182: A SMILING MAN IN THE MOON IRON SHOOTING GALLERY TARGET

An iron caricature of the Man in the Moon cast in great detail with toothy grin and mirthful eyes accentuated in ways not typically found on shooting gallery targets. The open mouth and eye openings reveal the bright red of an iron gong on back that sounds a tone when struck. Any target with this much impact would have had a prominent place in a shooting gallery. One of only a couple known to exist, this example, manufactured by Emil Hoffmann of Chicago is illustrated in their undated trade catalog from around 1912 on Gallery 35 and is similar to an even rarer Man in the Moon target by H.C. Evans. The only known Evans example is being offered in this auction (lot 192).

Pictured on page 66 of Sellers' book (Figure 5.7).
Measures 14.75 inches in diameter.
Very good original condition, noting one broken tooth, there are no other issues of damage or repair, light wear and oxidation to the rare original surface.
$6,000 - $8,000