Meet The Charter Members Of
THE

JOE KNAPP CLUB

 

 

 

The Old Man & Dodi ?

J.P. & J.F. Knapp

(click to enlarge pic)

 

One thing I've noticed about several Knapp Co. (1899-1929) prints is that they seem to portray a lot of Knapp family interests. Horses, Dogs, Boating, Golfing, etc. You'll see them sprinkled about this website illustrating my points of " art imitating Knapp life". This print "Over The Top" stock number 712-2 was available from the Knapp Co. the art division of American Lithographic, for calendars, blotters, advertising etc. Of all the ones I've seen, this print seems to really hit the nail on the head in several ways. To call Joseph P. Knapp a "duck hunting enthusiast" would be the understatement of the century (19th or 20th). He founded the organization "More Game Birds In America" in 1929 which became "Ducks Unlimited". In the 1930s he spent 9 months of the year at his hunting lodges in Lew Beach, NY, Mackey Island, North Carolina, and Canada. His son Joseph F. "Dodi" also shared his fathers interests and passions for hunting, fishing and recreation. He took early retirement in 1929 at age 37 to pursue them. In fact the artist of "Over The Top" may of been commissioned or inspired by a photo or two of the father and son. (notice the headgear on both in the painting) Then take a look at this photo of J. P. Knapp sitting in a duck blind and this unconfirmed photo of his son J. F. Knapp.

 

 

Joe & Dodi Knapp?

Joseph P. & possibly his son Joseph F. Knapp ?

 UPDATE 2005 : I NOW HAVE CONFIRMED INFO* THAT THE GENTLEMAN IN THE FEDORA IS NOT JOSEPH F. KNAPP aka Dodie Knapp...IT IS IN FACT Dodie's longtime friend, personal secretery and legal counsel Edward A. Kiely esq

*confirmed by a Knapp Family member

The Joe Knapp Club

 

I first heard about this club from Sibby, Dodi's grandniece. She too is a hunting enthusiast. She was telling me about a custom engraved shotgun that someone acquired and wrote to her about looking for info on it. I believe this gun was made by either the A. H. Fox Co. or a gunsmith who worked for them. It was a custom made over & under gun 12 gauge. Among the features on it was a bust of Joseph Knapp in the stock and the inscription "Joe Knapp Club". The amazing thing was just two days before she told me about this gun, Ray Farmer an old high school buddy was telling me about one of his early trips inside the freshly abandoned Knapp Mansion in Mastic Beach. He talked about the engraved shotguns hidden in the wall safes behind the paintings in the ballroom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 1922 Fox Price List.....the "E" stood for ejector

I don't know if the Joe Knapp Club ever amounted to more than just a bunch of business cronies, who were hunting buddies. However I've been wrong before so many times about this Knapp family, so lets just say anything is and was possible. After all J. P. leased the Connecticut (Carmen's) River from the Smith family in the 1890's, just to go hunting. They could afford to be as formal or informal as they wanted to. If there is anyone out there who has seen anything or knows anything about the Joe Knapp Club or custom A. H. Fox of Philadelphia guns , please get in touch.

 

E Mail

 

UPDATE MARCH 2004

 

Last October I received a flurry of e mails from a Bill Murphy, regarding a Joe Knapp Club shotgun he had came into possession of. It was owned by a Detroit area millionaire Lester Ruwe. Bill said it was a Winchester and dated it to be circa 1930's. The fact that there were now two manufacturers of these guns led me to believe there may of been more members of the Joe Knapp Club than I thought. Of course I was very eager to see it and although Bill said he would send me some photos of it, they did not arrive until June 5 2004 and you can see them here

Then about two weeks ago I got an e mail from Mr. James E. Fender in New Hampshire. He too had a Joe Knapp Club model and this one was an A. H. Fox! Well today photos of Jim's Super Fox arrived. They were taken by gun stockmaker David Travallion. Jim has written a feature article on The Super Fox and the Joe Knapp Club that will be forthcoming in a 2004 issue af "Shooting Sportsman" magazine.

 

 

Mr. Ducks Unlimited

Joseph Palmer Knapp 1937

 

 

 

 

1923 A. H. Fox HE 12 bore

 

 

According to Jim Fender this Super Fox HE 12 bore was one of the first ten made in the HE version. The gun was designed specifically for duck and water fowl hunting. It was delivered to Walter G. Clark in 1923. I did a little checking and the most likely Walter G. Clark who owned this gun, was this gentleman shown below in a 1907 photo in the N Y Times.

 

 

Clark was an electrical engineer and inventor (The Helion Light) and appears in many articles from 1900 - 1930's in major newspapers for both scientific and society reasons. He also was a golfer and Pinehurst was one of the clubs he played at. Joe Knapp a regular at the Pinehurst was always interested in inventors and I'm sure an inventor of merit, who also went to Joe's school , Columbia University and played a strong game of golf was a prime candidate for membership in The Joe Knapp Club

 

 

 

 

I still have to wonder how many of these Joe Knapp Club guns were made and how many of the ones left behind in the Knapp Mansion in Mastic Beach are still out there somewhere? If you know anything...don't be shy .....

e mail me he here

Again special thanks to Sibby for originally telling me about the Joe Knapp Club and to Mr. Jim Fender for really coming through.

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CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE A.H. FOX WEBSITE
OF MASTER GUNSMITH A. GALAZAN

 

 

 

 

VISIT THE KNAPP LODGE
MACKEY ISLAND NORTH CAROLINA

 

 

"First Shot"

Knapp Co 1898

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