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Wm. H. Gough - Parker Chief Engraver 1899 - 1911
Unread 02-09-2023, 05:22 PM   #1
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Dean Romig
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Default Wm. H. Gough - Parker Chief Engraver 1899 - 1911

Wm Gough (Chief engraver 1899 - 1911) was one of Parker’s best, most artistic engravers who was also a free-lance engraver, having done several wonderful engraving contracts for other gun manufacturers in the day.

Then the Stevens gun which showed up on FB today.

Last 4 pics are 147673 and then 149020....


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Unread 02-09-2023, 05:39 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean Romig View Post
Wm Gough was one of Parker’s best, most artistic engravers who was also a free-lance engraver, having dobe several wonderful engraving contracts fir other gun manufacturers in the day.

First pics are 147673 and then 149020… oops, out of order. The last pics are of the Parkers.

Then the Stevens gun which showed up on FB today.

Last pics are of 147673 and 149020.


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Thanks for posting, Dean! My 1904 guns are among my favorites.
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Unread 02-09-2023, 06:57 PM   #3
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He did his best work after moving to Philadelphia
The 1902 BHE is pretty nice also.
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Unread 02-10-2023, 09:53 AM   #4
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My 20 gauge Laird hammer gun...(Birmingham)..has the identical dog engraving. Didn't the son also engrave ?.........
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Unread 02-10-2023, 09:59 AM   #5
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Close Jerry - William was the son who followed in his father's footsteps at Parker Bros.

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but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."

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Unread 02-10-2023, 10:18 AM   #6
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So, based on the list that you posted, Dean (thanks!, BTW), a gun engraved in 1917-18 and 1922-23 might be engraved by either engraver or apprentice. It's clear to me that on guns I have (and have observed) that the hand that engraved DH grade guns in these two date ranges is completely different. I've always admired the 1918-range guns, especially the dog engraving, but on the 1922-range, the dogs are two-dimensional and with oversized, somewhat ill-place eyes.

Would my assumption about Runge engraving dogs on 1922 range guns be a safe one? What do you think?

(The top photo is a 1922 DHE 28 gauge and the bottom a 1918 DHE 20.)
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"Doubtless the good Lord could have made a better game bird than bobwhite, and better country to hunt him in...but equally doubtless, he never did." -- Guy de la Valdene (from A Handful of Feathers )

"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
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Unread 02-10-2023, 11:39 AM   #7
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No Garry, I don't believe those are done by Runge but rather by William Gough (he may still have been doing some engraving for Parker Bros. from time to time at that point) or by Frederick Anschutz, but most of Anschutz dogs IMO on C and below grades looked more cartoonish like Al Capp's Shmoos...





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Unread 02-10-2023, 06:06 PM   #8
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Here are three guns from 171xxx to 190xxx. I believe they were all done by the same engraver. I really like this engraving period. Sorry about the picture quality just cell phone pictures.
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Unread 02-10-2023, 06:17 PM   #9
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Those are beauties, Craig. Certainly drawn from the pattern of the same hand. I wish we had a bit more information about engravers. My understanding is that patterns were made and then transferred to metal...and then "executed" by the engraver. I assume apprentices did some of the prep work and some scroll on the lower grades.

Again, that period you have examples from is one of the best to my eye. I wish the early 1920s were nearly as good.
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Unread 02-10-2023, 06:41 PM   #10
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I would think a true artist-engraver would only need to look at and study the “pattern” then engrave it free-style by hand.

Craig once again shows examples of Wm. Gough’s fine work.





.
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"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."

George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
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