Nimschke Engraved Colt Cloverleaf Revolvers

03-30-2017

Colt House Pistols, more commonly referred to as a "Cloverleaf," were not the manufacturer's most popular pistol. Produced only from 1871 - 1876, their total run was 9,952 revolvers. However, despite their lack of widespread success, these little self-protection guns incorporated several then recently-developed design features and even found some notoriety in their short lifespan.

Lot 2148: Documented L.D. Nimschke Engraved Colt Cloverleaf House Model Revolver with Extremely Rare Short Octagonal Barrel and Pearl Grips

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Fantastic Flops: Smith & Wesson Model 320

Lot 6224: Rare and Desirable Smith & Wesson Model 320 Revolving Rifle with 18" Barrel and Stock

In the 1800s, any idea for how to improve firearms was fair game, and it resulted in some inventions and innovations that are still in use today, virtually unchanged from their birth roughly 200 years ago. We have this golden age of firearm invention to thank for percussion firing systems, the pepperbox and revolver, cased, rimfire, and centerfire ammunition, the lever action, the bolt action, and even the earliest semi-automatic firearms. Obviously, these are the success stories the likes of which have changed firearms and even the fates of nations forever. However, for every success story there are dozens of ideas that didn't make it. Some didn't get the military contracts they needed, others were eclipsed by more popular designs, many were impractical, and then there were those that were just goofy or downright dangerous. Even the vaunted Smith & Wesson was not immune from the pitfalls of 19th Century firearms design. Case in point: the Model 320 revolving rifle.

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The Civil War Surgeon's Educated Colt Revolver

11/12/2016

There are times when you can look at a gun and know it has a story or two to tell. Guns that have earned their own name increase this likelihood exponentially. Take some famous examples, such as "The Hand of God" in the movie 3:10 to Yuma or Davy Crockett's "Old Betsy." Of course, this practice of naming weapons is not new, with references extending as far back as Thor's hammer Mjölnir and Beowulf's sword Naegling. Even in antiquity folks had a fondness for high-performing weapons that had gotten them through some tight spots.

The cased and silver plated Colt 1849 pocked of this article seemed destined to offer such services. Its silver finish beckons to the viewer - seldom does a revolver that can view its sesquicentennial in the rear view mirror possess such a lustre. Just like a bass tracking down a spinner bait, the shiny parts get the attention and draw you in, but this gun sets the hook deep when collectors see the numerous inscriptions on the prized revolver.

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A Loose Artifact of Jefferson Davis

Inscription reads, "Presented to Gen. Jefferson Davis, Late U.S. Sec. of War,
By the Workmen of Col. Colts Armory, Hartford, CT"

The history and political contributions of Jefferson Davis are well-documented so they will not be recounted here. Instead, attention will be brought to a small object in Rock Island Auction Company's 2016 December Premiere Firearms Auction. This object is rather unassuming in itself. In fact, close attention must be paid to know that it is anything special at all, but once light is shown on a single special feature, a whole new respect comes for the little collectible with a tremendous history. RIAC is proud to offer the presentation shoulder stock for a Colt 1851 Navy revolver, inscribed to then U.S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.

For more photos and the full story on this incredible item, please visit our blog on the RIAC homepage.

Samuel Colt and the Charter Oak

The Charter Oak, Charles DeWolf Brownell, 1857, oil on Canvas

If asked to talk about the Charter Oak, few Americans aside from Connecticut residents, American history professors, or dedicated Colt collectors would be able to touch on the topic. Yet, despite the recollections of the general public, the Charter Oak remains an enduring symbol of American independence. In a modern-day reference, the recent 1999 Connecticut state quarter recently featured its expansive boughs on its reverse. However, the story of the charter oak long predates Samuel Colt, or even the first white explorers to set foot on this continent.

The Oak

The Charter Oak began its life in the 12th or 13th century in an area populated by various Algonquian tribes. By the early 1600s the first Dutch explorers entered the area, notably Adrian Block who sailed the coast of the Long Island Sound, up what would become the Connecticut River, and up to where it joins the Park River, the current site of Hartford. In a 1614 journal entry (which I am unable to find and directly quote), Block notes a massive tree believed to be the Charter Oak.

By any measure, the tree was truly a giant. Sources state that the tree and branches measured some 70 feet across, while the trunk was said to be 33 feet around or "large enough that 27 persons have stood in the hollow." It's gnarled and gothic branches spread in a way that seems more jaggedly drawn by a child than in anything that could be considered stately. Often photographed in its last years without its foliage, the tree appears grotesque in design, but with its verdant mantle, Samuel Colt gushingly referred to it as the "aged monarch of the forest."

Last known photo of the standing Charter Oak, 1855

Dutchman Block also had much to do with accurately mapping the area, establishing trade with the local native Americans, and before long, Dutch and English settlements began to pop up in the area. In short order, the shared importance of the tree between Native American and European settler would become apparent, when in 1638 George Wyllys, third Governor of Connecticut, bought a parcel of land and was having it prepared to make a dwelling, clearing much of the local vegetation. Now known as Wyllys hill, this lot contained the Charter Oak, and as preparations were being made for the lot, a group of the Suckiag tribe came to Wyllys so that the tree might be spared. Known as their Peace Tree, it is said that local tribes held council meetings under its branches, and even tied their canoes to it during spring floods.

"[The Suckiag] came up to remonstrate against the cutting down of a venerable oak that stood... With the true eloquence of nature, the brown sons of the forest pleaded in behalf of the immemorial tree. 'It has been the guide of our ancestors for centuries' said they, 'as to the time of planting our corn. When the leaves are of the size of a mouse's ear, then is the time to put the seed in the ground.' At their solicitation the tree was permitted to stand, and continued to indicate the time when the earth was ready to receive the seed-corn; a vast legendary tree, that must have begun to show signs of decay a hundred years before that day..."

Whether the tree was saved on behalf of the Native Americans, or because the English feared them, or even because that lot was likely chosen primarily for its beautiful mature trees, is beside the point. The Charter Oak's importance had been imparted to the white man, who would soon give it an importance all his own.

The Charter

By 1639, Connecticut has already written and adopted its own sort of constitution called the Fundamental Orders. It established a government, but made no mention of jolly ol' England or her king. Eventually, John Winthrop ("Winthrop the Younger") decided to make things right, and apply for a charter from the king as so many other colonies had successfully done. Winthrop negotiated a very permissive charter from King Charles II, since both of their fathers ( John Winthrop, 1st Governor of Massachusetts and King Charles I) had been very close. In 1662, the Connecticut Charter was granted and all was well in the newly legitimized colony.

However, once the "Merry Monarch's" reign came to an end upon his death in 1685, his successor and brother, King James II, was not nearly so tolerant. In fact, he hated the liberal charters so much that in 1686 he consolidated several colonies into the "Dominion of New England," and revoked their previously issued charters to impose a firmer rule on the distant land. He tasked Sir Edmund Andros as Governor of the Domain and named him "Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over the Colonies of Massachusettes Bay and New Plymouth, the Provinces of New Hampshire and Maine, and the Narragansett count or King's Province."  You thought your job title was long. Andros apparently felt the need to collect the physical documents from each colony to finalize the revocation and demonstrate his control.

An Act of Rebellion

Andros was an arrogant man who likely loved every bit of his lengthy title. When retrieving the charter from Connecticut, he did this with all the fanfare and pomp one would expect from a power-hungry, vain statesman. A letter was set earlier to announce his arrival, and he later arrived on a handsome gray steed amidst trumpet fanfare and numerous armed red coats. He met with Governor Robert Treat and other politicians at Moses Butler's Tavern on Main Street, on October 26, 1687, with the intention of receiving the treaty. However, Treat refused to give the charter at this time, so the King himself arranged a meeting for the two parties to again meet on October 31 at a local public house.

The story goes that Gov. Treat was well-known to speak at length, and on that Halloween eve, did so until dusk, when two candelabras were brought in to light the room. When a frustrated Andros was finally able to speak, he demanded the charter, and stated that failing to present it would be treason. After all, he was "the King's Governor of all new England and that they in turn were all subjects of the king." Such treason would be punished with a splitting of Connecticut colony and dividing the land  between Massachusetts and New York. These threats were not taken lightly and the armed colonists present were likely making the red coats quite nervous. Governor Treat sent immediately for the charter, with Captain Joseph Wordsworth obliging. In the meantime, loud arguments were made about whether or not the charter should actually be delivered to Andros and his entourage, essentially arguing for rebellion against the king.

Such arguments reached a fever pitch when the treaty was brought into the room inside a locked chest. When it was opened, an older gentleman cited as Andrew Leete, "sprang to his feet to rail against the return of the charter." He was frail and gesturing wildly in a patriotic furor, when he suddenly collapsed sending both candelabras to the ground, extinguished. In a spontaneous act of rebellion, Assemblyman Nathaniel Stanley snatched the charter in the dark and quickly passed it out an open window to Captain Wadsworth, who had just brought the charter from the Wyllys mansion. Apparently not thinking clearly, Wadsworth immediately took off for the mansion again. Upon arriving, Ruth Wyllys, suggested he hide the charter in the great cavity of the huge oak since the troops would be sure to search the house knowing the charter had been kept there earlier. Wadsworth agreed, quickly wrapped the document up in his jacket, and hid it inside a hole in the great oak's trunk.

Aftermath

One can safely surmise that Andros was none too happy about the current turn of events, but he made a great effort not to show it. Instead he issued a proclamation that made good on all his threats, which "took into his hands the Government of this Colony of Connecticut, it being by His Majesty annexed to the Massachusetts and other Colonies under his Excellencies Government," effectively taking charge.

However, he was still forced to return to the King without the charter, and in the eyes of the colonists that meant it had never been nullified, even if Andros did still carry the authority of the King. A bit of a semantic victory perhaps, but a victory none-the-less for the colonists who viewed this as an act of direct defiance against the crown. Also, since they never voted to give Andros the charter, they had only recorded Andros' authority, but had never made a vote of submission. Other versions of the story state that Andros was given a copy of the charter while the original was kept in the Charter Oak, thus symbolically keeping the charter in the hands of the colonists. Most sources acknowledge the existence of three copies of the charter, making Andros' mission more hollow than the trunk of the great oak.

Regardless of how it came to be, Andros' rule was a short one in the colonies. The Glorious Revolution took place in the spring of 1689 resulting in William and Mary assuming the throne, which also coincided with the Boston Revolt, a popular uprising against Andros.  Sources differ on whether the colonists simply reverted back to the charter after Andros left, or whether the colonists petitioned King William to reinstate the 1662 charter. Either way, it remained in effect until 1818 when the Connecticut State Constitution was drafted.

A Giant Falls

Even in 1687, the Charter Oak seemed on its last gasp. The trunk had hollowed out so much from decay at the bottom that even in the time of the Native Americans it is noted that the "vast legendary tree, that must have begun to show signs of decay a hundred years before that day, in the cavity at its base, that was gradually enlarging as one generation after another of red men passed from beneath its shadow." In later years its declining health, which was owed "in part to the neglect which dilapidated fortunes of the family and want of male guardianship" and some terrible inclement weather, more poetically described as "the corroding tooth of time or the sharp violence of the tempest."

On August 21, 1856, nearly two centuries after its shining moment in American history, a great storm passed through the area, and was more than the oak's decayed foundation could bear. The mighty tree, beloved by many a generation, had fallen.

The Hartford community immediately fell into mourning, not least of all Samuel Colt, who was noted to express an "admiration and passionate fondness for old trees," let alone those with local and national historic significance. Many began taking wood and acorns of the old giant before an honor guard was set up to cease it. Colt's Armory Band played dirges at noon: Dead March from Saul, Home Sweet Home, and Hail Columbia. Flags were draped over its trunk and stump, and when dusk fell on the city all the church bells tolled for an hour in a solemn chorus. The Hartford Courant headline the following morning read "The Charter Oak is Prostrate!" and ran the story as an obituary.

Wood of the Charter Oak was instantly in demand from all corners of the country. Large portions were set aside and made into a number of wood carvings and furniture pieces. Most notably, is a large hunk of wood for the state of Connecticut that was carved into an incredible, high backed chair. The "chair of state" was "paid for and is still used today by the lieutenant governor in the state senate chamber. Also famously known is an exquisite cradle made for Samuel  Jarvis Colt, Jr., one of many pieces that was created by wood purchased by Samuel Colt that currently reside at the Wadsworth Athenium Museum of Art. The most lavish of the pieces remains the "Charter Oak Chair," a throne of elaborate wood carving, and a masterpiece by any measure. A depiction carved in relief of the Charter Oak comprises the chair's back. Originally commissioned for use by the mayor, the city balked at the $375 price tag (almost $20,000 today). After nearly a year Colt stepped in to buy the chair above and beyond the cost asked of the city calling it, "cheap at any price."

L to R: The Charter Oak Chair, the Charter Oak "Chair of State," and the cradle made for Sam Jarvis Colt
(end photos credit: Wadsworth Atheneum)

Now we have come to the heart of the matter. Finally knowing the history behind this venerable and beloved tree, we can now know the significance behind the artifacts made with its body. Two such artifacts appear in Rock Island Auction Company's 2016 December Premiere Firearms Auction.

Magnificent Factory Cased Colt New Model Pocket Pistol with Charter Oak Grips

This factory cased Colt Model 1855 Sidehammer revolver was manufactured in 1867 and is fitted with grips made with wood harvested from the Charter Oak. Only eight other Sidehammers and one Model 1849 pocket are known to also wear the wood of the revered tree. The case is made of mahogany, and lined with red velvet.  Well known to collectors, this exact pistol is shown and described in great detail in R.L. Wilson's "Magnificent Colts" on pp. 220-225.  It is truly an incredible rarity in Colt collecting and is certain to find a new home with a deservedly prominent collection.

Historic Presentation Walking Stick Carved Directly from the Famous Connecticut Charter Oak Inscribed to Connecticut Governor’s Horse Guard Major-Commander Henry Boardman, Militia Commander and Adversary of Colonel Samuel Colt

The walking stick presented to Major-Commander Henry Boardman requires we give some background on its recipient. Boardman was a Connecticut militia officer who was appointed as commander of the First Company, Governor's Horse Guards in 1845. The Governor's Guards, specifically the First Company of Foot Guards holds the honor of being the American military formation with the longest period of unbroken and unaltered service, which is noted as gallant in many instances.

A single event put Boardman at odds with Samuel Colt, who was called upon to help revive a local Horse Guard. It had long since fallen dormant, much to the displeasure to local residents. Used largely in ceremony, the First Company of the Governor's Hose Guard had failed to appear for the bicentennial celebration of Hartford (1835), the passing through of Gen. Winfield Scott, and even an appearance of Vice President R.M. Johnson was escorted by every possible military unit in the area except the horse guard. Having been a source of pride for so long in the community, many citizens were disgusted and disappointed in their absence.  So much so, in fact, that in 1853 a group of over 100 young men voted to adopt the charter of the old horse guard. To give credence to this newly revived organization Samuel Colt was invited and gladly accepted the opportunity to be a part of something so flashy, ceremonious, and important to the people. He was also elected as Major Commandant of the new unit, despite not seeking the office.

No doubt it took some time for the members of the newly formed guard to practice, find uniforms for members that were not part of the old horse guard, and so on. This was also more than enough time for Boardman to hear of the new group and to seethe about the fact that this group had been usurped right from underneath him! On May 3, 1854, when the new Horse Guard was making its first appearance to a delighted public, Major Boardman's Horse Guard also showed up for the first time in eight years, surprising everyone who thought the group had died out.

This left two groups claiming to be the First Company, Governor's Horse Guard, and instead of making a decision, the governor passed this dilemma on to the General Assembly. Both sides had arguments in their favor. Boardman stated that he had never disbanded the group, been discharged, nor been notified of any reorganization, feeling the new movements "too fast for him, or not quite courteous enough." Colt also had plenty of ground to stand on, with the prior group not having performed any service for eight years, having no recent membership records, and a lack of interest in its body of members. Eventually Governor Dutton met with the two men to resolve the matter, when in the course of debate Colt snarkily stated, "I felt...that Hartford should have something better than a comatose troop of cavalry and I was willing to do my share in putting some life into it." A remark that brought Boardman to his feet ready to trade blows with his adversary.

Gov. Dutton eventually allowed Boardman's group to continue as the First Company Governor's Horse Guard, with Colt's guard to be recognized as a "Company of Cavalry to be attached to the First Regiment of the First Brigade of the Militia." The scrap breathed a new fire into the belly of the Horse Guard and thereafter they presented themselves in full uniform and full number with a martial band and an enthusiasm long since absent.

This cane, made of solid Charter Oak, was presented to Maj. Boardman on May 4, 1858 by I.W. Stuart, an author, politician, and local historian perhaps most responsible for raising the legend of the Charter Oak to such lofty heights.

(Note: Not related to the Charter Oak, a sword also presented to Major Boardman will also be offered in the sale. Pictured below)

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These items bring their significance to American history, as well as their rarity, to the Rock Island Auction Company 2016 December Premiere Firearms Auction. A Colt sidehammer in this condition alone would be a fantastic find for any collector, but to have Charter Oak grips, and knowing how dear the Charter Oak was to Samuel Colt, puts it in a special realm for Colt collectors. The cane on the other hand, represents a strong opposing force to Colt's life in Hartford. Just as competitors to Colt's M1911 pistol are now strong collectibles, this cane represents a vanquished foe whose name is left in the dusty pages in history. Its rarity and fascinating tale make it an appropriate addition to the most thorough and comprehensive Colt collections.

- Written by Joel R. Kolander







SOURCES:

Barnard, Henry. Armsmear: The Home, the Arm, and the Armory of Samuel Colt: A Memorial. Place of Publication Not Identified: Beinfeld, 1976. Print.

Hosley, William N. Colt: The Making of an American Legend. N.p.: U of Massachusetts, 1996. Print.

Howard, James L. The Origin and Fortunes of Troop B: 1788, Governor's Independent Volunteer Troop of Horse Guards, 1911, Troop B Cavalry, Connecticut National Guard, 1917. Hartford, CT: Case, Lockwood & Brainard, 1921. Print.

http://www.charteroakfsc.com/TheCharterOak.pdf

http://www.ctpostalhistory.com/CtPP/Postal_Markings_files/ThomastonCharterOak2016.pdf

Lee, Robert M., R. L. Wilson, Donald E. Zilkha, Michael V. Korda, Vance Fox, Douglas Sandberg, Conor Fitzgerald, and Charles F. Priore. Magnificent Colts: Selections from the Robert M. Lee Collection. 1st ed. Vol. I. Sparks, NV: Yellowstone, 2011. Print.

Guns of the Great Shooters from Buffalo Bill's Wild West

Reunions with old friends can be a time filled with nostalgia, laughs, and more than a few old yarns to tell. In our business, the phrase, "if this old gun could talk," is a desire commonly expressed. Firearms with rich histories find their way through our doors on a regular basis, and I've had questions on more than one occasion that I would've like to have posed to one or two of them as they passed through our hallways as part of their grand journey. The grouping of items in this article is no exception. The reunion of these trusty arms would undoubtedly result in a whirlwind of stories, knowing nods, and a list of accomplishments that require no exaggeration in their retelling. These arms all have ties to members of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, and even the ol' scout himself, William F. Cody. Their backgrounds are as varied as the people they belong to, but time and circumstance have brought them back together at Rock Island Auction Company's 2016 September Premiere Firearms Auction for one last reunion. If only they could talk.

Buffalo Bill

Lot 1036: Historic and Well Documented John Ulrich Signed Factory Engraved Deluxe Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Short Rifle with Factory Exhibition Special Order Finish and Features Presented by Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody) to Robbie Campbell Adams Twelve Year Old Son of Wild West Show Pamphlets Publisher for the Wild West Shows Performance at Madison Square Garden

In this case, the headline for our item is so long it almost tells the story itself. Medal of Honor recipient William F. Cody began his own wild west show in 1883, which toured annually in the United States and Europe. He had already earned a solid reputation as a prolific bison hunter, as well as a scout and Indian fighter in the Army, and his reputation continued to grow. However, it was an encounter with author Captain Edward Zane Carroll Judson that began Buffalo Bill's road to stardom. Capt. Judson often wrote under many pseudonyms, but his best known was Ned Buntline. It was a combination of Buntline's dime novels about Buffalo Bill's adventures, as well as Cody's proficiency he displayed in front of top men, such as General Sheridan, Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, and New York Herald publisher James Gordon Bennett, that resulted his star's continued rise.

In that first year, Buffalo Bill's Wild West was such a popular attraction that it was able to take its act indoors to the first iteration of Madison Square Garden, built in 1879. It had no roof since P.T. Barnum converted it into an open-air "Great Roman Hippodrome" in 1873. It was a large oval-shaped arena where he presented circuses (naturally) and other forms of entertainment and performance. It was a fantastic space that traded hands several times, and each owner had a new vision for what the space should offer: events catering to high brow clientele, illegal boxing matches, indoor track and field, dog shows, concerts, religious revivals, and one of the first indoor ice rinks in the nation. Most importantly, people knew of the venue and its attractions. The boxing matches had long drawn crowds over the venue's capacity, and an elephant purchased by P.T. Barnum from the London Zoo in 1881 readily drew enough onlookers to earn back its purchase price of $10,000. So when Buffalo Bill took his show there in 1883, he had no trouble finding crowds willing to fill its seats. Having names such as James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, Buck Taylor, Captain Adam Bogartus, Doc Carver, and Texas Jack Omohundro on his payroll couldn't hurt either. it was a time of transition for Buffalo Bill from small exhibitions and reenactment performer to an arena-filling showman and master entertainer.

He no doubt gave partial credit for the fine attendance to the man producing the publicity pamphlets for his shows at Madison Square Garden. This same man was also a partner in the Beadle and Adams publishing house, well known for producing the "yellow-back" dime novels of the day. Not to be confused with the publisher Street & Smith, also located in New York, that had published "The Buffalo Bill Stories" which led to a large part of his fame. To thank Mr. Adams for his support in several areas, Buffalo Bill presented this Winchester Model 1873 to his son 12-year old Robbie Campbell Adams. Rock Island Auction President Kevin Hogan says it best, "This is akin to receiving Michael Jordan's sneakers." It was a prized gift from one of the finest performers of the day.

The gun is a remarkable presentation grade gun with a grocery list of special order features:

- Gold plated frame, tip, and buttplate
- Nickel finish
- Ulrich engraved
- checkered, fancy walnut stocks
- short rifle
- shotgun butt
- pistol grip

On the right side of the frame is a panel scene depicting a hunter peering out from behind a tree to shoot a bull elk. The left side also bears masterfully done floral scrollwork along with the inscription that reads, "Presented by Buffalo Bill (W. F. Cody) to Robbie Campbell Adams ~1883~"

Besides being lavished with presentation grade features, the gun was clearly chosen for the boy to be able to use it if he so chose.  It's a short rifle for easier handling by a lad, it is chambered in the relatively mild yet still effective 32 WCF, and the 22-inch barrel would also not have been unwieldy for a 12-year old. Obviously, the gun never saw the typical boyhood use and it remains in very fine condition.

This remarkable rifle's provenance is extensively documented, as it has been in the public eye for quite some time, appearing in numerous books and magazines. Rock Island Auction Company is proud to offer this rifle to the public, taking this oft dreamt-about gun and making the possibility of owning it a reality.

Frank Butler and Annie Oakley

Lot 1770: Documented Historic Factory Engraved Remington Model 12-B Gallery Special Model Slide Action Rifle Sold to Frank Butler Husband of Famed Exhibition Shooter Annie Oakley

Phoebe Ann Moses, better known as Annie Oakley, is a woman that needs no introduction to most Americans, let alone those interested in shooting. However, much fewer folks know about her husband, Frank Butler, or the story of how they met. First things first, there is much debate over the exact significant dates of the young couple. That in mind, precise dates will be avoided as much as possible in an effort to stick to the story.

Frank Butler was a dog trainer and exhibition shooter who, like many others, toured the country taking on challengers in shooting competitions for money, bragging rights, and an increase in reputation. On one of those trips he placed a $100 wager with Jack Frost (yes, that's his real name) who owned a Cincinnati hotel. Butler stated that he could best any local who dared to challenge him. When a challenger was found and the match was set, imagine Butler's surprise when out from the crowd walked a young lady. "The last thing Butler expected was a five-foot-tall... girl named Annie," recalled Frost. As was customary at the time, they would shoot live birds, and both sides agreed to a best-of-25 contest. Frank Butler lost that contest by a single bird, but both lives would be changed forever. Frank had fallen for the then-shy young lady, while Annie seemed more interested in his French poodle named George. Frank courted Annie by sending her postcards and letters signed by George. The two would be wed within a year.

It was 1885 when Annie Oakley and her husband, Mr. Frank Butler, became part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Annie's stature earned her the nickname "Little Sure Shot" in  Cody's publicity flyers and ads, a name given to her by Lakota leader Sitting Bull, himself a participant in the early years of Buffalo Bill's Wild West. There is no need to recount her numerous feats and popularity. However, she is an intriguing personality, known for fierce independence, an advocate for suffrage (as was William Cody), as well as a kind heart, a gentle word, a strong desire to maintain her sterling reputation, and to always portray herself as a lady despite her involvement in what was then a very masculine sport.

The first time Annie and Frank tried to settle down was in 1901, an attempt to alleviate Annie's terrible back pain suffered during a train accident, but such joie de vivre could not be tamed for long. Defeating an early diagnosis of paralysis after five spinal operations, Annie left the Buffalo Bill show in 1902 and began a less travel-intensive career in stage acting. She would return again to another show in 1911, "The Young Buffalo Show," while consecutively serving as a representative for Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Annie never lost a step as she aged, with one reporter quoted as saying, "Annie Oakley looks as though she had discovered the secret that Ponce De Leon sought so long in vain...She is as bright and alert, as when I saw her a slip of a girl with long braids 25 years ago when I was a kid." However, it didn't last long and the couple "retired" once again in 1912, even though Annie toured sporadically with another show.

For the most part, the Butlers were finished with life as performers (until Annie attempted a comeback in 1922). Perhaps as a retirement gift for his wife, Frank purchased this Remington Model 12-B on February 28, 1912. Designed by J.D. Pedersen, the model had been introduced three years prior and Annie would have already been familiar with it. Later she became quite prolific with the model using it to shoot apples off of the head of their beloved dog, Dave, and another Model 12 of Annie's (SN 600125) still resides in the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming.

The example in Cody, while in excellent condition, is relatively plain compared to the Model 12-B currently offered by Rock Island Auction Company. The example purchased by Frank Butler has a highly grained, fancy stock, checkered forearm, half octagon-half round barrel, a folding peep sight, and is finely factory engraved with panel scenes of rabbits and squirrels.

The rifle may have been a perfect retirement gift for Annie, but it didn't help her desire to settle down. Annie often gave pointers on shooting to those around her, be it at trapshooting tournaments, impromptu exhibitions, or even fellow guests at the Caroline Hotel of Pinehurst, NC. "The lessons [at the hotel] began by accident when the shooting star had overheard a wealthy New Yorker comment to another in the hotel's ballroom, 'My, how I wish I were a man so that I could shoot.' Oakley replied, 'Your sex does not prevent you from learning to shoot.'"  It is documented in numerous sources that her skills had not faded in the slightest even into her fifties and sixties. In 1922, in a shooting contest in Pinehurst, the 62-year old hit 100 clays in a row at 16 yards. Unfortunately, her sixties was as long as Annie would live. She passed on November 3, 1926, at the age of 66, of what the doctor termed "pernicious anemia." Frank Butler went into intense mourning and refused to eat. He followed Annie in death 18 days later.

This is not only an incredible rifle with numerous special order features, but it remains an incredible piece of memorabilia tied to arguably the greatest American exhibition shooter from the sport's Golden Age. Opportunities like this may never arise again, and any collector or museum would be extremely fortunate to acquire this little rifle.

Buck Taylor

This remarkable Colt Single Auction Army owned by Buck Taylor, the true "King of the Cowboys" has already been covered in depth in a previous article. If you'd like to find out more about this incredible cowpuncher, his history with Buffalo Bill's Wild West, and how the important provenance of this beautiful revolver was almost lost forever to history, please read our story "Buck Taylor: The True King of the Cowboys."

Memorabilia of William F. Cody

There is also a fascinating lot in this auction that contains two items with intimate ties to Buffalo Bill.  Frankly, with all the items shown above, also with ties to the man, it could not have arrived at a better time. These items were consigned to us by someone who purchased them from an estate sale 25 years ago. The sale was being held by the niece of a man who had worked for Cody in Wheaton, Illinois. With the birthplace of Buffalo Bill a short drive away from Rock Island Auction Company, it is not surprising to hear of artifacts of the man in nearby areas. The first item is a briefcase with his name clearly printed on the closing flap. It is likely no coincidence at all that the case is designed to resemble a saddle bag. The second item is a tri-fold mirror that, according to its inscription, was a Christmas gift from Cody to "my darling wife Louisa."

Both items are a simple reminder of the wonderfully ordinary life of a man more known for his spectacle, crowds, and showmanship. They would be welcome in any accomplished collection of the man or his storied show.

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These marvelous items revolving around the America legend that is Buffalo Bill's Wild West, are only the beginning of the historic and presentation grade items available in the 2016 September Premiere Firearms Auction. With items from celebrated figures such as President Teddy Roosevelt, to infamous Nazi leaders, the selection has never been better. Two juggernaut groupings among several other accomplished collections lead the way, but they are accompanied by hundreds of single gun consignments from around the country. They all combine to make a sale that collectors will be talking about for years to come. Visit www.rockislandauction.com today to browse the items and see for yourself.




-Written by Joel R. Kolander






SOURCES:

http://www.annieoakleycenterfoundation.com/faq.html

https://centerofthewest.org/explore/buffalo-bill/research/annie-oakley/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/oakley-new-york/

Sorg, Eric V. "Annie Oakley." Wild West Feb. 2001: n. pag. Historynet.com. Web.

Buck Taylor: The True King of the Cowboys

If you run a quick online search for "King of the Cowboys" the results are packed with websites featuring Roy Rogers. This is helped, of course, by a film that Rogers made entitled "King of the Cowboys." Capitalizing on World War II, the 1943 film features saboteurs blowing up government warehouses in the United States, with Roy and some associates hot on their trail to foil them. Unfortunately, Rogers was not the first to bear this royal moniker. While Roy is worthy of a lot of praise, he hadn't even been born yet by the time the original King of the Cowboys was living the winter years of his life. That man was William Levi "Buck" Taylor, a Texas-born, real live ridin' ropin' cowpuncher who grew up in the life, and whose talents were so prodigious they pushed him to the very heights of stardom and helped forever change how the public would perceive the very word "cowboy."

Buck Taylor, as he is better known to history, was born in a small east Texas town called Fredericksburgh, located in Gillespie County, in 1857. They moved around Texas some, and his father fought several times to protect his homeland. William Cody in his book "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" wrote that Taylor's family "fought for its [Texas] independence with Crockett and Col Travis at the Alamo, where a grandfather and uncle fell" and "under Sam Houston at San Jacinto..." By the time Buck was born, only he, his father, and a younger brother were the sole surviving males of the family. He was still a child when his dad joined the newly-formed Texas Cavalry and died in one of its early engagements in the Civil War, almost certainly in 1863. Two years later Buck endured the worst tragedy possible for a child, when he was orphaned after losing his mother as well. He then fell under the protective wing of an uncle who owned a large ranch on the rolling Texas plains.

There Buck grew up in the hard life of a cowpuncher. He learned the tricks, the trades, the hard work, all the while growing stronger and more accomplished. Millions of boys growing up decades later would have given almost anything to find themselves in the exact position in which Taylor was thriving. He could ride like the wind, throw a lasso with uncanny precision, understood how to manage a herd, could bust nearly any bronco, and possessed what Cody describes as "general cow-sense." That may sound like a funny word, but it is no small compliment. Buck himself is quoted as saying,

"I was dependent on myself at an age when ordinary children are still in the nursery... There was only one thing to do; which was to be a cowpuncher... By the time I was 14 I was able to ride and rope with some of the best of them and was known around our section as the best cowpuncher of my age that had ever been seen."

He would soon take supervisory roles such as "boss of the outfit" and lead herds along the Chisholm Trail with his brother James Baxter "Bax" Taylor, to the cattle yards and slaughterhouses up north. Those trips would also take him to Nebraska where his skills and "remarkable dexterity earned the attention of Major [Frank] North and Buffalo Bill and they secured his services for several seasons on their ranch by the Dismal River." Cody Ranch (also referred to as "Scout's Rest Ranch") is located about 65 miles north of North Platte and was founded in 1877 when Cody reached out to Major North, then the leader of the Pawneee Scouts for the U.S. Army. The scouts were disbanded that year and Cody proposed a partnership with Frank North and his brother Luther to become cattlemen. Cody's first encounter with the Taylor brothers was when they brought a herd up the trail for Luther, who swore up and down that Bax, not Buck, was the best bronco buster he had ever encountered. Turns out good horsemanship ran in the family. Even their older sister Mary is written about in a local newspaper as apt to "ride the worst bronco, or rope the most refracting old sow in the county." Buck continued to impress Cody with "his feats of strength, easily throwing a steer by the horns or tail, lassoing and tying single-handed," and "his mastery of wild horses," The last of which earned him his nickname, "Buck." It was on the Cody Ranch he also learned to read and write and earned a infamous reputation to down large amounts of biscuits. Once having ate 24 in one sitting, he was enduring some ribbing by his mess mates before finally being sufficiently annoyed and threatening to eat 24 more.

When the Buffalo Bill Wild West show opened on May 19, 1883, Buck was a shoe-in to appear in the show. He had already been auditioning for Cody for several years by way of his performance, but his talents and skills on the range were only part of his appeal. Buck Taylor stood between 6' 3" and 6' 5" depending on what source you read, and was an imposing figure when the average cowboy stood but a scant 5' 8". In addition to skills he had honed nearly his entire life, Taylor was well known to pick up his hat off the ground at a full gallop. If that wasn't enough to impress the crowd, he would often follow it up by retrieving his handkerchief or glove in the same manner. Handsome and with long, curly hair, Buck played a perfect lead in Buffalo Bill's staged recreation of The Battle of Little Big Horn. Buck was also well-liked by his colleagues and those he met. He had a personality that Cody describes as "...a fine representative of his class. Amiable as a child," features Cody never failed to publicize, billing him as the "King of the Cowboys." It was this combination of talent, good looks, and a kind nature that set the stage for the Buffalo Bill Wild West show to rewrite history.

At that point in American history, cowboys were viewed quite differently than they are today. They were considered dirty, gritty, unmannered, uncultured, dangerous, hard men who lived hard lives in the dust, mud and rain with livestock. Even worse, they were sometimes synonymous with outlaws. In his 1881 message to Congress, President Chester Arthur describes a band of "armed desperadoes known as 'cowboys," as a violent faction disturbing the peace in the Arizona Territory. There were some writers who were making heroes of scouts and cavalry men at that time, but the cowboy remained the depraved prairie drifter. Period author Frederick Whittaker even went so far as to write damning articles about cowboys depicting them as unrefined, ruffians and barbarians, violent to all they encountered.

Thankfully, Cody's show was already doing its part to counter the unfavorable image of the cowboy. The Staten Island venue for Buffalo Bill's Wild West show held 35,000 souls with two performances a day. In later years, it would also play prominently outside the 1893 Columbian Exposition (after being denied a place inside the show) on the Midway where he would skim from the over 26 million visitors the World's Fair would attract during its six month run. Cody, ever the marketer, had seen his own stories enjoy immense popularity. What if he took the new-found popularity of the cowboys in his show and gave the people what they wanted? He had already increased their role in his shows with positive results, so why not take the next step? That role fell to the most likely choice: Buck Taylor.

In 1887 Cody's promoter and friend Prentiss Ingraham, who had produced a nearly ceaseless stream of stories on Buffalo Bill, published the first of several dime novels about Buck which was grandly entitled Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys, or, the Raiders and the Rangers: A Story of the Wild and Thrilling Life of William L Taylor. He would go on to write six more on the King of the Cowboys, and 1887 was arguably the peak of Taylor's career. His dime novel had been released and he was currently on tour with the Wild West show in Europe, performing in front of various heads of state and even royalty. In fact, Queen Victoria herself came to enjoy a show with the public during her Jubilee of that year. It marked the first time she had attended a show in public since the death of Prince Albert twenty-five years earlier. Author and historian R. L. Wilson adds, "Further, the Queen paid homage to the American flag during the performance, the first time a British sovereign had done so since the beginning of the Republic." Unfortunately, Buck Taylor broke a leg or hip during a performance that year, allegedly during a quadrille when a horse collided with his leg while on horseback. The popularity of the show and of Taylor was so great that his recovery was frequently covered in the local newspapers.

Buck Taylor shown at far right. Photo copyright to the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave

If this were a more tragic story, that might be the end of Buck's career, but it would take more than a busted leg to stop a real cowboy. He would reappear in the show and stayed with it until about 1890 when he would leave for reasons that appear to be undocumented to history. Whatever his reasons, Taylor moved to Wyoming, and worked on a ranch with his brother Bax before the two broke off and started one of their own in the town of Rongis near Long Creek. Even there he never stepped completely away from show business, serving as the superintendent for Denver's Cowboy Tournament and Wild West in 1890. In an unusual twist to any biography, while living in Rongis his death was incorrectly reported by the Ft. Worth Gazette on March 23, 1892. It was said he had been shot in a fight and that two other men had been stabbed, none of which was true. What was truly newsworthy that year was that Buck had started appearing in shows again.  He also found some time to meet a young lady that would eventually become his wife. On September 12, 1893 Buck married Emely Reynolds Allibone Laugton in Carbon, WY.

One of the shows Buck joined was the Wyoming Wild West, a curious name for a show located on the East Coast. The show had a nasty habit of allowing shell-game operators to follow their show and operate outside of it which caused no shortage of problems. In New Jersey swindled college students disrupted and eventually broke up the show. "Fire crackers and other fireworks were thrown under the orator's stand just as Buck was to make his appearance. The buffalo was set loose, steers were freed. Spectators fled the tent." Similar complaints arose from a show in Maine, and in Quebec the show folded so fast that many of the Native Americans working the show were left behind, causing a international question of who was going to pay to get them back home.

Little is known of any other shows, but they must not have been up to snuff for Buck because by 1894 he had started his own western show. Unfortunately, "Buck Taylor's Wild West" was one of no fewer than 242 other western shows that would ultimately attempt to replicate the success of Cody's legendary show. Buck's foray into the business would be a flop, and by 1897 he found himself briefly working in California before moving to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to assume duties as the superintendent  at the Betzwood Stock Farm. That same year, Buck's brother Baxter was killed when he was thrown from a wagon at their ranch in Rongis. For a man with little remaining family and who had partnered with his brother so frequently, the news must have been a tremendous blow.

The rest of Buck's life was surprisingly quiet, given how storied and exciting it had been to that point. The sole other occurrence in Buck's life that is documented is that he had his identity stolen by an impostor named Barry F. Tatum. A former actor, Tatum pretended to be Buck to the point where he gave a political speech endorsing Teddy Roosevelt, and even made some money by endorsing a 75 proof snake oil medicine called Peruna that claimed to help "catarrh, coughs, influenza, la grippe." Peruna withdrew Tatum's endorsements after he died in 1900 from tuberculosis. Of course, Tatum's death resulted in yet another false death report for the real Buck Taylor. In hindsight, all the identify theft and impersonation Buck endured in life seems an eerie foreshadowing of that which he would endure even after his death, thanks to the number of performers who not only assumed the title of "King of the Cowboys" but even used the Buck Taylor name for their own gains.

Buck Taylor would not pass away for another 24 years at 67 years of age. He died in Downington, Pennsylvania, still living on a ranch, albeit far from the American West he loved so dearly. While never taking part in the cowboy's rise to fame in the movies, Buck was one of the earliest faces of cowboys that the public could admire and embrace as a hero. He was the right man who came along at the right time. Hopefully he took some sort of personal satisfaction in that, though there is no way he could have anticipated the heights the Western genre would finally attain.

The Revolver

In September 2016, Rock Island Auction Company will be offering a Colt Single Action Army that has never left the descendants of Buck Taylor. The legendary cowboy acquired this revolver when he was 39-years of age. That puts it shipping date in 1896 - after his most colorful days in the western shows, but while he still had plenty of ranching and work to do.

The Colt letter for this beautiful sixgun confirms this shipment date and lists its original configuration, which it retains to this day: nickel plated, 5 1/2 in. barrel, and firing .45 caliber hunks of lead. While a true cowboy in every sense of the word, the flashy nature of the revolver likely appealed to Buck thanks to his time spent in the limelight. Judging by the condition of the revolver, it is likely not one that spent a lot of time bouncing around in a holster, but one that he treasured and saved for when the occasion called for some glitz.

Lot 3078: Documented Historic First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver Owned by the "King of the Cowboys" and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Performer Buck Taylor

The provenance of this gun was nearly lost forever. When Buck passed away in 1924, this Single Action Army came into the possession of his niece, Francis Taylor Hoffmeister, who was given the gun at Buck's funeral as part of her inheritance. She clearly was familiar with her famous uncle because she had kept many newspaper clippings about Buck's life events. Whether the two had any personal relationship is unknown. Francis Taylor had a twin sister, Ruth, who passed in 1926. When Francis passed away in 1984, just a year short of becoming a centenarian, the gun was not passed down her family, but down her twin sister's. Ruth's granddaughter has retained the pistol to this day. Francis was the last remaining relative who knew of the gun's remarkable provenance.  Had she not relayed this history to her grandniece, this might just be any other high condition Colt in our auction, its story permanently erased from memory.


History buffs and any number of knowledgeable Western enthusiasts owe these two ladies a debt for preserving the remarkable provenance behind this piece of irreplaceable Americana. The only other firearm in existence tied directly to Buck currently resides in the Autry Museum of the American West. The revolver at RIAC represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a classic piece of a bygone era and a connection to a man who forever changed the reputation of the American cowboy. It will be auctioned in Rock Island Auction Company's 2016 September Premiere Auction held September 9 - 11.

- Written by Joel R. Kolander







SOURCES:

Harris, Charles W., and Buck Rainey. The Cowboy: Six-Shooters, Songs, and Sex. Norman: U of Oklahoma, 1976. Print.
http://codyarchive.org/memorabilia/wfc.prog.1884.html

http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/cody4taylor.html

Murdoch, David Hamilton. The American West: The Invention of a Myth. N.p.: U of Nevada, 2001. Print.

Slatta, Richard W. The Cowboy Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1994. Print.

Guns of the 1893 Columbian Exposition

In 1889, a structure was constructed from a lattice-work of iron and placed in Paris squarely at the entrance of the 1889 World's Fair. At 1,063 feet tall, it was likely not lost on many Americans that the newly built Eiffel Tower now eclipsed the Washington Monument as the tallest man-made structure in the world. Such is the scenario that prominent architect Daniel Burnham found himself in during 1890. He was given the responsibility of transforming an entire square mile of marsh into a showcase of beauty, ingenuity, architecture, prosperity, and invention. Burnham was overseeing construction and exhibit selection, and with the spectacle and success of the Paris Universal Exposition looming behind him, failure was a very real possibility.

The Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair that was off to a bad start. Intended to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's landing, the event had to be postponed a year in order to make the proper accommodations. However, those efforts would prove to be worth the wait. Burnham had assembled a "who's who" of architects, designers, landscapers, and planners and gave one commandment to precede all others, "Make no little plans." The full quote reads,

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and our grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty."

Taken to heart, this prime directive gave rise to a White City filled with neoclassical architecture, high brow art, frivolous entertainment, national pavilions, and a list of inventions so long, it reads like a tome of American contributions. It includes items such as: the Ferris Wheel (arguably the fair's premier attraction), the zipper, Cracker Jacks, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Aunt Jemima's pancake mix, Juicy Fruit gum, cream of wheat, shredded wheat, the telautograph (an early, analog fax machine), AC power, the movie theater, the dishwasher, phosphorescent lamps, Hershey's chocolate, spray painting, Gold Medal baking flour, elongated souvenir coins, moving walkways, the debut of harry Houdini (a then unknown Ehrich Weiss) and much more.

The exhibits chosen for this monumental event had to be the very best. The decree of "no small plans," had apparently extended far beyond the planners, and worked its way to the inventors and exhibitors themselves. Even firearms manufacturers held themselves to the task to bring forth their most elegant, finely decorated firearms. The results are spectacular: remarkable engraving executed by the most esteemed Master engravers, lush and expertly applied gold inlays, and outsourced embellishments from the likes of Tiffany & Co. Some of the most outstanding work being done on firearms in the world at that time was present in that single square mile in Chicago, Illinois.

In Rock Island Auction Company's 2016 April Premiere Firearms Auction, we are extremely fortunate to have no less than four guns with direct ties to this prestigious and historic event. Here is a brief look at each one.

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Lot 3053: Rare, Historic, and Deluxe Tiffany & Co. Smith & Wesson .32 Double Action 4th Model Revolver Exhibited by the Factory at the 1893 "World's Columbian Exposition" in Chicago with Factory Letter.
Estimate: $85,000 - $110,000

It's no secret that famed New York jeweler and silversmith Tiffany & Co. was known to make wonderful embellishments for firearms. Some were done for Colt, but the largest grouping known are those decorated for Smith & Wesson in the 1890s. Unlike those done for Colt, the Tiffany work on Smith & Wesson firearms were all individually completed by commission or special order by wealthy clients.

These remarkable handguns were commissioned by D. B. Wesson specifically as show pieces for the Columbian Exposition, but their glory days extended far beyond. Many were also exhibited at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris as well as the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. This revolver is accompanied by its factory letter which details its shipment with four other Tiffany decorated revolvers. It is unknown how many Columbian Exposition guns survive today, but only nine Tiffany-commissioned Smith & Wesson revolvers were created specifically for the Columbian Exposition (others were made as special orders). Four of which are currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, plus two more located at the Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA, making this revolver one of only three that are potentially available to private collectors if they aren't already behind museum glass or if they still exist at all.

An exquisitely crafted gun, it is a masterpiece of silver and steel. It was shipped to Tiffany & Co. with a nickel finish and hard rubber grips, but what resulted is truly stunning. The geometric  acid etching on the barrel extends to the cylinder and top strap, but even these angular designs are not without nods to the floral vines that wrap themselves around the grip and come to a spine on the front and back straps. The grip's vine embellishment is elegant and simple, ending with in a crown-like finial. It is given its shape by what is made to look like a small cord binding the grip, so that cold, solid sterling silver grip appears as if it might have the same texture as a soft curtain, bound up to better let in the sun.

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Lot 3055: Exhibition Quality, Gold Inlaid W.W. Greener Royal Grade G60 Double Barrel Shotgun with 1893 Chicago World's Fair Exposition Markings. Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

Greener was once king of the world when it came to hunting shotguns and rifles. During the time of the Columbian Exposition his 37,000-square foot facility located at St. Mary's Row in Birmingham was dubbed by W.W. Greener, a fantastic self-promoter, as the "largest and most complete sporting gun factory in the world," which turned out 1,000 hand-built shotguns and rifles annually. Unlike many competitors, Greener had sales agents and retail locations around the world in cities such as new York, London, Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Montreal, and Buenos Aires. He had legitimate geniuses in his employ, working to invent and popularize features that are still used in modern sporting guns to this day. The following year, nine of the top 11 shooters in the 1894 U.S. grand Nationals were using Greeners.

With his marketing prowess and international savvy, Greener was not going to miss the chance to showcase his finest wares to a nation of shooters who were simultaneously experiencing an era of economic prosperity. To that end, he spared no expense at his booth showing off a high number of firearms in a variety of styles: shotguns, rifles, double barrel, hammerless, automatic ejectors, external hammers, a "locking lug" which better secured the break action arms, safeties, large bore safari guns, small bore guns for small game, double and quad barrel smooth bore pistols, and so on. Greener also took it upon himself to help educate the throngs on the technical aspects of the firearms displayed, by showing bits of the steel and iron used to make the arms, dissected actions, cross-sectioned barrels to illustrate the chokes and rifling, locks for hammer guns, wooden models of the guns, and models from other manufacturers for comparison. The Committee on Awards for the event is quoted as saying, "Altogether, it was a very complete exhibit."

The shotgun in this auction is no exception to the high quality arms that were on display for the exposition. The wood is well-figured and finely checkered, the forearm piece being tipped with a inset made from horn. The buttstock continues forward up the checkered pistol grip where it meets an intricately engraved tang, trigger guard, and box lock action, all of which, in addition to the tiny floral scroll engraving is dotted with wild game panel scenes. Just over the serial number on the tang is an engraved pheasant rooster on the wing, and the trigger guard features two hunting dogs on a point, The safety switch on the left shows another ring-necked pheasant beneath it, with the word "Safe" in gold inlay, and the box lock on the same side has a hunting dog running after two sprung game birds. The opposite side lock has a more disciplined dog still holding his point on two quail that have burst from cover. Atop the opening lever is gold inlaid crown and full coverage of the same engraving. The underside of the action has two engraved rabbits, as hidden as they would be during a hunt. The engraving extends up the scalloped lock and on to the side-by-side barrels, the rib between which is engraved with an egret and a maker's mark before continuing into its matte finish. The inscription reads, "W. W. Greener. Haymarket London & St. Mary's Square, Birmingham, England. Winner at the London Gun Trials, 1875, 1877, 1878, & 1879." The muzzles are punctuated with a single brass bead between them.

It is of note that this Greener shotgun is also a Greener's best grade "G-Guns," officially known as a Royal Grade G60, and shows many of the same features such as the chiseled fences, gold crown and "Safe" marking, the fine floral "bank note" engraving, and so on. Vic Venters in his book Gun Craft" gives the quote, "Outside of a small group on connoisseurs, virtually no one realizes these guns exist or the level of craftsmanship they embody. For all intent, they are lost to history." Barely more than 20 craftsmen were trusted to manufacture these best-grade G-Guns from 1880 to 1916. Venters further quotes, "They were Greener's elite, a workforce hand-picked for its skills and experience. For 45 years the same surnames appear in the archives under each of the 14 major stages in building a G-Gun... Unfortunately, we know very little about these men - not even their first names - other than that they were among the best craftsmen of their day and that they spent their entire working lives in the employ of Greener's. We do know that they were extraordinarily well paid for their era. It was quite normal for them to earn 100 shillings per week in the 1880s, when the average Birmingham trade worker was only taking home about 20."

Some extra research into this shotgun could yield big results for one lucky collector.

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 Lot 3052: Extremely Rare L.D. Nimschke Engraved and Columbian Exposition Rifle Prize Inscribed Winchester Model 1892 Lever Action Rifle with Factory and Madis Letters. Estimate: $25,000 - $45,000

If this Winchester's ties to the Columbian Exposition weren't enough to endear it collectors, its assortment of special order features and embellishments would seal the deal. It has an octagon barrel, half magazine, Lyman front sights, and a fancy checkered walnut stock. The combination of the full octagon barrel and the half magazine is a rare one indeed.

Then there are features that are above and beyond even a special order Winchester. Mentioned first and foremost in the accompanying Madis letter are the "very special silver inlays."  Adjacent to the receiver at the top of the grip, these silver pieces, accented with a large fleur de lis are also engraved and would have been added at the same time as the rest of the gun's engraving. Madis writes, "Collectors have named these inlays 'Tiffany inlays,' after the New York jeweler who did most of this work." Despite this flattering title, the engraving on the receiver, barrel, forend tip, and buttplate were instead masterfully executed by L. D. Nimschke, "...one of America's foremost engravers of his period." Lush scroll work covers every surface of the receiver sans two areas that have been reserved to panel scenes of a hunting dog in pursuit of its quarry and a majestic stag. This work goes far above and beyond typical Winchester engraving. Both it and the checkering are considered "extensive" and alone earns this rifle a prized status among collectors.

Perhaps even more distinguishing than engraving and special order features, if it could be so, are two features especially unique to this rifle. One is an inlaid, still-functioning compass that has been inset into the right side of the stock and given a handsome, engraved, brass frame to better hold in the recessed compass. It is similar to one seen on the Winchester Factory Presentation Model 1873 given to Edward Stabler, inventor of the Stabler cut-off system. The second is an inscription on the left barrel flat that reads, "Made for Helen A. Foster. Prize Rifle Columbian Exposition."

It may initially seem unusual to see such a rifle inscribed to a woman, but at the Columbian Exposition women were particularly active in the event. So much so that the Women's Building was said to be slightly less popular than the prominent and extremely well-received Ferris Wheel. Born as Helen Foster, Helen Foster Barnett was the wife of Dr. James P Barnett of Brooklyn, New York, but she is far from being known by virtue of her husband. Dr. Barnett passed in 1886 leaving her with their children and a considerable fortune. She turned into a well-known and generous philanthropist, mostly via her appreciation and support of art. It is unknown (even by Madis) how Mrs. Foster is associated with the rifle. Was the rifle made as a prize for her to present? Was it made as a prize for her personally thanks to her love of the aesthetic or perhaps some charitable act or donation on her part? Madis says it best, "Research continues on the inscription, Mrs. Foster, and the history of the rifle."

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Lot 3054: Rare and Excellent Factory Documented 1893 Chicago World's Fair Exposition Engraved Gold and Nickel Smith & Wesson 38 Safety Hammerless Third Model Double Action Revolver with Pearl Grips and Factory Letter. Estimate: $7,500 - $9,500

This little gem of a Smith & Wesson revolver appeared side-by-side with the opulent Tiffany-embellished handguns that were on display for those six months in 1893. The rich dot and scrollwork engraving should be familiar to Smith & Wesson collectors and is unquestionably done in the hand of one of the Young engraving dynasty: Gustave, Oscar, or Eugene. It is noted in the factory letter that this revolver was "offered by Smith & Wesson for sale at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, but did not sell and was sold after the close of the World's Fair." With its provenance and embellishments, this revolver should have no such troubles at Rock Island Auction. It wouldn't take long for it to find a home even after the exposition; the letter further indicates that it was shipped within months on January 15, 1894 to Hartley & Graham Co, in New York City. It still matches all of its factory original specifications: 4-inch barrel, factory engraving, nickel and gold finish, and pearl grips.

The dot and scroll engraving finds nearly every corner of the revolver, starting on the butt and backstrap, it resumes on the sides of the frame and hinge, the top strap, the cylinder, and down the barrel. The pearl grips are bright and iridescent, while the trigger guard retains traces of the original finish. Once regarded as one of the finest guns that Smith & Wesson had to offer, this revolver would resume a place of honor in any collection in which it resides.

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All in all the event was a huge success for Daniel Burnham and the city of Chicago. The bustling metropolis was now associated with all the luxury, innovation, beauty, spectacle, and entertainment that the Columbian Exposition had packed into its six short months. Historian David Nasaw writes of the world fairs and their purpose that reached far beyond mere entertainment,

"The world's fairs were paeans to progress, concrete demonstrations of how order and organization, high culture and art, science and technology, commerce and industry, all brought together under the wise administration of business and government, would lead inevitably to a brighter, more prosperous future."

In an age of economic prosperity, expansion, innovation, industrial might, and melding nationalities, the Columbian Exposition was perhaps the best physical manifestation of a nation bursting at the seams to grow in every direction at once. The firearms present at this show are also a perfect representation of the era from which they come, a physical time capsule that can be held in the hand, contemplated, and returned gently to a collection until the next time it is called upon to tell its tale of a time in American when nothing was impossible.

The Hall of Fine Arts at the 1893 Columbian Exposition

-Written by Joel R. Kolander






SOURCES:


http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1386.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houdini/peopleevents/pande08.html

Venters, Vic. Gun Craft: Fine Guns & Gunmakers in the 21st Century. Camden, ME.: Shooting Sportsman, 2010. Print.

World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Ill., 1893: Report of the Committee on Awards of the World's Columbian Commission. Vol. 2. Washington: G.P.O., 1901. Print.