Cedar Crest College Alumnae Association – 2019 Cedar Crest College Alumnae Association Auction
Auction Ends: Mar 18, 2019 09:00 PM EDT

Memorabilia

Big Bang Cannon!

Item Number
123
Estimated Value
150 USD
Sold
75 USD to 86lt
Number of Bids
7  -  Bid History

Item Description

10FC Junior Field Cannon

Now with LARGE red wheels for Civil War Cannon design. Features automatic charger mechanism for rapid, multiple firing. Made of cast iron and sheet metal, from the original 1935 tooling.  

(17"L x 5"W x 5 1/2"H, 3.80 lbs. 109dB)

400 Shots 

BIG-BANG® Cannons are made by The Conestoga Company, Inc., which has been based in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, since its founding in 1912.

In 1907, a young assistant professor of physics at Lehigh University, James Hunter Wily, patented the carbide cannon. Soon he saw the value of his invention as a safe and sane toy, and in 1912, started manufacturing BIG-BANG® Cannons. They quickly became a favorite among kids of all ages, and have remained so ever since.

The black field cannons haven't changed much since Wily's time. In 1958, the company introduced its green military cannons, which features rubber wheels. Brass replicas of the cast iron BIG-BANG® Cannons made from 1916 to 1934 are highly popular among collectors and as corporate gifts for valued employees.

BIG-BANG® Cannons are still made in the rolling hills of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Conestoga Company, Inc. remains a family business. Wily ran the company until 1955. In the late 1970s, The Conestoga Company, Inc. was sold to local entrepreneur Ercole Spinosa.