A Brief History Of The Passenger Pigeon Comes To Auction
Many of the items in the case belonged to Jacob Weisel (1802-84), a pigeon/trapper that lived in north Williamsport, Pa. Documentation states that many of these items were used in the 1850s. The items themselves were collected by Charles H. Eldon (1852-1930), a taxidermist from Williamsport. Eldon mounted these items for display and presented them to Henry Wharton Shoemaker (1880-1958) several years after the last passenger pigeon had died. Shoemaker was a Pennsylvania renaissance man who excelled as a writer, folklorist, historian, diplomat, and soldier. Shoemaker espoused Teddy Roosevelts theories on conservation and was well known in his own right for supporting various conservation initiatives in Pennsylvania.
The 19th-century framed grouping of pigeon capture relics will be sold during Alderfers sale held live and online. Alderfers is located at 501 Fairgrounds Road, Hatfield, Pa.
For further information or to view the catalog, visit www.alderferauction.com.