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LOT 1020
Historically Significant, Documented, Exquisite John Ulrich Signed Factory Engraved, Gold Inlaid and Carved Winchester Deluxe Model
1886 Takedown Lever Action Rifle Commissioned as a Factory Exhibition Display Piece and Shipped to Texas Entrepreneur J.W. Flanagan with Factory Letter - Serial no. 152233, 33 WCF cal., 24 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This beautiful special order, carved deluxe Winchester Model 1886 rifle was engraved and gold inlaid by celebrated Winchester factory Master Engraver John Ulrich, who has signed his masterpiece behind the trigger. This is a historically significant, highly finished Winchester with factory records clearly identifying it as a well-traveled factory exhibition gun showcasing Ulrich’s superb artistry and indicating it ultimately ended in the hands of Texas entrepreneur J.W. Flanagan. The combination of factory artistry and interesting exhibition history make this rifle a one-of-a-kind work-of-art. It will certainly be a standout Ulrich masterpiece in the most advanced collection.
The accompanying factory letter for this astonishing work of firearms art confirms the round barrel in .33 Winchester caliber, half magazine, takedown configuration, fancy pistol grip stock with style “A” carving and oil finish, hard rubber shotgun butt, and engraving and gold inlay by John Ulrich at a cost of $100 and 297 grains worth of gold. Note the factory records specifically lists the engraver, leaving no doubts that the embellishment was carried out by renowned Master Engraver John Ulrich. The factory letter also provides a large series of dates which is typical with Winchester’s well-traveled exhibition pieces that were showcased at various World’s Fairs, other international exhibitions,
American exhibitions, and sometimes at important dealers. Included with many of these dates are references to certain individuals, a detail often missing from the factory ledgers. The following is the series of entries along with our analysis.
Received in the warehouse on August 21, 1914 Shipped from the warehouse on October 7, 1914, to F.H. Simonds, New York City-sample consignment account
Credit Simonds Commercial Photo Company
sample consignment account on December 29, 1914, Order number 607026 Frank H. Simonds was a well-respected historian and journalist in the period
and spent many years covering international affairs for The Hartford Courant.
He also published multiple volumes on the U.S. involvement in the First World War and international politics. He was also one of the incorporators of the Simonds Commercial Photo Company, Inc., at 818 Chapel Street in New Haven, Connecticut, the hometown of Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The business was a wholesale and retail photographic business credited in period publications for photographs. The rifle appears to have been sent to Simonds for photography for Winchester advertisements or possibly another publication. Sample consignment December 29, 1914
Charge I.L. Lippencott, sample consignment January 5, 1915, Order number 606933a
Returned February 25, 1916, Order number 74086
Charge Exhibition Showcase sample consignment account on March 2, 1916, Order number 770529
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