VAM galleries including this work:
Frazier Historical Arms Museum | Everyday Life || VAM Home

The Schützenfest is a target shooting festival that originated in late medieval Europe in the German-speaking states and in Switzerland. During the 1500s, crossbows gave way to firearms as the preferred arms for these contests. Two centuries later, immigrants began bringing the traditions of the Schützenfest to America. The first German-American Schützenverein, or shooting club, started in Philadelphia in 1846, and others soon followed in cities with German or Swiss communities. American Schuetzen parks offered diversions similar to those of a fair or an amusement park. Although some of their competitions included long-range contests, most concentrated on easier-to-organize, shorter-range contests and shooting booths. Some clubs awarded prizes of more than $1,000—extremely impressive considering that workers at that time often made around 50 cents a day.

About the Artist

Armorer Johann Ulrich Baenziger crafted this European target rifle; his name is visible on the body. It features a breech-loading, single-shot Martini-type lever action and is fitted with set and hair triggers to permit great accuracy. Derived from an American invention patented in 1862, the Martini action was quite popular in Europe for both military and sporting rifles. The great popularity of target shooting in the Germanic countries helped ensure the continuation of the traditional craftsmanship of fine arms makers.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: Why do you think a gun used for a shooting festival would be decorated so ornately? Do you think someone might use a gun like this for hunting? Why or why not? What qualities of art does this item include? What artistic choices would the gunmaker have made?

Activities: List other customs that Germans and other immigrant groups brought to America. Which are art-related? Create a poster for a classroom display.

Research festivals held in Kentucky that reflect the customs of other countries or cultures. Create a calendar showing the festivals that take place during the year.

The beautiful examples of etching, carving, and engraving on this rifle represent the same techniques first developed and used by medieval artists to decorate armor and make prints of drawings. Research the origins of etching and printmaking. Who were the noted artists of the Medieval and Renaissance periods who used etching and engraving to create masterworks that are on display in museums today?

Links

Web sites where you can learn more about German culture include GermanCulture.com and the German Culture and History links page.
[www.germanculture.com.ua]
[www.serve.com/shea/culture.htm]

Find out about special events in Kentucky at the Kentucky Tourism web site.
[travel.ky.gov/events.aspx]