Page 20 - Nov 2020 JOA

Some of the earliest decorated powder horns were produced during Another wonderful example can be seen in a horn
King George’s War (1744-1748) and featured gothic lettering, animal owned by Captain James Hawell, who evidently
figures, foliate decorations, and geometric designs. One example traveled the Hudson River North from New
belonged to Stephen Parks of Concord, who had his horn decorated in York City to Albany and parts beyond and
1747. It is one of a set of powder horns whose carvings are attributed engraved this route on his horn, dated July
to the same anonymous maker who drew heavily from European design 14, 1760. A map of the Hudson River
precedents. The horn is engraved with various forms of wildlife includ- winds around this fifteen-inch horn,
ing owls, fish, deer, moose, rabbits, foxes, and even unicorns. These real splitting above Albany on one side to
and fanciful creatures speak to the imagination of soldiers venturing follow the Mohawk River to Lake
into uncharted territory. Ontario and, on the other side, con- Captain James Hawell
tinues with the Hudson to Lake powder horn, July 14,
1760. Invaluable.com
Champlain. Along the way, the
Stephen Parks Powder Horn, engraver included over two dozen
c.1747. Concord Museum towns and forts, each one named
Collection, Anonymous Gift; and rendered with exquisite and
Gift of the Cummings Davis individually distinct architectural
Society; Gift of the Philip and features. Like the previous example,
Betsey C. Caldwell Captain Hawell likely sought this design
Foundation; Gift of Mr. as a record of his experiences to show to
Charles N. Grichar (2007)
family and friends back home.

Innovation and
Influence: John Bush

A skilled horn carver could
execute original patterns for their
client, but most based their
decorations on other powder horns
in their camp. If one artist
produced a compelling product,
others would replicate and adopt
the same design. This often
resulted in artistic cohorts whose
output is, today, grouped together
based on shared visual traits, even
This artistic tradition continued into the so-called “Golden Age” of in the absence of their signatures. Such a phenomenon took place in
decorated powder horns, which took place during the French and the military camps south of Lake George led by John Bush, a master
Indian War (1755-1763). In the frontier outposts, soldiers carried of the genre whose decorated powder horns influenced an entire
horns adorned with animals and floral motifs, as well as depictions of generation of artisans.
what soldiers witnessed on their travels, such as ships, cities, landscapes, Born in 1725, Bush was a free man of color from Shrewsbury,
and forts. One such powder horn belonged to Thomas Smith Diamond Massachusetts who served as a soldier and clerk with the Massachusetts
and was made in 1756. On one side depicts Fort William Henry, a militia during the French and Indian War and was stationed at Fort
British fort in upstate New York that was a staging ground for sieges William Henry between 1755 and 1756. It is unknown where or when
against the French and protected valuable waterways from New York he learned to carve, though extant powder horns suggest there were
City to Montreal. The fort is rendered in a three-inch square plan with carvers in Shrewsbury in the 1740s when Bush was a teenager.
incredible detail, showing the individual wooden beams and bricks of Being employed as a clerk indicated that Bush could read and write
each army barrack, the texture of the ground, and even the small stair- and had good handwriting. He likely based his designs on print sources
ways visible through the windows of the buildings. The remainder of available in the camps, such as Bibles, military commissions, and
the horn has an engraved geometric design and an inscription identify- engraved trade cards which all featured Gothic, Germanic, Renaissance,
ing Diamond, his location, and the date of the carving. This impressive and copperplate lettering. The latter is evident in the powder horns he
visual record of a soldier’s time in the war was likely intended to be a decorated, all of which bear a distinctive and graceful copperplate
souvenir that he could take back to Britain. script. Bush’s powder horns are marked by their highly stylized capital
letters, borders consisting of flowers and feather-like shells, and incised
geometric patterns surrounding or separating the inscription.

Thomas Smith Diamond There is only one known powder horn signed by Bush, though
powder horn, October 23, 1756. many others are credibly attributed to his hand. The signed horn, made
Historic Deerfield, September 8, 1755, bears Bush’s signature, along with the inscription
The William H. Guthman Collection about its owner Thomas Williams, an army surgeon, and a short poem:
of American Engraved Powder Horns
hen Bows and weighty Spears were used in Fight /
Twere nervous Limbs Declard men
Wof might / But Now Gun Powder Scorns
such Strength to own / And Heroes not by Limbs But
Souls are Shown.”

Another horn owned by William Williams, nephew to Thomas
Williams, bears strikingly similar decorative elements and calligraphy to
the one above. Though unsigned, it was almost certainly carved by
John Bush. His trademark elements are all there, including the clean
and bold calligraphy with decorative flourishes surrounded by scrolled
or foliated borders.

18 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles