engravings by Winston Churchill

[Daniel Storch]

Hello,

i am an engraver from Germany and since i have seen the engravings by Winston Churchill i am a huge admirer of his works. I already bought the Colt .45 Eaton book aswell as American Engravers from the 21th Century. But thats not enough for me. Unfortunally, the contact through his page always gives me an 404 Error and i dont know how to contact him. Can anybody give me an advice how i can get in contact with him?

I found out that he should have engraved a Parker Gun aswell. Are there any images existing from that gun? It should be with english scrolls.

I am searching any pictures i can get from his works in hope to improve my own engravings. I would appreciate it if someone can give me some high resolution images from his works so that i can study them. I dont want them for free, of course.

An engraver from the Engravers Cafe Forum told me that there are some magazin articles about his work exist aswell. Unfortunally i did not remember the magazines. Can someone give me some information about articles in sporting/hunting magazines with his works? The only magazin i know is the Shooting Sportsman, which i already have now.

Greetings and thank you for reading,

Daniel

[Chuck Bishop]

Send Allan Swanson a PM. He's friends with Winston Churchill.

[Dean Romig]

Exactly what I would have advised Chuck.






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[Dave Noreen]

Here is a Remington Model 32 engraved by Winston --

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/remington-shotguns-o/u/remington-arms-model-32-winston-churchill-skeet-2-barrel-set.cfm?gun_id=101325058

[Bill Murphy]

The Engravers Guild website is your best source of Winston's work. Remember, "Google is your friend"

[Jean Swanson]

Daniel

A friend just emailed me to check this heading on the forum, Use my email address to do future correspondence--- ahs482@sover.net

Allan

[Daniel Storch]

Thank you for your answers!

And thank you to the friend who informed Allan!

The Guild page is the FEGA page? Unfortunally i havent found images from Winstons work there. Or is there another guild page?

[Jack Kuzepski]

I was paging thru an old Shooting Sportsman yesterday evening and saw the 28 ga VHE that Winston engraved and upgraded. It was the July August 1999 issue. You may be able to purchase an old copy from them.

Jack

[Daniel Storch]

Thank you Jack!!

Thats the one with the cover showing two shotguns laying on a grey table?

[Dean Romig]

Mr. Churchill is also an amazing sculptor!






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[Jack Kuzepski]

Yes it is the one with 2 shotguns and some engraving tools.

Jack

[Greg Baehman]

In his book, Fine Gunmaking - Double Shotguns, Steven Dodd Hughes dedicates the lion's share of a chapter in that book in dissecting Winston Churchill's ornamentation of a custom 28ga. Parker. Although it is not English scroll, it is to my eyes, a whole lot more interesting. Hughes' book is available through amazon.com as well as other sellers. A few pics of that gun's engraving:

[Dean Romig]

What an amazing talent Mr. Churchill has. Mesmerizing....




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[Daniel Storch]

What an amazing talent Mr. Churchill has. Mesmerizing....

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Thats the reason why i am trying to find as much images as possible from his engravings :p

Thank you Greg, that a great hint! The book is already ordered.

Thank you Jack, i ordered 6 issues from the shooting sportsman magazine with articles about Winstons work.

[Harry Neil]

Mr. Churchill is also an amazing sculptor!



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An example: "Masters Reward"


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50137087011_9c06a22940_z.jpg

[Bill Murphy]

FEGA has a membership level that gives more access than you get by just reading their forum.

[Dean Romig]

Please forgive my ignorance... what is FEGA ?





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[Dean Romig]

In the pictures, above, would that style be described as arabesque or foliate... or somethingvelse?





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[Greg Baehman]

Please forgive my ignorance... what is FEGA ?





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Firearms Engravers Guild of America
www.fega.com

[Greg Baehman]

In the pictures, above, would that style be described as arabesque or foliate... or somethingvelse?





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There's a variety of engraving techniques going on that Churchill used on the little 28ga. Parker. Steven Dodd Hughes described it as "decidedly floral with light and airy vine scroll".

[Dean Romig]

I’ve never heard that description before - did SDH make that up?





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[Greg Baehman]

Like I had mentioned Dean when I posted the pics of the gun, SDH devoted a lion's share of a chapter in his book Double Shotguns describing the engraving of that gun. He wrote those words and a whole lot more. I boiled his description down to just one phrase.

[edgarspencer]

As I understand it, Winston isn't engraving anymore due to a health issue.

[Dean Romig]

Very true Edgar.

Thank you Greg.





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[Tim Wells]

The health condition Winston has is mentioned on some engraving forums but I don't feel it appropriate to mention on forums so I won't do it here to maintain his privacy. As for photos of his work, there simply aren't that many of them. He isn't engraving anymore and hasn't for several years. The last project he started was a Colt SAA collaboration with my friend Damien Connolly who ended up having to finish the job due to Winston's condition.

He hasn't engraved all that many guns over his career as compared to some who have done hundreds. He is self admittedly an"agonizingly slow" engraver and is probably why his game scenes in particular are so photographically realistic and rival the realism of the Fracassi's, Lovenberg and the like, just top notch work.

The fact that there are not a large number of his works viewable by the public enhances his exclusivity and few ever surface for viewing or for sale. Most of the photographs taken of his work were taken by him and he never just sent that stuff out like people do nowadays. Why, I don't know, maybe client related.

[Jean Swanson]

Well here goes---

As many know, Winston is a close friend, his health issues have certainly effected his daily life & his professionalism . It certainly an understatement to say his engraving was spectacular, in my eyes it was/is outstanding, from A to Z.

A gifted person with many talents, someone on this forum said he took his own pictures, that is a fact. I have many of his photos that he has signed and mailed to me ,along with letters . We have just moved from Vermont to Maine , I put all together in one big box for safe keeping.

A little side note---the VHE Parker 28 I purchased from Herschel that satisfied the eyes the eyes of both, shipped it to Jerry Fisher in Montana --he scalloped the receiver , polished same ready for Winston to perform his magic---Jerry then stocked the 28. The client at that time also owned the " Chamberlin" gun.

[Dean Romig]

Allan, you once gave me a fold-out color pamphlet that you got from Winston of some of his work.
Would it be appropriate for me to post some of those pictures here?





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[Jean Swanson]

Dean

Your choice----do as you wish.

Allan

[edgarspencer]

Most people only knew the man as an engraver, but his sculptures were so good, that if you didn't know about him or his reputation, you would think he was a sculpter first.

[Ken Hill]

I've never seen one of Winston Churchill's engraved guns in person. I know his works command high prices. This link is an example of a revolver he engraved http://www.hallowellco.com/smith__wesson%2053%20engraved%20by%20Winston%20Chu rchill.html. His works take an ordinary gun to about 100 new levels.

Ken

[Dean Romig]

One wants to believe Churchill also made the beautiful case it is displayed in.





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[Bill Davis]

I’ve had this Winchester Model 42 for many years with a tiny bit of Winston C. engraving.

[charlie cleveland]

fine work for sure...model 42 s are special.....charlie

[Tim Wells]

One wants to believe Churchill also made the beautiful case it is displayed in.





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Are you referring to the SAA Colt recently finished? I looked all through this thread trying to figure out what case or gun this comment refers to.

There is a Colt Winston started engraving I think back in 2008 or so that he wasn't able to finish and our friend Damien Connolly who designed and built its case took over the remainder and finished the engraving. It was a joint venture from the beginning anyway, and that is the readers digest version of it.

[Bill Murphy]

If you scroll down far enough on the Hollowell Smith and Wesson, and reduce the screen to show the whole gun, you will see the case that Dean refers to.

[Arthur Shaffer]

In his book, Fine Gunmaking - Double Shotguns, Steven Dodd Hughes dedicates the lion's share of a chapter in that book in dissecting Winston Churchill's ornamentation of a custom 28ga. Parker. Although it is not English scroll, it is to my eyes, a whole lot more interesting. Hughes' book is available through amazon.com as well as other sellers. A few pics of that gun's engraving:

Just re-reading this old thread and came across this post.

For anyone interested, this very gun is available at Jaqua's right now on GI. Anyone who would seriously like to own it can do that for an $85000 ask.

[Dean Romig]

Can you post a link Art?





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[Jeff Kuss]

Hallowell also has a Churchill engraved Spencer rifle.

[Jeff Kuss]

I have handled the Churchill engraved Parker 28 at Jaquas. It is a wonderful gun.

[CraigThompson]

Galazan has or had a Remington Model 32 that had appeared in a Gun Digest blurb back about 1974-75ish . And as you may have assumed was engraved by Churchill .

[Arthur Shaffer]

Can you post a link Art?





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I can't get a direct link. Their website is:

http://www.jaquas.com/gunlist/Search.asp

Go there and enter 28 gauge and Parker Bros in the proper fields and it will come up in the listing. Inventory number is 212384.

They have a lot more pictures in their GI listing.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/parker-shotguns/parker-28ga-26-quot-custom-engraved-by-winston-churchill.cfm?gun_id=102765578

I have never understood why Jaqua's is so stingy with pictures on their own website. They are not even zoomable for a decent look. They post many more pictures on GI that you can zoom larger.