Henry A. ( Hank ) Walker

1919-1995

Hank Walker grew up in tidewater section of Newburyport Ma. Know as “JOPPA” where the Parker, Merrimack and several other rivers flow past Plum Island and out the great marsh to the sea. As a young lad he witnessed the last of the market hunters and tagged along many times. These early experiences paid off, as he tried to join Admiral Byrd on his South Pole expedition in 1930 he was laughed at by the Admiral for his youth, but was always remembered for his drive to learn.

He was picked to go on the 1937 MacGregor- Goodale Arctic expedition, Hank was credited with saving the mapping party while they where trapped for 12 days in an Arctic blizzard.

Hank joined Ducks Unlimited in 1938 and started his life path as a conservationist, artist and benefactor. His works of art and decoys have raised over Four Million Dollars for many conservation projects.

Hank joined the Air Force on Dec 8th 1941 and served until 1953 after the Korean conflict. Hank survived being shot down three times!

Hank returned home and purchased a 1735 antique colonial home in Salisbury and set to work to restore the home and even recreated period furniture of the era. Today this furniture is prized and sought after by collectors.

In 1978 Hank retired from the State Legislation where he had dedicated his career in government to environmental issues with great success. Hank now had the time to devote his life to wildlife art work and environmental marsh issues; through his art Hank Walker raised money and awareness for the value of our marsh land. Hank has collected countless awards for his art work and out door and environmental writings.

Hank Walkers Art works can be found in museums and private collections thought out North America in almost every medium, including oil, watercolor and pen & ink. You will also find Hank Walker if you drive on RT 1 A in Newburyport you will cross the Henry A. Walker bridge. In the National Wildlife Parker River Refuge you can sit and observe nature on the Hank Walker bench, and if you are ever in Nova Scotia Canada you can visit the Hank Walker Ducks Unlimited Marsh.

For more then 50 years Hank sat in the tidal marshes and painted what he saw; allowing his minds eye to capture the beauty the marsh sunsets and sunrises, To be sure, no other contemporary artist has logged the time in the marsh as Hank has; he has a natural ability to soak in the natural world and recreate it to canvas, paper and wood.