Wetland Heritage: The Louisiana Duck Decoy (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780882893983)

One of America's leading authorities on the history and art of carving and painting duck decoys, Charles W. Frank Jr. (1922-2011) wrote from years of experience in the field and in the workshop. An enthusiastic decoy collector, he amassed a personal collection of some 1,500 examples of art.

Included among his collection are the works of many of the artists and craftsmen featured in his first book, Louisiana Duck Decoys, and his second book, Wetland Heritage: The Louisiana Duck Decoy, which features work done by the outstanding early craftsmen. Frank was also the author of Pelican's Anatomy of a Waterfowl: For Carvers and Painters, which focuses on twenty-three different types of birds and how to paint them accurately.

One of the first three artists to be designated a Louisiana master craftsman, Frank won numerous awards for his waterfowl carvings. His collection and personal art were exhibited in numerous major museum shows.

A native of New Orleans, Frank graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Tulane University. He served as the president of L. Frank & Co., a wholesale animal produce corporation before retiring in 1983. As an avid sportsman, he traveled on many African safaris and hunted fowl and game throughout the world with gun in one hand and camera in the other.

Frank was a member of the Outdoors Writer Association, the Southeast Outdoor Press, and the Louisiana Outdoors Writers Association. He was also the head of the Louisiana Wildfowl Carvers and Collectors Guild. In 2001, Frank was recognized for his lifetime contributions to the preservation of Louisiana's wetland heritage by the South Louisiana Wood Carvers.