While most certainly all of us can hum the familiar notes of the "Stars and Stripes Forever," and some of us might recognize that upbeat tempo of "The Liberty Bell" is the theme song of the classic British comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus. I would bet very few are aware that on November 6th 2013, the nation celebrated the 159th birthday of the man behind these patriotic compositions, one of the most remarkable and interesting men of the Gilded Age, the "March King," John Phillip Sousa.

Sousa was a Man's man. Not only did Sousa enjoy Rock Star status as an artist, he was an expert horseman, formidable boxer, baseball enthusiast, avid hunter and passionate live pigeon and trap shooter. Sousa began shooting seriously in 1906 competing at the invitation of prestigious eastern gun clubs and even the Grand National Handicap event in Vandalia, Ohio. From that time forward he was dedicated to the sport and served it in any capacity his busy professional life as an internationally acclaimed musician and composer would allow.

Wherever John Philip Sousa traveled, his fame preceded him and he drew large crowds from a generous and kindly press. His attendance at any shoot was usually accompanied by headline publicity which generated an increased interest in trapshooting and popularized its contestants. When asked by a Chicago reporter while attending the Grand what he considered life's best gifts, he replied "A Horse, A Dog, A Gun, and a Girl - with Music on the Side" which was the wonderful title of an article that had written for the American Shooter magazine.

Because of the scope and size of this archive, Emilio's materials are presented in two lots.

Perhaps no other company embraced the Sousaeffect more than the Ithaca Gun Co. Throughout the early 1900s, the King had been satisfied in competing in handicap events with a trusty

Prussian-made Charles Daly Single Barrel Trap. However, with the advent of WWI, Sousa thought it his patriotic duty to look to an American gun to assuage his deep hunger for perfection. In 1914, literally as the first shots were being fired, Ithaca rolled out its variation on the single barrel theme. Sousa having witnessed the new found success this new breed ordered a special gun in 1916 that incorporated many of the stock characteristics of his familiar Daly but personalized with a singular aesthetic beauty featuring fine English scrollwork across the action body, chamber area and appended metal, and identified with the initials "JPS" in a gold shield inlaid along the stock's toe line. The end result was very appealing and the Company, determined to promote their new creation, negotiated the branding rights to this most specialspecial order calling it the "Sousa Grade." They used the premise of the J.P.S. gun and added even more embellishments to this new design adding it to their product line in single and double barrel configurations. Naturally this exclusivity would be expensive and the new grade designation would be punctuated with gold inlays of dogs and ducks. The trigger guard would bear a relief engraved figure of a buxom mermaid in full splendor. Ithaca master engraver William McGraw was up to the task and the finished product would be worthy of the badge of honor and price tag it carried… $500 in 1918.

Ithaca factory records suggest that as few as 21 Sousa Grade single trap and only 11 Sousa double guns (including a lone .410) were ordered during their brief incarnation from 1916-1938. By 1938 Sousa had passed, the price tag had doubled to $1000, and with it the name was changed to reflect price, becoming the $1000 Grade. The last of the Sousa Grade guns produced (and the only magnum) recently graced the auction gallery of James D. Julia Inc as Lot 1421 in their October, 2013 sale. The gun is described in part:

TRULY EXCEPTIONAL, ONE-OF-A-KIND, ITHACA NID SOUSA/ $1000 GRADE 12 GAUGE MAGNUM. SN 500536... Case hardened action is crisply filed and engraved with exceptional, relief, medium scroll with ribbons running through pattern framing full relief gold inlaid dogs and game in extensively shaded vignettes. Scroll engraved trigger guard bow is gold inlaid with classic Sousa Grade jubilantly proud bare chested mermaid... Ithaca Gun Co invoice for this gun listed as $1000 grade, dated Nov 15, 1938, and sold for $1000.00 plus extras, including beavertail forend at $21.65, recoil pad at $2.25, and ivory sights at $1.10, for a total of $1025.00 to E. J. Britt of Lumberton, NC. CONDITION: Excellent as found…An incredibly rare investment quality Ithaca.

The response to the pre-auction publicity for this great rarity suggested that there would be serious collector interest having been just recently discovered in the possession of the original owner's extended family since its purchase, and remaining in original, unmolested condition. Besides, where are you going to find another one... ain't gonna happen! As with the handful of Sousa Grade Single Barrel Trap guns marketed by Julia's in the past, the collector base was narrow, yet very focused. What the market lacked in breadth and depth was more than compensated for by passion and resolve for ownership rights. By the time the smoke had cleared from the battlefield, a new caretaker had emerged, investing $69,000 to own a piece of Americana like no other. The final price representing a 4.14 x premium over the original sticker price as measured in 1938 dollars–a premium price in any era.