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ARTIFACT ARCHIVE OF HENRY PIERCE, GUNSMITH. I

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ARTIFACT ARCHIVE OF HENRY PIERCE, GUNSMITH.
Includes a variety of tools and accessories, including bullet molds and powder flasks, as well as a 1/9 plate ambrotype portrait of Pierce, a 1/2 plate tintype portrait, several early 20th-century photographs of Pierce's house and shop, and his advertising stamp. In varying condition, photos are worn. Also included are various handwritten and typewritten pages of information on Pierce, including those pages written by Pierce's grandson, Percy, in the 1930s.

By looking only at his surviving guns, one quickly becomes intrigued by Henry Pierce. Of very fine quality, Pierce's guns are often found in unusual configurations, including over-and-under rifles, some with sidehammers, and nearly all with peep sights.

Pierce (1811-1882) was born in Lucerne County, Pennsylvania and spent most of his working life in Liverpool, Medina County, and Grafton, Lorain County, Ohio. He appears in the 1850 Census as a gunsmith and in the 1860 Census as a "Master Mechanic". He does not appear to have run a large shop-the 1850 Manufacturer's Census lists only one employee and, that year, produced twenty guns. See Hutslar, Ohio Gunsmiths and Allied Tradesmen, Volume III, pp. 141, 144, and 184.

The following Pierce guns and accessories (lots XXX-XXX) have descended in the Pierce family.

Condition: Photos are in generally poor shape with significant wear and losses.

Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by our Conditions of Sale.

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