Bruce, thank God we here have you to clarify the carving renditions on these great guns! I was the one who referred (erroneously of course) to the grip carving on the half-pistol grip gun as a "clamshell" motif; obviously I should have correctly referred to it as representative of that of the Pectinidae, or commons sea scallop (since the Mactridae, or true sea clam, exhibits no striations or grooves on its shell, whereas the former shows vertical striations on its shell). I guess the ultimate in accuracy is to refer to this carving motif as that representative of the Actiniaria, or sea anemone, which exhibits the exotic wavy tendrils of that aquatic organism. I remain eternally grateful that George Lane is no longer alive to suffer wading through this taxonomic drivel in critiquing these carvings!

Kevin, I'm just a Parker novice being out here on the Great Windy and have a lot to learn. But it doesn't look like these river clams I am familiar with. Maybe its like a sea scallop but I haven't seen any of those things in either the South or North Forks of the Solomon.

Sorry, I don't know George Lane from Jack LaLaine.

Did George Lane do these stocks?

Yes, George Lane did the checkering on all 3 Invincibles.

Robin, thanks for bringing up the Roger Lake article. I will review it when I get time and Kevin and I will compare notes and probably comment. Kevin's and Roger's research on this gun are from two entirely different directions and, as I recall complement the other rather than repeat the same information.

George Lane
 

Thanks, Kevin.
Where can I learn more about him? He did custom upgraded checkering on two guns I have. He brought DHE checkering up to BHE and did a very nice job.

I'm going to offer 7.5 million but not a penny more. I'll let you all know how I make out. I think SN 200000 will make a great turkey gun.

This is just my opinion,of course, but I don't think anything from the Petersen donation will be deasessioned in our lifetimes. It is the most elaborate collection of sporting arms in this country and it is being monitored on a daily basis by interested collectors. RP funded the entire Petersen Room and there is a movement to have the Invincibles, the Annie Oakley gun, and #100,000 moved to the new room. Phil will be asked about that when I get back home. The new room is the proper place for these guns.

George Lane
 

Thanks, Kevin.
Where can I learn more about him? He did custom upgraded checkering on two guns I have. He brought DHE checkering up to BHE and did a very nice job

George Lane joined Parker Bros. in 1901 as a checkerer and took a sort of 'leave of absence" (approved by his boss and Parker Bros.) in 1908 to investigate and perfect his skills in painting, photography and wood carving. He somehow engineered a job for 8 or 9 years as a personal chauffer to a widow to a bigwig with International Silver Co., which of course was centered in Meriden at the time. He apparently spent his idle time improving his craft at these three pursuits.

Around 1919 he returned to Parker Bros. and a few years after that took over as checkering contractor. Unfortunately for Remington, when they moved the Parker works to Ilion from Meriden around 1937, Lane did not accompany the move. When it became apparent after the move to Ilion that Remington needed a master checkerer (some engravers actually did the work from about 1938-1940), Lane fabricated a set of tools identical to his own used at Parker Bros. for use on the AA and A-1 Special grade guns and sent them to Ilion.

Bob Runge told me that when the "Lost Invincible" was restocked by the Del Gregos, they used some of George Lane's original checkering layouts to exactly duplicate the pattern and execution. Bob himself did the carvings.

Save your cellphone minutes; the "Teddy Roosevelt Room", which formerly housed all of the above (Invincibles, "Annies" Parkers, the Beretta collections, etc.) is now devoid of nearly all guns. Behind a temporary glass wall, a mock-up of "Teddy's Favorite Room" is under construction as we speak where the above formerly resided. Right now Teddy's writing desk is looking right across the room into the fireplace, flanked by those massive elephant tusks of Soski Piroeff's. The feet of Teddy's trophy rhino anchor each far corner of his desk, and one of his favorite single-shot 'belly guns' lies open on the desk.