H Gough signature illustrated
 

A few weeks ago Tom Schiffer and I spent a long Monday afternoon visiting with Jack Haugh, a friend for over thirty five years who has built custom guns for both of us, and perhaps has done work for some on this forum. After sitting for several hours talking in the parlor of the house, Jack, also wanting to stretch his legs, took us out to the shop to check his reference books on several points about finishing formulae which he had brought up earlier in the discussion. After expounding for several minutes on how to impart a subtle silver tone to a niter blue finish through precise chemical introduction and replenishment, he pulled out a box of color photos to illustrate this objective. While searching through the three inch stack of prints for a particular shot he suddenly said, “Bob, here’s something you don’t see every day” and handed me the attached detail image. He went on, “it’s off a double A, you boys like Parkers, don’t you?”

The inscription you might find difficult to read in the photo says is, “H Gough Designer & Engraver.” Not recalling if this was illustrated in TPS, Jack was kind enough to let me borrow the photograph until I could could check it out and scan it for the forum if not. It is not; however, H(arry) Gough is referenced twice and this method of signature is described. I hope you will find seeing this as surprising and interesting as Tom and I did.

Thank you Bob for the wonderful picture of Harry Gough's signature. That is a great addition to known "Parkerology" and I'm going to 'copy it to file' for future reference.
Dean

I have seen Gogh's signature on more than one A.A.
These are the early A.A.'s when they were the top grade.
The A.1 special was yet to be born.
We recently sold one, and there was another We sold some time ago.
These A. A. guns are some of the most beautiful that were made in Meridan.
Each gun was engraved differently. But, Gough's is the only signature we have seen.

Gough Engraving
 

The signature will be covered by the trigger gaurd; Gough is known to have done this several times.
Thanks Bob; it is a real treat to see this.

Best Austin

One I saw said designed and engraved by H.Gogh 19XX and yes, was covered by the trigger guard.
If you look carefully in front of the guard and very near the area it screws into the action, you sometimes can see a little of the signature, but you must remove the trigger guard to read the inscription.

Three questions:

1) Does anybody know if Gough personally designed and engraved B or C-grades during his tenure at Meriden, or did he only design and engrave A's?

2) Is there any evidence or a general belief that he signed each one of his personally-designed and executed works?

3) Did he ever sign his Parker work anyplace other than underneath the trigger guard?

John, what I know about your question:

1. There are B's and C's that have engraving that look near identical to Gough signed A's. Other than that similarity, I don't know.

2. I have only seen his signature on a few high grade guns, but not on near identically engraved, but less coverage, B's and C's.

3. I have not seen it anyplace else. But my knowledge is very limited.

Maybe check with Charlie Price or Bill Mullins?

A person may have his suspicions, but that's all they are without having the signature. On the other hand, we know he signed some, why not all if he in fact did the engraving? Maybe others just copied his style. I don't think we will ever know.

That is so cool.

H Gough
 

The gun Dr. Drew showed with the barrel smudges has the initials HG on the left side plate. You must use a magnifying glass as it is very hard to see. It was deliverd in April 1881. I don't know if H Gough was at Parker Brothers at that time or not. Someone else with more knowledge may know. I suppose it could have been contracted out but who knows? I certainly don't.
Cheers, Tom

This is kind of like finding Waldo.

Well, I just spent some quality time poring through my TPS and found the answer to at least one question: H. Gough did indeed sign at least some of his work in places other than under the trigger guard. While the appendix to the TPS lists all of the locations in the text where the name "Gough" appears it does not capture the places the name "Gough" appears in photo descriptions. In Chapter XV (as I recall - the one about show/special guns) there are several photos of fine guns engraved by H. Gough with at least one of them identified with a signature near one of the engraved animals (on the floor plate).

Also, according to the TPS, H. Gough started at Parker in 1887, so my understanding is that anything prior to that date is when he still lived in England and would not have been done by him. TPS suggests that the time period of approximately 1887 through around 1905 yielded a bunch of "show" guns and it would be reasonable to assume that the master-engraver's hand was used to make them.

H Gough
 

Hi John, Thanks for your post. You aroused my curosity so I looked in the Parker Story and on page 478 it says Harry Gough was listed as a Parker engraver in the Meriden Directory 1883-1887. It also says Henry gough was a contract engraver for Parker Brothers from 1888 through 1898. My thought is, if they printed a directory every year, how long was he there before the 1883 printing? I could not find any reference as to when Charles A. King made the trip to England. Perhaps one of our readers has information on that trip. I think we have more questions than answers. Cheers, Tom

Hi Tom,

I saw that too but on page 480 it indicates that H. Gough was the key man from 1897 on. Also, doesn't TPS also mention the fact that Gough was recruited out of England to replace Avery in 1897? There definitely seems to be some lack of clarity behind whose hands held the engraving tools.

It would be rational to assume that the head engraver did the key scenes on all the high grade guns and left the lower grades and routine scroll to journeymen engravers. However, I've never seen anything that confirms that with Parkers.

Gough began working inside at Winchester is 1875. In 1908, Gough was given Ulrich designs, as directed by Winchester Bennett, VP, to incorporate in guns being made for Teddy Roosevelt. There's a lot of info on Gough in Maddis' Winchester books. He traveled back and forth between New Haven and Meriden, but was only a contract engraver for both companies. It seems he spent most of his time in New Haven.

Gough
 

Mr. Edgar Sir, Which Winchester book discusses Gough? Thanks, Tom

The Winchester Book. Yes, That's the name of the book. By George Madis. It's The Parker Story of Winchesters, and perhaps one of the best. Look at about page 575.

Excellent information here.







.

H. Gough signature
 

I have seen that signature on several AA grade guns. The most interesting was under the trigger guard ans was engraved..................................
.........Designed and Engraved by H Gough............... This gun was a ealy AA grade with Whitworth barrels. t is difficult to see the engraving without removal of he trigger guard, however this is the only place I have seen a signature.
Hope I see some of you at the Las Vegas Antique Show January 25-27

I received this valuable information in an email last night.

"This is from…..http://www.meridenfirearms.com/people.html

william h. gough
William Gough was an engraver for the Aubrey and Meriden shotguns. Gough also engraved for Parker, Remington, Colt and AH Fox.

His father, Harold, was a Birmingham Gun trade engraver that came to the US and worked for Parker Bros in Meriden.

William Gough apprenticed under his father at Parker Bros. About 1912, he went to the A.H. Fox Gun Co. and was head of their engraving department. He designed the bolder engraving styles Fox went to in the 1913-14 time frame. Even though he was head of the Fox engraving department, most ot the work he did was commission work from others (Winchester, Colt, Marlin, etc.) and a few high-grade Fox guns. Once the gun company part of their business was sold to Savage, and the production of the Ansley H. Fox gun was moved to Utica, NY, this outside commission work didn't sit well with the Savage executives and Gough opened his own engraving shop in Utica, and continued engraving into the 1950s. From the Utica newspaper dated August 24th 1954, William Gough "...took commissions in special engraving jobs from many parts of the country...he worked on engravings for Aubrey Guns, then manufactured by Sears Roebuck Co.; for guns turned out by Norwich Arms Corp., and Hollenbeck guns manufactured in Virgina."

Alfred Gough, the son of William, also engraved guns for Parker Bros. in the 20's and 30's."

Though this provides scant new information on H. Gough it does give a bit of Gough family history.

We are still looking for more information on H. Gough, "Harry" Gough, or Henry Gough as pertains to the "H. Gough" signature.





.

I now care for #59517 - 1890 AH 30" F/F PG DT Splinter Skeleton
Listed as a C.E.P. gun in TPS
Extensive engraving - 10 dogs and multiple birds.
Gough "the elder" signed under setters
Not a high condition gun but I will not restore.
Intend to hunt with it someday. I have a box of 2 1/2" RST Low pressure Bismouth set aside.
This is a great thread - Thanks all for info

Interesting to me in that this thread all began with a picture from Jack Haughs shop in Milan. Jacks shop was/is about a 2 minute drive from my office. I have spent many an hour there like a lot of other folks pouring over those same photos. Jack was an incredibly talented individual. I was fortunate not only to see the pictures of his work but able to fondle some of his custom guns. In his later years Jack built a good number of safari rifles, not my cup of tea but dang they were gorgeous. My first Model 21 was a 20 gauge basket case that Jack restored some years ago. Unfortunately Jack passed last February.

I had the opportunity to handle one of Haugh's custom rifles - a M70 .458 "Guide's gun" I don't remember the actual weight, but it was very light. It was intended to be carried, not shot. Recoil would be brutal. It would only have been shot if someone was about to be eaten.

Gough on a Parker
 

Pictures below of a high grade Parker, AA?, marked "H GOUGH ENGRAVER"

Jim DeMunck cleaned up the engraving on the gun and I got the pictures from Jim.

If more details are uncovered, I'll post that too.


https://i.imgur.com/CTYPWJ8.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/QOWQATk.jpg

I'm assuming that would be the same Jack Haugh who built some fabulous contemporary flintlock rifles and locks as well, correct? Including a limited run (200?) of a Penn. Bicentennial Commemorative LongRifle where he teamed up with another ML legend, John Bivins. One talented dude!! :bowdown:

[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]Attachment 69077[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=Steve Cambria;263066]I'm assuming that would be the same Jack Haugh who built some fabulous contemporary flintlock rifles and locks as well, correct?

Steve you are correct, same JH.

“HG” on this A grade 10g made in 1883. Might be hard to see in this photo, but it is just in front of the downed doe’s head.

This gun has 4 deer, 3 dogs and 4 birds on it.

Attachment 69493

Nice! Would love to see some more pics.. What are your plans for it?

v:) Very nice!!

Dayumm that is nice!