Provenance Question
Parker Pages recieved a letter relative to the Hemingway photo on the last cover, inquiring if PGCA were trying to establish Hemingway's ownership of a Parker. In my own opinion a photograph of a person holding a Parker establishes nothing other than that the person held a Parker for 1/50 of a second.
Another and tougher question; does the appearance of a name in a Parker order book establish possession or use of the ordered Parker? All of Parker Bros gun business was completed before the GCA's of 1934,1938 and 1968. It was perfectly legitimate for a person with a letterhead and commercial credit to order a Parker at wholesale for a friend or neighbor.
We also know, from the Newcomb scrapbooks, that O R Dickey and others passed Parkers from one competitor to another for use in tournaments. Should the same gun have won several tournaments in the hands of several shooters, which dominates; gun or shooter?
Your opinions please
Best, Austin
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