October UL Press Events

Boudin Cookoff

and Bacon Fest

Saturday, 10/22

10 AM – 4 PM

Parc International, Lafayette

Enjoy the fall weather, discover (or rediscover) your favorite boudin, and help UL Press celebrate the release of our new book Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana's Extraordinary Link, 2nd Edition. LEARN MORE

Louisiana Wildfowl Carvers

and Collectors Guild Festival

Saturday, 10/22, 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday, 10/23, 9 AM – 4 PM

The Castine Center, Mandeville

Meet Harvey J. Lewis, author of our book series on decorative duck decoys, and experience the great artistry of Louisiana decoy carvers firsthand. UL Press will attend on Saturday only. (Pictured above: noted decoy carver Carl Danos.) LEARN MORE

Louisiana Book Festival

Saturday, 10/29

9 AM – 4 PM

701 N 4th St., Baton Rouge

The first live Louisiana Book Festival since 2019 will be brimming with new releases, including those from UL Press! Visit our table to get a look at latest titles and meet the staff. LEARN MORE

Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market
Saturday, 10/29
8 AM – 12 PM
Moncus Park, Lafayette

Get your holiday shopping done with UL Press at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market at Moncus Park! We will offer a variety of books, including children's titles, books on Louisiana history and culture, novels, and coffee table books.

A Legacy Preserved

Contemporary Louisiana Decoy Carvers

Artistry of Louisiana Decoy Carvers

Old and Contemporary

by Harvey J. Lewis

About A Legacy Preserved: Contemporary Louisiana Decoy Carvers
Louisiana is widely known for its wildfowl hunting, a pervasive part of its heritage and culture. Alongside that hunting tradition there has also developed an artistic legacy carried on by Louisiana’s wildfowl decoy carvers. Though their work dates back more than one hundred years, their artistic significance was not recognized until the 1970s and 1980s, when most of the state’s “old master carvers” had died or stopped carving. Fortunately, many of those old masters passed on their wildfowl artistry to a new generation that has since carried on the decoy carving tradition with honor and distinction. Unfortunately, this group has done so largely without the recognition it rightfully deserves. Even decorative carvers who have achieved national prominence by winning state and national competitions have received little or no local press coverage. This book aims to change that by showcasing eighteen of Louisiana's finest contemporary decoy carvers and devoting chapters to the craft's history and protection.

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About Artistry of Louisiana Decoy Carvers: Old and Contemporary
Artistry of Louisiana Decoy Carvers presents decoys old and contemporary made by Louisiana carvers as museum-quality art. With stunning photographs and detailed descriptions, the book illustrates the three basic types of decoys in full size as well as in miniature. An informative chapter on hunting decoys carved by Louisiana’s Old Masters highlights pieces from the largest and best private collection in the state, while another features miniature replicas in the style of the Old Masters made by a number of Louisiana’s best contemporary carvers.

Novice collectors will also find guidance here, such as an essay by Louisiana’s preeminent decoy authority that offers invaluable advice to collectors of Louisiana decoys of all experience levels. Most importantly, this book discusses the existential threats to decoy carving in Louisiana and offers concrete suggestions for saving this unique and culturally important artform from extinction.

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About the Author

Harvey J. Lewis is a retired lawyer, duck hunter, and resident of New Orleans. He has been a collector of both antique and contemporary decoys for over forty years.