An avid outdoorsman, Pringle began carving decoys in 1898 and in 1928 set himself the goal of producing the best rig of decoys in the world. Between 1929 and 1946, employing his skills as a commercial artist and going to great lengths to ensure the utmost accuracy, he fashioned approximately 120 of what many now consider to be among the finest examples of decoy art. But because he carved exclusively for his own use and made only a few for close friends, Pringle's birds remained largely unknown until recently.

William C. Reeve is Professor Emeritus of German at Queen's University., is the author of Peter M. Pringle: Master Decoy Maker (McGill-Queen's University Press) and co-author of Nichol Decoys: The Smith Falls School of Carving (Quarry Heritage Books). He is also well known as a collector of fine furniture of the 19th century and a frequent contributor to The Upper Canadian Antique Showcase.

William C. Reeve's profile page

"Reeve gives a deep insight into the personality and creativeness of Peter Pringle... I particularly enjoyed his use of Pringle's own words to deliver the information." Donna Tonelli, contributing editor, Decoy Magazine "Extremely well researched. Reeve is to be complimented. The availability of the 'Pringle letters' affords valuable insights into a career worthy of study. Without those letters, one could only speculate or theorize about Pringle's motivations. Now we know what his actual intentions and methods were." Gene Kangas, professor emeritus, Department of Art, Cleveland State University