GH looking back birds

[Daniel G Rainey]

My interest in Parkers ready took off three years ago with the purchase of a 12 PH. My next gun was 16 GH on a 0 frame made in the 1892 that did not fit me therefore did not workout. But the engraving of the 2 birds one always looking back is normal for GH guns of that period.This gun was replaced with 16 GH 1 frame (that fits) from 1928. none of the birds are looking back. Is there a time when the engraving style got away from looking back birds ? just as 1926 or 27 Parker dropped the spur on the DHBP. Thanks in advance.

[Dean Romig]

Hi Daniel - Austin Hogan, former editor in chief of Parker Pages, had a keen affinity for Parker's 'looking back' birds to the point that he even posted a picture of a cloud formation he photographed that had a very strong resemblance to Parker's 'looking back' birds. If you look on the archived PGCA website it may still be there.

Your observations on this engraving are about correct.





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[Bill Holcombe]

I believe one of his articles and it may be in TPS as well atributed the looking back bird to the period of a specific engraver...

[Dean Romig]

That is very likely Bill.




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[John Nagel]

This has me very curious, could you show an example of "looking back birds"?

[Mills Morrison]

Here you go

[Bill Holcombe]

Thats a good one Mills! You typically see it more common on the side plates!

[Bruce Day]

They are sharptail grouse.

[MARK KIRCHER]

This is timely as I was just reading up on GH guns. I recently purchased a 20 bore with a looking back bird on the side. it is a 1920 era gun but the TPS states that the looking back birds were phased out around the turn of the century at the end of the "Harry" Gough era. I guess like many things the change was not a complete one.

This is a zero frame 20 bore.

[David Fishley]

How are you able to determine those looking back birds are sharptail? Their bodies are very elongated and remind me more of some African birds not any bird I know of in N. America. With their long necks perhaps some type of goose.

[Greg Baehman]

How are you able to determine those looking back birds are sharptail?
Sharptails are depicted with pointy engraved tails, if they have squarish tails they are meant to depict Prairie Chickens -- at least that's been my understanding.

[Dean Romig]

Parker Bros. guns were made in America and were used primarily in America, so why would many thousands of GH guns be engraved with an African or non-indigenous bird?





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[David Fishley]

I didn't mean they 'were' engraved with a non-indigenous bird, I was only suggesting that the depiction of the engraving leaves something to (mis) interpet as I have not seen any birds in N. America that resemble them. I spent my youth and much of my adult years shooting sharptail (as that was the primary upland bird in my neighborhood) and the engraving is open to interpretation, in my opinion.

As for sharptail or prairie chicken, where I come from there are one in the same as we do not have any 'real prairie chicken'.

[Christian Gish]

My 1920 GH 12 ga has looking back birds on the right side panel. It has Damascus barrels on a 1 frame.

[Russ Jackson]

My 1920 GH 12 ga has looking back birds on the right side panel. It has Damascus barrels on a 1 frame.

Fred ,What is the engraving on the other side ? Just Curious as they are not all the same !

[Tom Pellegrini]

My GH manufactured 1891 has two birds on each panel. One looking forward and one looking back

[Kirk Potter]

Just checked my 1896 12 gauge GH #85571, it has them on the left side and the bottom. Each has 1 of 2 birds looking back.

[Christian Gish]

Brush Buster,
The left side panel has 2 waterfowl flying toward the butt end. Fred

[Dean Romig]

Hi Daniel - Austin Hogan, former editor in chief of Parker Pages, had a keen affinity for Parker's 'looking back' birds to the point that he even posted a picture of a cloud formation he photographed that had a very strong resemblance to Parker's 'looking back' birds. If you look on the archived PGCA website it may still be there.

Your observations on this engraving are about correct..


And here's my rendition of the "Looking Back" cloud this weekend in Vermont.


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[Daniel G Rainey]

Thanks.

[Dean Romig]

Here are the right side and the floor plate of a 16 ga. 0-frame GH with Damascus barrels.

Two good examples of 'looking back' birds on the same gun. (Possibly a mating posture?)



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[Kevin McCormack]

How are you able to determine those looking back birds are sharptail? Their bodies are very elongated and remind me more of some African birds not any bird I know of in N. America. With their long necks perhaps some type of goose.

Maybe cormorants or anhingas.

[Bill Anderson]

Maybe cormorants or anhingas.

Seems to me, just not good enough engraving to tell.

Bill

[Daniel G Rainey]

Adore the engraving. Sharptails on the side and pheasant on the floor plate. I was told the Parker did not engrave pheasants on guns until pheasant hunting kind of took off after states begin to open pheasasnt season around 1900.

[Dean Romig]

I have seen pheasants engraved on early Parkers where the white neck-ring in clearly visible in the engraving... not so much on these pictures birds.





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[Dean Romig]

Incidentally, the GH I pictured is 76084, an 1892 gun so perhaps the long-tailed birds are not really pheasants at all...?




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[MARK KIRCHER]

Men -

Following this thread got me to thinking about "looking back dogs" - did they too start to become scarce at the end of the H. Gough era? My H. Gough (1890) gun is the only one I have with them I believe..........????

[Rick McKenzie]

Interesting thread! Here's mine, made in 1903.
50758

50759

50760

[Rick Losey]

Mark

not sure if he is looking back or sideways - 1888

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=588&pictureid=6899

[Dean Romig]

'Casting a casual sideways glance' I would say....:coffee:






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[Garth Gustafson]

Looking back in 1897. The closer I look, the more I appreciate the engraver's skills. I wonder how long it took these guys to engrave a GH.

[JohnCzarnecki]

My 1890 CH has dogs and elk, with one dog looking way back ;)

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=721&pictureid=8430

[Alfred Greeson]

Thanks for the pictures, great examples of really nice work and every one is a little different. Easy to see why we love the old work on these guns. Czar, the work on that C is really nice with a lot of detail that you normally don't see, beautiful gun.