Charles Coombs Billiard Room

Charles Coombs Billiard Room

Charles Coombs' Billiard Room There are numerous items of interest in this view of Charles Coombs' billiard room. Beginning in the upper right of the photograph one can see a stuffed 8 point buck. As Charles Coombs was a taxidermist, it is probably safe to say that the work was done by him. Nestled between the antlers is a wasp's nest and behind that a saber or cutlass type sword without knucklebow and scabbard. Below the mounted head are several pistols and rifles. Included are two derringers with pearl handles on either side of the deer head and a revolver hanging from a hook on the shield plaque. Below that is a musket which is probably a civil war era rifled, percussion lock type rifle. As evidenced by the double trigger mechanism, where one trigger is used to set and the second lighter touch trigger to fire the weapon, it may well have been a sharpshooter's rifle. Below the musket is a pair of what appears to be Colt 1851 Navy or Navy Revolvers, cap and ball revolvers that were designed by Samuel Colt between 1847 and 1850 or similar. The revolvers are separated by a pair of Hiatt Darby Type 104 handcuffs. Below that is a matchlock rifle of unknown vintage. Also in this view one can see, what appears to be, two Mahjong sets in their wooden storage cases, one on the floor and one atop the billiard table. The billiard table is a carom billiard table, in that it does not have pockets and is played with three balls. The three standard balls in most carom billiards games consist of a completely white cue ball, a second cue ball with typically a red or black dot on it (to aid in differentiation between the two cue balls), and a third, red ball. Cues, such as those in the rack to the right, are typically shorter than standard pool cues. Above the table is a string of wooden scoring beads used to keep score. Behind the billiard table is a gun case where the side edges of several sets of what appears to be traditional Huron snowshoes, as well as a set of antlers can be seen on top. On the extreme right (partial view) is decorative plate similar to Imari ware.