Monday, August 31, 2015

Lake George School Powder Horn by Scott and Cathy Sibley

Lake George School horn by Cathy and Scott Sibley. Made in 2002. The original is a well known piece. Inscriptions read "Made Nathaniel Selking At No 4 March th15 1758. Street Firing Make Ready Prefent fire. Powder with My Brother Ball A Hero Do Concor All. WAR. Drums Abeating Collers Flieing Trumpets Sounding Men A Dieing These are The Blood Effects Of War. Artwork includes soldiers firing at each other, mounted troops and all are led by non coms or by a mounted officer. Lots of scroll work. The horn is around 17 inches on the outside curve. Carries well on either side. A pretty amazing piece of work. $650. plus postage in CONUS. SOLD

Contact artriser@mindspring.com





















original horn

A Fort is Constructed

Much of our information about the layout of the Fort comes from a map by soldier John Maynard. It outlines a plan showing the Fort’s homes, outbuildings, well placements and stockade. The map also lists some of the names of those living in the Fort at No. 4 during the summer of 1746. It shows that the Fort was built in the shape of a square with pointed twelve foot posts standing five inches apart, enough to shoot out from, but not wide enough for someone to enter. Inside this protective wall they brought in existing houses and connected them with lean-tos. They constructed a “Great Chamber” with an attached wooden tower that served as a look out for miles up and down the Connecticut River. The large hall served as a function room for church service, meetings or barracks. In addition, they eventually secured a cannon, placed in Parker House, that would sound the alarm of danger in case of attack. Should danger appear, residents would seek refuge inside the Fort leaving their fields and large animals.

Photos by Jan Riser. Fort information from here.

Houston Harrison

Houston Harrison who recently passed away was quite a complex character.

The rifles and pistols he produced are among the finest work in the entire revival. He was a machinist by trade before he became a full time crafts person and this I believe gave him a particular fine eye for detail and nuance. He was also an accomplished musician on guitar and banjo and could do a perfect mimic of Jimmie Rogers and other Country/ blue grass musicians.

His range of products was amazing. He made a perfect copy of a single action colt 45 pistol entirely from scratch. Every part of it was exact down to the screw threads. He made superb copies of Armstrong rifles, Buck Co.’s, Readings, and Hawkins etc. Almost all had handmade locks, triggers, etc.

He did an absolutely gorgeous mirror pair of all steel engraved Scottish flintlock pistols with a presentation case. Unfortunately, we do not have near enough photos of his products. 


More photos of these pistols can be found here.

I visited him in the summer of 1992 and we went to the Davy Crockett Ancestors reunion in Paris Tennessee. Houston was a big fan of Davy Crockett and he made a grand copy of a York county rifle that Crockett owned as a young man. 

David Zucker and I used his rifles in a cameo of Naked Gun 21/2.


Fess Parker loved the Crockett reference and Zucker invited him to a rifle frolic in Ojai. Here is Fess holding Houston's Bucks Co. rifle. Houston got a big kick out of this!!! 

Copy by Robert Weil, also photos supplied by Robert. Pistol photos by Jan Riser.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Houston Harrison

Houston Harrison has passed away after an extended illness.

Eternal rest grant unto Houston, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Antique Crossbow



Photographed at the 2015 CLA Show by Jan Riser.

2015 Dixon's: Photos

Shane and Brad Emig Display

Paul Allison Display

Bill Shipman Display

Bernie Tulino Display







Photographs by Maryellen Pratt.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Powder Horn by Raymond Jenkins

 Description:a 15" oc horn, 3" base. The base is painted with an incised carved sunburst and a scrimshawed faux ivory inlay. The stopper is also faux ivory. The horn is decorated with  a cartouche, map of the Hudson River, coat of arms and a layout of Ft. Edward and compass.




Copy and photos supplied by Raymond Jenkins.

2015 Dixon's: Photos

Jim Chambers

Wayne Dunlap and (in center) Daniel Miranda

Tammy Lee Zettlemoyer with pottery

redware

Demo at the ALR tent


Hawk throwing




Photos by Maryellen Pratt.