a long time ago...

[Barry Lee Hands]

If anyone has comments, good pics of old engraving, and/or the engravers who cut it, please post them on this thread.
I am a bit of a Decorative Arts Historian ( aren't we all? ).

This is some work by Arnold Grieble...




copyright 2007 Barry lee Hands
Foster collection

[Barry Lee Hands]

This is a photo of my friend David Trevallion in his shop in Chicago with Grieble in 1967. The shop was on the back of the building that the Playboy club was in and David says there were some very interesting goings on late at night.


copyright 2007 Barry lee Hands Trevallion archives

[Barry Lee Hands]

The other side...


copyright 2007 Barry lee Hands
Foster collection

[Barry Lee Hands]

These are photos of an A1 Parker which is said to have been made for, but never delivered to, The Last Czar of Russia. It recently sold at auction for $250,000.00 plus buyers premium of $37,500.00 if I remember correctly. I believe it was engraved by William H. Gough who was active from c.1910-1940.





copyright 2007 trevallion archives

[Don Cowles]

Thanks for posting those bits of history, Barry. I appreciate looking at the work of the older masters.

[Barry Lee Hands]

You are welcome Don, thank you.

[Barry Lee Hands]

These are two locks from a Purdey. The top done in 1954 by teenager Ken Hunt when he was aprenticed to Harry Kell, the bottom lock was a replacement lock done around 1970 by Lynton McKenzie. Notice even on the 1954 job Ken is using green and yellow gold. They are both done in Kell style.
I had them in for a restoration.




copyright 2007 Barry Lee Hands

[ghost]

MR. Hands
would you have any other pictures of the engravers from the past
like nimchke young and urlich family
to find out more about the history of engraving
i did check out FEGA site
thanks
jay

[Tim C]

Barry,

I just read a book called "Steel Canvas" while I was laid up for a while. It has lots of beautiful engraving going back to the 1400's.
The book covers in detail really good work from the early 1800's to mid 1900's.

What stunned me was that after 1900(+/-) when NY passed the Sullivan Act, Nimchke family members threw engraved parts and guns into the river in fear of the police coming to arrest them for having them.

Much of his drawings, pulls and other valuable information was burned just because they thought the law would apply to that kind of information also.
What a shame.
Tim C

[Dave London]

Barry
Great info but I was hoping that that other side was pics from the other side of the building sorry could not resist Dave

[Barry Lee Hands]

Thanks Jay, Tim and Dave.

L.D. Nimschke b.1832, d. 1904 worked primarily in NY and engraved aproximately 5000 guns.
This is a photo from my Archives.



copyright 2007 Barry Lee Hands

[Roger Henrichs]

Hi Barry,
Thanks for the picture posts. They have been added to my engraving photo archive.

Roger

[Peter]

Thanks for the pics Barry. You certainly have a lot of great engraving history to share.

As to L.D. Nimschke's engraving, the book by R.L. Wilson "L.D. Nimschke Engraver" is a great source.

Steel Canvas is also an R.L Wilson book and he wrote several that are full of great engraving. There are books on Colt, Winchester and Remington to name a few.

Peter

[ghost]

Mr. Hands
is there any biography on there lives on nimschke,urlich,and young
like pictures of them
thanks for the thread
jay

[Barry Lee Hands]

Thanks Roger, Peter and Jay, as Peter says the Book L.D. Nischke, Engraver has a lot of good stuff, as well as the other books by my friend R.L. Wilson.
There is another called "Firearms Engraving as Decorative Art" by Frederic A. Harris which is very good.
The photos I post come from my photos or photos which have been given to me. As a writer I try to avoid scanning pictures from books to post, although it does happen from time to time.

this phot5o is of a restored Boss triggerguard from The Sumners on Bateman Street in London.

[Peter]

That triggerguard is STUNNING.

[Steve Lindsay]

Here is a pic that my father, Frank Lindsay took of a piece that Lynton brought along during a visit to my father's shop in 1979. The pic is from a number of rolls of black and white film that were deveolped but never made into prints.

[ghost]

steve
do you think your dad would join the forum
and would print more of the pics of the mckenzie
thakns steve
jay

[Steve Ellsworth]

Monk has loaned me a copy of Nimschke's pulls which i understand is a rare issue - ie pretty complete. I am in the process of reversing the images so they are easy to decipher and hopefully clean pulls up so they can actually be seen. if its of any interest let me know.

[jack]

I really like Lyton's work. Thanks for showing this picture Steve. Jack:thumbsup:

[Bill Brockway]

Barry -

Here are some pictures of Lynton's work, from an old New Orleans Arms brochure, probably around 1970-ish. These have been shown before, on the Engraver's Cafe Forum, so please excuse the duplication.















Hope you like them.

Bill

[Fred Carter]

sculpted gold guard on a D.E.Henry bowie - I think the front and back surfaces of the guard were gold plated after engraving.

[Dave P]

Do you ever feel like a pair of brown shoes in a closet full of black tuxedoes?

[rod]

Barry,

I was at the National Museum of Music last month, in Vermillion, SD. An unusual location for a first rate museum of international quality, housing many 18th century strings and winds. There are some fine examples of engraved brass instruments and some old photos of engravers at work. The exhibit includes some of their tools. I hope the photos show some detail...

best

Rod

[Barry Lee Hands]

I found this interesting chased piece in The Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh.
Its German, from around 1600.