The Dead Deer [manuscript title within the drawing]
Mercer, PA: 1869. Pen-and-ink drawing on paper, 16 1/2 x 20 inches, probably for a newspaper or periodical advertisement, depicting a slain 12-point buck lying on the ground in a mountainous terrain, trees in the background, vegetation in the foreground, a sad- looking hound curled up beside the deer; in the left foreground is a cluster of overlapping 3 x 1 3/4 inch business cards, one for the artist, "Mercer Gun Shop / J.R. Williams. / Manufacturer and / Dealer / in / Rifles, / Shot Guns, / ... / Repairing / of all kind / Done on / The / Shortest / Notice," and four others for local Mercer businesses, a bank, a restaurant, a hotel, and an inn. The illustration and ads are enclosed within a thin black rule. Jesse R. Williams (1830-1914), a Civil War veteran, lived in Mercer county most of his life and worked as a farmer, river boat pilot, gunsmith, hotel owner, and ferry operator. Some browning, but very good, and a wonderful evocation of mid-19th century deer hunting. One abrasion causing a short crack in the image. (#8475). Item #61320
Price: $2,250.00