Perhaps I can add another "log to the existing fire" on the possible authenticity of the HE Fox the Julia auction house will be offering. Page 152 of the GBE book "The Best of NB"- Quote: On December 2, Nash wrote John Bailey-- "Well, I lost the big gun yesterday-terrible blow. ******** My name on case and also in left barrel of gun.. In Clarendon ***** . It's fully insured ***. This re-read, plus the fact that I have almost memorized this entire book, brings up these options: (1) The last one first here- the part about fully insured. Any way of knowing if Nash received an insurance settlement for the loss of his prized AH Fox gun? If so, then I believe that fact would negate any claim his heirs might have to a later sale of that historic Fox gun.
And now (2)- GBE made a point many times about TNB's writing with the battered old typewriter, and the errors that his editors may have proofed and corrected- Point being, Nash wrote "and also IN left barrel of gun" and if he had meant to say ON left barrel of gun, then the enscription of the gun shown in this thread is wrong, as his name is stamped on the right barrel. Also, page 154- the two letters from Mr. Becker circa 1950 show his name as BURT.BECKER- with NO SPACING as more commonly found BURT BECKER and possible sans the period after the T- would he not, as we are all somewhat creatures of habit, have then stamped his name in the same manner on the gun(s) he made that belonged to TNB???
