Parker by Peter Johnson

Peter Harris · 07-31-2011, 04:55 PM

I know nothing about Parkers, never seen one.
But I found a book Parker by Peter Johnson is it a good read?

Bill Murphy · 07-31-2011, 05:08 PM

It's fine and sort of required for learning about the history of the family and company and basics about the guns. It is not the definitive book on identifying, buying, or collecting Parkers. It is a bit of a piece of history for Parker collectors, though. Consider that it was written fifty some years ago, by a researcher who did not go out of the house to conduct his extensive and interesting research. Twenty years before the book, you could have bought an A-1 Special .410 from the factory for $800.00. Today it would have a value of a half a million dollars. Don't pay much for the book. They are all over the place out there. Try ebay or amazon. Ten bucks will buy one on amazon.

Peter Harris · 07-31-2011, 05:12 PM

Thank you Bill.

Bill Murphy · 07-31-2011, 07:04 PM

I feel like Peter Johnson started this entire Parker phenomenon, naive as he was about the future of Parker collection and study. I knew Peter Johnson well, from the time I was maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He would have blossomed under the interest of the PGCA, but he was limited by the number of books he sold, not too many hundreds to individuals, only a few thousand to liquidators. His exposure to serious Parker dealers and collectors was very limited. He didn't travel and he didn't write checks, so he was not "in the loop". That concept is unbelievable today, but that's the way it was in the sixties. I met and talked to Peter several times a year in those years, and his knowledge of Parkers was absolutely static after the publishing of the "book". In fact, his "bucket of facts" became lighter as the years went by. I liked Peter a lot, but he was not what we as PGCA types thought he was, or should be. The Parker book was a very short lived project for him, not the love of his life as it is for us. We at PGCA honored him one year at the Baltimore Show, took him to dinner at a nice seafood place out on York Road, and has a great night with him. My long time friend and Baltimore show partner, Peter Zinsser, drove him home to Silver Spring, and we never saw or heard from him again until Jim Hall and Ed Muderlak befriended him and interviewed him for the benefit of PGCA members. Jim and Ed should be commended for their efforts. Another PGCA member, please help me remember, assisted in collecting the manuscripts and research materials for our benefit. Oh, forgive me, we have not been given the benefit of sharing those manuscripts, yet. Maybe sometime in the future, we will be privileged to share in the "Johnson Research Materials". Ten minutes after the secret PGCA research materials are "outed", I will share my Parker research material. Of course, I have made this offer before and it has been ignored. Please buy the Johnson book and enjoy. It is a great book written by a great man. Please let me know what is the deal with PGCA members who conduct great research at great personal expense and then bury it in their bosums and don't share it with others. Some of these great researchers will be honored by PGCA over the years, but will not be worthy or the honors bestowed them. Yup, that's the story.

Bruce Day · 07-31-2011, 07:38 PM

Don't make the boxes of Johnson scribblings more than they are. Elsa was well paid for the little that they are by a private collector, not by the PGCA. There are no hidden gems. Others who befriended Peter could have stepped up and paid, but others wanted the material for free.

The major item of value was the Colt 1911 engraved with his name, and I have posted photos of that.

Bruce Day, Parker beginning apprentice collector.

Bill Murphy · 07-31-2011, 07:55 PM

What exactly is Bruce talking about when he mentions a box of scribblings? Bruce is famous for deleting his posts to make comments about his posts seem confusing, but his last post is really "confusing". I don't know what the business is about the 1911, but what added value is there with a Peter Johnson signature?

Bruce Day · 07-31-2011, 09:49 PM

I was present when the Johnson story was unfolding and i heard about it frequently, about there were those who tried to get Elsa to give them the materials for free. I also know the collector who paid what Elsa asked and didn't poormouth. The payment should be viewed as substantially a gift to a widow.

I've seen the materials, they are scribbled notes in the private collection. They are not much. He bought them when nobody else stepped up. Why should he make them public when others hemmed and hawed and sat on their wallets? Others were trying to take the stuff off the widow's hands without giving her anything.

As I said , the Colt is the only item of intrinsic value. I doubt that the Johnson inscription adds any value. in fact it may detract from value. Look for yourself, I posted photos.

CSL · 07-31-2011, 10:03 PM

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Bruce Day · 07-31-2011, 10:12 PM

Well some may find this amusing or even entertaining, but I was trying to set the record straight from one who frequently heard what was happening as Johnson was failing and after his passing.

VH20 · 07-31-2011, 11:29 PM

Peter, I agree that the Johnson book is probably responsible for the Parker phenomenon, and is probably the best place to start for someone looking to learn about Parkers. However, keep in mind that much has come to light since Peter wrote his book, and be prepared to revise any impressions you gain from the book as you continue your research through more updated sources (i.e. some of the "facts" in the book have been outdated by more recent research). For the current state-of-the-art in Parker history, consult The Parker Story.

Jim