Frank Schmidt

Frank Schmidt worked as a lather most of the time, but was also known as a boat builder, fisherman, market gunner and trapper. He carved thousands of decoys on his own and often assisted his younger brother Ben Schmidt. Many times, the brothers collaborated on a piece, so the decoy benefitted from both talents. Because the work of the two men is similar, identification poses a problem. Certainly Ben received more recognition than his older brother, but Frank Schmidt still produced an efficient and desirable decoy.