Interesting Provenance

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Very pretty little boat Edgar.

If the registration numbers were not there I would still know it is a Maine boat by the snow tires on the trailer...

They're just trailer tires, but, come to think of it, I did buy them in Maine.
First pic was the last day out, last fall. The next pic was the next morning.

[Dean Romig]

Perhaps Keller's sporting launch was much like this one.


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[edgarspencer]

The only Iolanthe listed in the 1894 Lloyds Register was 255' and homeported in Liverpool. That same vessel is still listed in 1896, so it's not that one.
The term 'Schooner' evokes images or large coastal ships, and yachts, but the term refers to the rigging, the foremast being shorter than the main. There are plenty of small (under 30') schooner rigged boats.
Iolanthe must have been a popular name, because there are three listed in the 1938 Lloyds.

[Bill Murphy]

Iolanthe was/is a Gilbert and Sullivan satirical opera of the time. In fact, it is still popular, being played in my home town of Rockville, Maryland as late as last month. There is more than one spelling of the word, apparently causing the word search on la84foundation to not hit on the spelling used in the 1895 account of the wreck. There is suspicion on my part that "Iolanthe" was the nom de plume of one of the owners of the rig when writing for the gun rags of the time. I don't know which one that would be.

[Harold Pickens]

How about some pictures of the gun?

[Drew Hause]

1st column
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL2614012.pdf

[Holeshot]

That boat and big bore are both impressive. Them other shotguns look dainty, compared.

[Steve Leffler]

Here are a couple pictures.

[BRDHNTR]

Steve, nice looking gun. You'll have a lot of fun with this on birds and I couldn't think of a nicer gun to leave to your son. all the best. do you know who did the restoration on it?

[Bill Murphy]

Steve, nice looking 20 gauge. Keller's 20 gauge is a bit fresher looking than his 30" DH eight gauge. The eight gauge, although rare and all original, shows the effects of many days on the water. Maybe this fall, I'll give it another try on tame mallards.