September 15, 16, & 17, 2026 Firearms & Militaria
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
Lot #2348:
INCREDIBLY RARE BOGARDUS SHOOTING GALLERY CLARK STREET PROMOTIONAL GLASS TARGET BALL.
According to every previous sale for this glass target ball that this writer could find, it is one of the rarest and holds a record second highest price realized according to our research. (That may have changed but still indicates that it is very rare indeed) . Captain Bogardus ran this gallery between 1876 and 1878, about the time he patented his glass targets as well as specialized launchers. It is a standard type 2 5/8" Bogardus Glass Works diamond pattern ball but is embossed at the top around the neck " BOGARDUS GLASS BALL PAT APRIL 10, 77" rather than the usual center rib. On the base of this ball is embossed " FROM BOGARDUS SHOOTING GALLERY 158TH SOUTH CLARK STREET CHICAGO. Ball is in the rare dark beer bottle brown amber. It is in excellent condition and arguably one of the finest and rarest of all the early glass target balls made during that short time between 1877 through 1883.