The Ultimate Provenance- Is there an AH Fox AH Fox?

[eightbore]

Good luck getting any interest on the PGCA forum. I've casually mentioned the configuration of Ansley's pigeon gun over there several times, never got a bite or even a reply. My post about Ansley's D Grade is always the last post of the thread before it dies.

[George Lander]

Bill: I did post over there & did get some interest from Dave & Dean. I posted a paragraph from Mike McIntosh's book that stated that he carried a Parker to the 1900 Grand American Handicap due to a rift with his former partners in the Gox Gun Company of Baltimore. It was stated as 12-gauge and 7 1/2 pounds but the grade was not mentioned. You must have some more info since you said it was a D Grade. Please tell us what you know about Ansley's Parker.

Best Regards, George

[eightbore]

I'll know it when I see it. If anyone chooses to send me the five digit serial numbers of D Grade 12 gauges with no safety, I will tell them if they have Ansley's gun. The gun is in the 1898 production era and was not ordered by Ansley H. Fox.

[eightbore]

George Lander, thank you for prompting me into getting serious about the search for Ansley's Parker. For everyone's information, a PGCA letter will not identify Ansley H. Fox as the purchaser of the Fox-Parker pigeon gun. As far as I know, I have the only research information that could connect the gun with Ansley Fox. My offer to share this information is on the PGCA "General Parker Discussions" forum. Bill Murphy

[George Lander]

Bill: You are most welcome. I am following the unfolding of this saga on both sites.

Best Regards, George

[eightbore]

I thought there would be more interest in finding Ansley's pigeon gun, now that there is enough information to initiate a search.

[Silvers]

Just my take on it..... it seems the majority of Parker enthusiasts have little interest in Ansley H Fox, and the majority of Fox enthusiasts have little more than a token interest in the Parkaah he used at the GAH in 1900. That was six years before he intro'd his own Finest Gun in the World.

Let's say Ansley was driving a Super 348 tri pack Chevy in 1958 and was king of the drive ins and drag strips, then in 1964 he went with Ford and was cleaning clocks from east to west with a Thunderbolt. Ford guys would probably be hot over finding Ansley's Ford T-Bolt stored away in a barn somewhere. And while the Chevy would have good interest as a collector car, I doubt Ansley's name would be the big draw on it amongst the Chevy boys. I know this comparison isn't the best, but that's the drift I get from watching the topic on both boards. Silvers

[George Lander]

Well Frank: I believe that there is a good and sufficient reason for interest here in that a scion of American doubleguns that bore his name chose, for whatever reason, to compete with a competitor's gun and did so quite well. If Charles Parker had been a pigeon shooter and chose to compete with a Fox, or Lyman Smith with either Fox or Parker there likewise would be a good deal of interest. All three makers made fine guns and all three were sales rivals. Mike McIntosh did a fine job of bringing out the enigmatic personna of Ansley Hermann Fox. IMHO

Best Regards, George

[MARSHFELLOW]

oh George........c'mon, the A.H. Fox gun wasnt out yet.

I.M.H.O.

tjw

[George Lander]

No, Marsh, it wasn't, however his Baltimore Arms and Fox Gun Company products were.................George

[eightbore]

If Wilbur Parker shot a "lost" Fox in competition, I'm sure Parker collectors would be very interested in finding that gun. My opinion about the lack of interest in Ansley's Parker is that forum readers think my offer is somehow self serving. May I remind you that I am offering to tell the owner of Ansley's Parker about the identity of the gun he owns without any obligation except to offer it to me if he, in fact, chooses to sell it. What could be easier?

[Researcher]

Ansley H. Fox had nothing to do with Baltimore Arms Co. He was neither an officer nor director of that company and they built a gun designed by Frank A. Hollenbeck. During the first two thirds of their life Ansley was on the road shooting for Winchester and during the last third he was in Philadelphia founding the Philadelphia Arms Co. His main connection with Baltimore Arms Co. was that he bought a bunch of their machinery and fixtures at their receiver's sale which he then used to set up the A.H. Fox Gun Co. when he left Philadelphia Arms Co.

[George Lander]

Researcher: You are absolutley correct. It was Philadelphia Arms Co. that I was referring to & not Baltimore Arms Co. BTW his name was Ansley & not Anskey (typo I'm sure)

Best Regards, George

[Researcher]

Mark Conrad posted the A.H. Fox associated entries in the Parker Bros order books over on the PGCA web site this morning.

http://www.parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4585

It appears Ansley got a straight-gripped, no safety, DH-grade Parker Bros. number 88807 from H.P. Collins, 22 South Calvert St. in Baltimore. In September 1900, after the big W got Ansley shucking their Model 1897, he sent the Parker back to the Brothers P. for refurbishment.

Thany you Mark.

[MARSHFELLOW]

Thanks Mark & Dave.