

Wendell H. Gilley of Southwest Harbor, Maine began his career as a wood carver by carving small wooden birds for the clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch. In 1981 the Wendell Gilley Museum opened just a few short blocks from Gilley’s home and garage studio. Throughout his career—in the fifty years prior to the museum’s opening—Gilley carved over 10,000 birds in a variety of species. Of these carvings many were sold to collectors all around the world, while his wife Addie created a collection including 100 of her husband’s pieces. Today Gilley is known as one of the best bird carvers in the United States.