Duck stamp art donated to Bruce Museum in Connecticut

United States duck stamp collector and enthusiast Richie Prager has donated 68 original artworks associated with the U.S. federal duck stamp program to the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

“Mr. Prager became fascinated with tracking down the originPostage Stampal works, eventually assembling a collection that includes most of the existing winning art works,” the museum said in a March 22 press release.

According to Prager, 61 of the 68 donated works are past winners of the annual federal duck stamp art contest.

“I am thrilled that this collection of national importance has come to the Bruce Museum, an organization with a mission to promote the understanding and appreciation of art and science to enrich the lives of all people,” said Robert Wolterstorff, director of the Bruce Museum.

“This collection is a perfect example of the intersection of art and science and carries a strong message about conservation,” Wolterstorff said.

Prager’s collection includes acrylic and oil paintings, drawings and other specialized material, including what the museum calls the “original etching plate” for prints of Richard Bishop’s winning duck stamp art entry that shows a trio of Canada geese in flight.

Bishop’s work is featured on the 1936 $1 brown black federal duck stamp (Scott RW3).

“This collection is a real passion of mine and I always planned to donate them,” Prager said in the museum’s press release.

“Something about the Bruce Museum felt right — it feels good to give back to your local community knowing that many people beyond Greenwich will have an opportunity to view the artwork,” he said.

The Bruce Museum plans to host an exhibition of works from the Prager collection in 2024.

Though not valid for postage, duck stamps are popularly collected and listed in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers under the heading Hunting Permit Stamps.

Since the federal program was established in 1934, sales of the duck stamp to hunters, bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts and collectors have raised more than $1 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife and provide countless opportunities for hunting and other wildlife-oriented recreation on public lands in the United States.

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