Dixon's Gunmaker Fair: 2010

Display featuring items for the upcoming 2010 Contemporary Longrifle Association live auction

Display of Art Decamp's work

Mark Wheland with gun based on the John Schreit rifle, # 18 in Shumway's Rifles of Colonial America.

Photos supplied by Ian Pratt.

Jack Hubbard Bag

Photos by Jan Riser.

Jim Hayes Fork

Photos supplied by Jim Hayes.

2010 Contemporary Longrifle Association Live Auction Announcement

                     You may have heard that there will be a live auction at the 14th Annual Show & Meeting of the CLA. And that the show will be held at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington Kentucky on Friday August 20th and Saturday August 21st. You may have even seen some of the many publicity articles and photograph spreads of this year’s auction items and artists. If so you know the theme of the auction is “Certifiably Native”, and that all of the items represent material culture goods that were made by, used by, or made for Native Americans and the commercial trade carried on between them and the settlers on the frontier.

           Among the auction items you will have seen  a “Chief Pagus” horn by John Proud, a documented  horn and woven strap by Mike Small and tom Conde, a Montreal brooch by Joseph Valentin, a neck bag and knife sheath by Dave and Diane Chambers, a Philadelphia horn by Roland Cadle, a cartouche knife by Ken Gahagan, a “Chief Tammany” horn by Art De Camp, a quilled “Thunderbird” pouch by Michael J. Taylor, a silver shell gorget by Dave Hughes, decorated leggings by Penny Wayne and Tom Gifford, a St. Etienne fusil by Rich Dillon, a club butt fowler by Todd Bitler, a tomahawk by Frank House, Ian Pratt and Joe Seabolt,  a trade horn and decorated strap by Steve Lodding and Amanda Webster, a N.W. gun by Cam Pitkethley, an American dagger and quilled sheath by Frank and Lally House, a native headdress by Michael Galban, a finger woven and quilled bag by Shawn Webster and James Blake, a pouch by Calvin Tanner, and a bowie knife by Glen McClain.

           That is an undeniably great assemblage of some of the finest contemporary made gear made by some of the finest craftsmen and women working today, and if you are attending the show, you wont want to miss your chance to be part of the auction, but if you don’t take special note of this announcement you may. This year the auction will be held on Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm…again, the auction will be held on Friday August 20th at 4:00 pm. That’s a departure from years past where the auction was held on Saturday, and with an event that promises to be as wonderful as this one does, it’s something you will want to be especially aware of.

           You can find out more about this years auction and the participating artists at the Contemporary Longrifle Association web site by following this link: www.longrifle.ws/auction

See you all there.

                                                          

 Copy and photos supplied by T.C. Albert.   

18th Century Portraits

Rufus Hathaway (American 1770-1822), or a Follower. “Portrait of a Young Boy with Dog".

Depicted within an oval spandrel, inscribed "J.B. Agd. 1 Year" and dated 1784. Oil on canvas, 25 ½ x 18 inches

Images from Folk Art @ Cooperstown.

Top image will be at auction by Northeast Auctions on August 7, 2010.

Pete Hutton Horn

Photographs by Chuck Brownewell.

Jan Riser Bag

Photos by Jan Riser.

Waxhaw Flags and the Westchester Flags

2nd Regiment of Continental Dragoons

David Redden, a vice chairman of Sotheby's auction house, which conducted the sale, said that during the wars of the 18th century, the primary targets in a battle were the opposing commanders and their units' flags as trophies of victory. Only about 30 Revolutionary War flags are known to exist and these are in museums or institutional collections.

The four flags, by contrast, are in good condition and their histories were well documented by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, a firebrand British officer who captured them in battles nearly a year apart.

On July 2, 1779, the 24-year-old Tarleton led his cavalry unit, known as the Green Dragoons, in a surprise attack on the Continental Army’s 2nd Light Dragoons, a Connecticut regiment also known as Sheldon’s Dragoons, at Pound Ridge. The redcoats routed the Americans, capturing supplies, weapons and the unit’s battle flag — a banner with 13 red and white stripes and a field with a painted thundercloud.

Nine months later and almost 600 miles to the southwest, Tarleton did it again on May 29, 1780, capturing three flags belonging to a Virginia regiment led by Lt. Col. Abraham Buford, in a clash at Waxhaws, on the line between North and South Carolina.

Waxhaws, main regimental
This battle flag is known as "Perseverando".

Waxhaws, yellow ground

Waxhaws, blue ground

Re-enactors saluting the colors at the auction

Banastre Tarleston by Sir Joshua Reynolds with captured flags at his feet.

Flags and auction photos by Scott Miskimon. Copy from MSNBC.

Tim Crosby Horn

This horn is about 11 ¼” around the outside curve. The base is Walnut held in with four wooded pegs that also hold the horn ring on. The horn tip is about 1 ¾”s and is threaded ½-13NC.

Photos supplied by Tim Crosby.

James Blake Headress

This piece is formally from the Thaw Collection. It was constructed using period techniques and materials, including Hide Glue & and natural pigments for the painted background.

Copy and photos supplied by James Blake.

"The Shank Rifle" by Mark Thomas

This a 54 caliber flintlock, curly sugar maple stock. The surface of the wood was finished by scraping and burnishing instead of sanding. The metal hardware was scraped and burnished as well. Inspired by a rifle built in Kentucky around 1790.

Photos supplied by Mark Thomas.

Mike Small Horn

Photos supplied by Mike Small.

Pennsylvanian Hex pouch II by Steven Lalioff

"Staying Within the Compass"

Some of my favorite work these days is when I can find a way to combine old designs in a logical way to create something completely new. This pouch is certainly unique, but all of the elements of design, construction and materials are documented within the "compass" of old work.

The original pouch that inspired the shape and pattern was collected by Tom Ames in S.E. PA. The original 19th c. pouch was constructed from the recycled leathers from a pair of work boots, the rough side facing out on the pouch as it had when it was still a boot...and very waterproof from repeated waxing and burnished wear. Over the years I have found MANY old pouches made from old boot leather, "waist not~want not" as the saying went. For this example however, I didn't copy the rough-out leather as I had for the bench copy I made several years ago, for this, I just barrowed the pattern and the construction techniques.

The profuse designs I carved & stamped into the leather came from three separate historic inspirations; First, the elaborate carving technique and design from the Getz Fox Face Pouch gave me permission to just go wild. Second, the idea of using over-lapping Hex symbols I garnered from an early powder horn I saw long ago but never forgot. Third, the compass Hex designs themselves from the head stones of 17th and 18th c. settlers graves.

The buckle I made by refiling a large solid brass buckle to match the lines of an early brass buckle on an 18thc. traveling pouch I collected in Pennsylvania years ago. It has a proper iron tongue...I have never found an early brass buckle that had a brass tongue. It takes a bit of time to forge out and fuss adding an iron tongue but it's those little traditional nuances that I like.

P.S. If I miss my shot while toting this pouch, I can't blame a witch for my poor aim!

Hex Pouch I can be found here.

Copy and photos supplied by Steven Lalioff.

Ken Gahagan Knife with a Lally House Sheath, Dan Shears Bark Basket

Knife and Sheath; Eastern Woodlands or Great lakes, tribe unknown, c. 1780

Knife – steel, wood, copper wire. Knife L. 23.6 cm.; 9 1/4 in.

Sheath – deerskin, dyed porcupine quill (red, white, and yellow), tin cone. Sheath L. 23.8 cm.; 9 1/2 in.

Carved at the end of the hilt is the head of a pig.

With the help of Lally House and Ken Gahagan I have been able to duplicate a piece of history for the exhibit/kit I use with the Boy Scouts. I’m also sending you some pics of a Bark basket by Dan Shears of Adams, Massachusetts that I have also added to that kit. The quills are from Lally’s work bench and are all naturally died; she was more than happy to help in keeping the tradition alive…..

Copy and photos supplied by Mitch Cook.