George Thackeray Abbey - (CHICAGO) Queen Victoria –...

Letters Patent and Specification for improvements to breech-loading firearms. 1869. An exceptional original parchment set relating to the patent granted during the reign of Queen Victoria to George Thackeray Abbey, American gunsmith of Chicago, for his improvements to breech-loading firearms. The set consists of two large official pieces, kept with their old cover bearing in ink the name “George Thackeray Abbey.” The first, of particularly spectacular character, comprises the Letters Patent issued in the Queen’s name. It opens with the monumental calligraphic titulature “Victoria by the Grace of God,” dominating the royal arms of Great Britain. The legal text, carefully penned on parchment, is framed by a remarkable engraved composition: scrolls, flowers and fruits, putti, attributes of the arts and industry, allegorical figures, landscapes and ships form a sumptuous decorative border, enhanced by a double red rule. The second piece constitutes the Specification of the invention. George Thackeray Abbey therein sets out the improvements he intends to bring to the “breech loading fire arms,” i.e. to weapons loaded from the breech. It presents the same richness of ornament, combining manuscript text and engraved decoration, and closes with the clause attesting the inventor’s personal intervention: “In witness whereof I the said George Thackeray Abbey have hereunto set my hand and seal… ” The patent bears No. 2218 and is linked to the invention filed by Abbey in 1869, a decisive period in arms development: the gradual replacement of muzzle-loading weapons by mechanical systems enabling breech loading profoundly transformed the conception of military and hunting arms. The beneficiary’s personality adds particular interest to the set. George Thackeray Abbey, from Chicago and active in the arms trade, appears here as Gun Manufacturer. His invention testifies to the highly fruitful technical exchanges between American and British gunsmiths during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Beyond its interest for the history of weaponry, the document constitutes a remarkable testament to the solemnity attached to British royal patents under Victoria. The parchment’s size, the calligraphy, the sovereign’s arms and, above all, the exuberance of the engraved border convert an administrative and legal act into a true ceremonial object. A precious complete set preserved in its two parts, Letters Patent and Specification, and kept with its old cover in the name of George Thackeray Abbey. The parchments bear marks inherent to their conservation for over one hundred and fifty years: old creases, waviness, some stains and browning, small blotches and marginal wear. The set remains, however, highly decorative, with a splendid freshness of the large engraved compositions and excellent overall legibility of the texts. A spectacular Victorian industrial history piece, bringing together the history of techniques, Anglo-American firearms, and the grand tradition of English royal acts on parchment."

Schätzpreis:€550

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