I recently got a large picture collection that belonged to "Shiff The Gunman" who died back in 1952,among the photos were 3 taken by Ned Roberts June 22,1940. The photos are of Elmer Wolfs ,home ,shop, and of himself ,and Major Jerome Clark of Purcelville Va. as you can see he lived pretty rusticly,with his barrel rifling machine in front of his small shop .

Thanks, Don. Thurmont is right over the hill from where I grew up.

Gary, Road trip!! maybe his old shop and rifiling machine is still standing !

Thank you VERY much Don! Great pieces of history !!!

Neat old pictures, it reminds me of my grandpa and grandma's place when I was a kid....except for the muzzleloaders. Thanks for posting them Don

Makes you appreciate how hard it was back in the days, basically working out of a chicken coop to manufacture a piece of americana !!! you just know it took forever to make a rifle. Don

Very nice. Love to see these old photos!!!!!

Thanks for posting the pictures. Informative.

Ned Roberts mentions him in his book on cap lock rifles, and includes one or two of these pics as I recall. I'm not home to access it right now.

I was in Thurmont yesterday, but joyriding with a buddy in his '86 Lotus Esprit- the road, MD. Rt.77, from Smithsburg to Thurmont (right past Camp David) is one of the greatest sports car roads in the country. Ten miles of clean smooth winding road through the prettiest little mountains.

I wonder exactly where Mr. Wolf lived. There is a Wolfsville close by there, a little crossroads of a place.

C'mon down, Don, and we'll search him out (or have fun trying)!

Gary, Thanks for the offer ,just a little to close to the mason -dixon line for me !!!! Im sure you could find that place on one of your jaunts,take care. Don

Pretty neat old pictures. For those of us on the other side of the country a little history on Mr. Wolf would be appreciated.

You guys know as much as i do!!!,thats all i know what was written on the back of the photos. I think he was mentioned in Ned Roberts book ,"The muzzle loading caplock rifle". Don

Found this online:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005679078/

Well thats pretty neat! even if i couldn't enlarge them. i'm thinking they were take 1940 since they were taken by Ned Roberts also, thanks. Don

Here's what the notes say:

Notes:

This record contains unverified, old data from shelflist card.

Photographs by N.H. Roberts of Goffstown, N.H. Contributed in 1946 by the National Rifle Association through its Librarian, Mr. Leo Thiel, of Washington.

My hunch is that the photo is from the same roll as your three. Mr.Wolf is dressed the same, though I doubt his attire varied all that much.