a really long time ago

Ilya Zomb (Russian,b.1960)

The Niche of Tulips and Hermits

DEVIL SHOOTING TARGET

USA, 1910–1920

Cast iron, gold

19 × 15 × 9 cm

Ping! Bam! Clang! Such are the ear-piercing sounds that used to excite thrill seekers at target-shooting galleries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Commonly seen at early midways, carnivals, saloons and other places where people sought amusement, shooting galleries invited all comers, young and old, to step up, take aim and hopefully hit the target and win a prize. Each target was a sturdy, painted cast-iron form, usually replicating an animal or human figure.

The very rare cast iron Devil shooting gallery target presented here is attributed to H. C. Evans & Company of Chicago, Illinois. It retains its wonderful vibrant red in-use painted surface.

Rae Klein (American,b.1995)