William Jesse Ramey

Who was William Jesse Ramey?

William "Jesse" Ramey is considered a vintage Master Carver of Fish decoys. Occasionally you will see his work entitled to "Jess Ramey" however all that knew him called him "Jesse". His work, along with Oscar W. Peterson's, formed the basis of what is now considered the "Cadillac style".

Ramey primarily carved decoys for himself and some friends. His output was very limited and therefore his pieces are considered fairly rare, even in highly used condition.

His pieces have been seen in the following museum exhibits:

“Fishing for Art, an Exhibition of the Implements and Art of Angling” American Museum of Fly Fishing at the Addison Gallery of American Art, 3/17/1984 - 4/15/1984

“Gone Fishin ... an Exhibition of the Art & Artifacts of Angling” - Leelanau Historical Museum 6/11/1989-1/29/1990.

“Hooked on Wood, The Allure of the Fish Decoy” The Center for Art in Wood, Philadelphia PA 5/12/2012 - 7/21/2012.