Rare Styron-Bragg Portsmouth Root Head Goose

Portsmouth Island, North Carolina, circa 1900, carved and painted wood, a rig mate is published on pages 116 and 117 of Carteret Waterfowl Heritage by Jack Dudley.

Length 25.5 in. x 15 x 8.5

Tom Bragg (1878-1960) and Jodie Styron (1873-1964) operated the Bragg-Styron Hunting Lodge, a landmark on Portsmouth Island. Capt'n Tom never married. When Jodie Styron married Tom's sister, the three lived together. Annie cooked for hunting guests while Tom and Jodie handled the guiding. Ben Salter writes of Tom Bragg, "Tom was well known for his marksmanship and his imitation of the wild Canada Goose." Bragg and Styron maintained a rig of root head geese and brant. Most were made from juniper logs although some were made from spars and masts of wrecked ships. Pieces of broken glass were used for the smoothing of the wood.

Original paint worn to bare wood in places, multiple age checks in the body and head.