Can you identify these top shooters of yesteryear

I can identify 3 but not all 6 of them. No guesses need actual names.

 

Wish I could help... Great 1880`s photo of some winners of the Dean Richmond Trophy...

Trap3

 

25nout,

I agree that it looks very much like the Dean Richmond Trophy, but there appears to be some differences.

Can you help with a shooter name, year of photo, or give the State the shooters were from if you know?

HB

 

I don't know the year, but judging by the guns it would appear early 1880's. I'l post the bottom 3 as who I think they may be next week. Can't do it earlier as I am traveling & won't be home. Submit names if you like & let's compare.

 

My guess . . . . 1878-1882. While the shooters share some familiarities of some well-known old crack shots, I have not been able to conclusively identify any of them.

I do believe they were State Shoot winners.

HB

 

OK sorry for the delay. I believe that I may have a few of these ID's right. I know the spelling is off. L To R, bottom, Doc Carver, Bogarious, & Ligowsky. Back left, Ira Paine, not really sure of the next 2, any help would be appreciated. Again I believe this is about 1880's maybe earlier?

 

I don`t believe Capt. Bogardus or Carver ever competed for the Dean Richmond Trophy. Plus I think Bogardus was born in 1833...
I too believe photo from 1879 or 1880...
Trap3

 

Paine was born in 1837... from photos I`ve seen, they look too young to be the shooters you have listed...

Trap3

 

In 1880, the age of the shooters mentioned would be:

Carver - 40
Bogardus - 47
Ligowsky - 23
Paine - 43

The trophies in the picture are New York trophies.

The larger badge on the shooter sitting in the center of the picture is also a New York trophy.

The New York State Shoot would be my guess.

HB

 

Thank you HB, do you agree with Carver, Bogardus & Ligowsky? Not sure about Paine. Thought I iD the middle as Hindmarsh, but maybe not as if I keep the date of 1880 he would be too young? Never got a hit on the name of the last shooter back row on far right.

 

The Hindmarsh you mentioned, is that Percy J. Hindmarsh (1860-1935)? If so, he would have been just 20 but I don't recall him traveling to shoot in the East.

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Photo of a young Ligowsky...

 

Trap3,

Did you ever find any reports of Ligowsky actually shooting? I've never found any.

I can see how 25nout saw similarities with Ira Paine ( mustache & hair parted in middle) and Captain Bogardus (hair style with flip). But I think the fellow sitting on the left looks a little like Mr. Paine and the fellow sitting on the right looks more like Captain Bogardus. Doc Carver usually was pictured with long hair in the back.

No 25nout, I'm just not able to identify any of these notable shooters in the picture. There are some similarities for sure, but I'll stay with my assumption that these fellows were all New York shooters. Only residents could shoot in the contest for the Dean Richmond (3-man team), Livingston Sportsmen's Association Cup (2-man team) and the R. V. Pierce badge. There would be no reason for the men you mentioned to be in the picture with these trophies.

Both the Livingston SA cup and Pierce badge went out of competition in 1884 when the rules were changed allowing the winners to take possession of the trophies. There was no NY State Shoot in 1883 due to a lack of live-birds and a club willing to hold the shoot. All of a sudden, it was too late to hold the shoot so the story goes.

HB

 

HB, I don`t have any history of Ligowsky competing. I believe Ligowsky was more involved in the development and support of his targets, thrower and promoting the sport of Trapshooting. I would have to agree with your conclusion of the gentlemen in the old photo...

Trap3

 

Wow, Thanks for posting the pics & also your suggestions on who these shooters were. You really changed my selection of notable shooters. It looks as if you have identified the Dean Richmond Trophy on the left. Thanks & good to have so much interest.

 

I'm pretty confident the large badge on the chest of the shooter sitting in the middle is the R. V. Pierce diamond badge.

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While I don't have a picture of the Livingston County Sportsmen's Association Cup, it is described as a magnificent sterling silver bowl of a capacity of about a gallon, ornamented by two guns crossed on either side. Cropping your picture degraded the resolution but it's my firm belief that it fits the description of the Livingston trophy. What's your view?

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From what State is the Diamond Badge, Iowa started in 1902. Yes I do see the Livingston Trophy, again New York?

 

25nout, You could be referring to the historic Minnesota Diamond Badge... 1885
Not sure about Iowa...

Trap3

 

IOWA...

 

It is my belief that the two trophies and the badge on the chest of the middle seated shooter are all New York awards given to winners of the respective events during the State Shoot.

I have narrowed the years from 1878 to 1882.

While there are several states who presented diamond badges, the R. V. Pierce Diamond Badge was presented at the New York State Shoot.

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25nout

That's a beautiful picture of the Ottumwa Diamond Badge of Iowa. Is Russell Klein's name on the first plate as the 1902 winner?

Are you referring to Percy John Hindmarsh ?

 

Yes Russell Klein is the 1st name on the badge. The next year finds 4 namesT. A. Marshall, O. C. Bottcer, J. Hindmarsh and W. P. Crospy.
Yes, Percy John Hindmarsh, the inventor of the auto loading glass ball trap if my story is correct.

 

I thought so since Russell Klein was the first winner of the Ottumwa Diamond Badge. There were seven shooters who killed all 10 pigeons. In the shoot-off, Mr. Klein was the winner. He had to kill 22 straight.

Reports have P. J. Hindmarsh as the 1903 winner and newspaper articles have his last name incorrectly spelled HINDMAN. However, there were 11 shooters tied with 10 straight kills and they agreed to divide the purse but carry over the championship to the next event. Only four went straight at 12 birds each: T. A. Marshall, W. R. Crosby, P. J. Hindmarsh and O. C. Bottger. The State Association was out of live birds and the three other men agreed to let Percy J. Hindmarsh have the Ottumwa badge.

I have a list of 26 U. S. patents being granted to Mr. Hindmarsh, of which one was a ball trap.

But, regarding your picture, I'm still pretty sure they are all New York Shooters with those New York trophies & badge.

HB

 

Those look like awful long barrels on the guns in the picture. Does any one know their exact length? Roger C.

 

I noticed how important a pocket watch was in those days..

 

HB, I think you have throughly convinced me that they are NY shooters, of whom we may never know their names. It's our history & we have not been very careful to preserve such docs as these. I am honored by the fact that you have the knowledge to at least give me(us)some insight on these historic events. Just a point of clarification, the Ottumwa Badge, the second bar does have the 4 names as listed above, and yes they initially agreed that the badge would go to Hindmarsch. What happened to change that is the fun of researching our trapshooting history. With kind regards,

 

Well 25nout, I do happen to have the names of the Dean Richmond 3-man team, the Livingston Sportsmen's Association 2-man Doubles team and the Pierce Diamond Badge winners for the years 1878-1882. I wrote them down on a napkin a couple weeks ago and must have thrown it away. I even attempted to identify each name on Ancestry.com with the hope that an ancestor had posted a family tree which had a picture. Regrettably, I failed to find verifiable ancestors or any photographs. I plan to continue this research as time permits.

This morning, I was drawn to duplicate my research. I'll post them when I conduct a second verification. I was having trouble finding some of their scores and remain hopeful that I will be able to locate them.

Sometime ago I came upon a picture of a Hindmarsh ball trap. Looks pretty neat.

Enjoy Our History,

HB

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My information has the ball trap being 8 feet long with the shooter standing on the platform(board) & releasing the ball by a foot release? Perhaps this one was attached to a longer board? I am not sure if this pic is a complete ball trap? Really not that sure as so much of this historic relics are clouded.

 

P.J. Hindmarsh Target Trap U.S. Patent # 894738 July 28, 1908... Not your "plug and play" Target Ball Trap...



Trap3

 

WOW, That Hindmarsh trap has to be one rare baby.

I wonder if he could add boards to this trap to lengthen the distance from the shooter ?

I wondered what those small black balls I have were used for.