Baltimore Show March 19-20

[Bill Murphy]

Drop by and see Kevin and me at the Baltimore Show this weekend. We are at tables B-4 and B-5. There are always PGCA notables in attendance, usually including our two recent leaders, our Research Committee, and many others. I am not at liberty to reveal the theme of Kevins educational display, but you will love it. As always, if you come Saturday, park in the transit lot on the opposite side of the tracks from the show building. Park as close to the tracks as possible, walk across the tracks to the fairground gate, which will be open. Your walk will be shorter and you will have way less trouble getting out of the show at closing time.

[Bill Murphy]

A person interested in Parker shooters at reasonable prices should have been there today. Unfortunately, I am not able to take advantage, so the good shooters will be available in the morning.

[Chuck Bishop]

Bill,

I'm looking for a 12ga underlifter, preferably grade 3 or higher. I'll be there around 9am. Keep an eye out and keep me in mind.

[Bill Murphy]

Outrageous guns changed hands today. Others were seen, but I don't know if they sold. There will surely be a few neat guns left for the rest of us tomorrow.

[CraigThompson]

I saw a nice Parker 10 gauge that I liked at the $2500 mark but some "dogooder" saw fit recently to put a new Pachmeyer pad on it !

Saw a couple nice Parker 16's but the GH I have is enough for what I wish to do !

Also got alot of helpfull information from the guys at tables B4 and B5 !

[CraigThompson]

Almost forgot I saw a really nice Ernst Kerner combo gun that was 16 and 10.75 by something .

I already have a Ernst Kerner single barrel rifle with a period scope in 6.5x52R !
Which in all actuallity is nothing more then a 25-35 WIN .

So I was thinking this might be a nice addition to my euro gun collection !

[CraigThompson]

I'd really like to attend the Baltimore Show once with about a 250 G's in my pocket I could blow at will :shock:

[CraigThompson]

Also congratulations to yours truly and "Eightbore" Bill Murphy whose combined display effort on "The Evolution of the Pigeon Gun" once again rocked the judges world, resulting in another (5th) Judges Special Display Award Trophy (thanks again, Bill!). Like the lottery 'ya gotta play to win!'. (For those of you who missed it or didn't care, this is our second back-to-back score - they loved us last year, too!!). Can't wait till next year!

Gotta say I enjoyed talking with you guys early saturday morning !

And your display was quite nice and informative !

I wasn't aware Mr. Murphy was an 8 gauge fan !
Perhaps I now have a reason to return for 2012 !

[Dave Suponski]

Kevin and Bill, Did anyone take pictures of your great display?

[Kevin McCormack]

Dave, the show committee always has their pro photograph the award-winning displays, but the photos always seem to go into the "Black Hole of Award Winners of Shows Past."

Morris Baker took his usual 5,000 shots while at the show; hopefully he got one of us!

[Bill Murphy]

Morris has a picture of the display, minus the principals. I had a great time with great Parker and RST Shells guy Morris Baker today at the Carlisle, PA L.C. Smith annual shoot. He is everywhere.

[Dave Suponski]

Thanks guys! I will see if I can find Morris and get him to email me a picture. If I am successfull I will post it up here.

[Bill Murphy]

Thanks and good luck. I would like to see the picture too.

[Dave Suponski]

Morris sent some pictures. Outstanding display congratulations Kevin and Bill.

[Dave Suponski]

More

[Dave Suponski]

Couple More....

[Chris Travinski]

I would love to get my paws on a straight stocked auto 5 like the one in the display.

[Bill Murphy]

The display commemmorates the evolution of the pigeon gun in the early breechloading era of flyer competition in the U.S. Five guns of five types were displayed, prominently skipping the most used gun of the era, the
hammerless double barrel shotgun. The guns displayed were:

Parker Brothers Grade 5 lifter action ten gauge, 32" with provenance.

Parker Brothers SB Grade single barrel trap, 34".

Winchester Model 97, Trap Grade, 30".

Browning Superposed, prewar Diana Grade light pigeon gun.

Browning Automatic 5, Grade 2, barrel engraved in style of the dedicated pigeon model. "Speciale pour tir aux pigeons".

Kevin had so many wonderful choices for double barrel hammerless pigeon guns that, in the interest of a compact display, he left them out completely. It is no surprise that Kevin received a Judges Choice award for this great display.

[Kevin McCormack]

Couldn't have done it without your help, Bill!

The centerpiece photo is an 1878 photograph by Schreiber of Philadelphia entitiled "Philadelphia Gun Club Shooting, 1878." Schreiber was a contemporary of Matthew Brady, and became famous for his farm landscapes and livestock photos after he gave the business to his sons.

The main building in the picture was the first PGC clubhouse, and was located on a piece of property owned by the family of one of the earliest PGC governors, Mr. Howell Bickley, and was close to the Biddle estate, "Andalusia", located north of the city of Philadelphia and hard by the Delaware River. The "Bickley Mansion", as it came to be known, served as the club grounds and venue from 1877 until 1894, when it moved a few miles upriver to its current location at Eddington on the Delaware. The photo became a reverse image in the famous Herman Simon painting, with the viewer looking over the left shoulders of the shooters and spectators, titled "Pigeon Shooting in 1878 at The Philadelphia Gun Club."

[Christopher Lien]

The original 1879 PGC photo has come a long way since it was discovered many years ago, I'm glad I was able to re-unite it with the Philadelphia Gun Club... It's also good to see the image getting some exposure in Kevin's Pigeon Guns display at the recent Baltimore Show... As for the the photo being a reverse image of the famous Herman Simon painting, I am of the opinion there was a second original Schreiber photo from the same view as the painting, and it was from that second original photo that Herman Simon created his image of "Pigeon Shooting in 1878 at The Philadelphia Gun Club."..... Hmmmm, I wonder who has that other rare old photo?...;)

Best, CSL
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http://www.webpak.net/~cslien/1PGC1879A.jpg
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[Bill Murphy]

All this information, and for several years, it has just been a screensaver for me. Thanks Kevin and Chris.

[Kevin McCormack]

Actually, I have the other rare old Schreiber photo - the one used by Herman Simon in rendering his painting. I would have given it more exposure in our display at Baltimore, but I didn't want to put a crease in what EDM used to refer to as the "Black Hole of Curatorship." Too much of these type things is like seconds at a methadone clinic; the suppliers as well as the users eventually develop a severe lack of perspective.

[Dean Romig]

EDM used to refer to the "Black Hole of Curatorship." Too much of these type things is like seconds at a methadone clinic; the suppliers as well as the users eventually develop a severe lack of perspective.


Very aptly put Kevin. I don't know when I've seen a better analogy.

[Bill Murphy]

I don't know exactly what Kevin means by a "crease", but, obviously to me at least, the black hole of curatorship as described by Ed still exists.

[Kevin McCormack]

"Crease"; as in a ripple; a rumple; a probe; an interrogatory; sort of like a bulge in the envelope as opposed to 'pressing' the envelope, or a shadow as opposed to a crack in the tectonic plate.

[John Dallas]

Yessir. That really cleared it up for me

[Bill Murphy]

I assumed I had inherited Ed's title as chief mugwump and will defend that title with all resourses at hand.