A rendering of the original nose painting for the famous WWII bomber, The Memphis Belle. The poster is from the 1944 documentary about the plane. The Memphis Belle is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress that flew 25 combat missions during WII, from England over France and Germany, with her crew intact. The…
World War II
The jacket belonged to famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle, who was killed by machine gun fire on Okinawa in April 1945. Pyle had previously covered the war in Africa and Europe. He was admired for his own courageous coverage of the infantry grunt, whose perseverance and fortitude, Pyle believed, were what won the war. Documents…
The West of lawmen, outlaws, showmen, heroes, and rogues
One of the West’s great iconic artifacts, this pistol belonged to Bob Dalton at the time he attempted the famous Coffeyville, Kansas, bank robbery. On October 5, 1892, Dalton and other members of his gang stormed the C.M. Condon & Company’s Bank and the First National Bank in Coffeyville. Members of the town responded with…
Wild West
Jesse James Love Story by Matt Clark (American, 1903-1972) This painting, by western artist Matt Clark, depicts the 1874 marriage of Jesse James to Zerelda Mimms (“Zee”), who aims her pistol at the hapless minister, while brother Frank keeps a lookout at the window. Like his brother Benton, Matt Clark was member of the Society…
Western
Buffalo rifles, the legendary “Big Gun” on the northern Plains. The weight and length of the barrels provided supreme accuracy and killing power. These were the types of guns that nearly extinguished the great buffalo herds in the 1880s and 1890s. The painting of Sioux buffalo hunters, The Hunters, show hunters using a lance and…
American Revolutionary War
Musket This American Revolutionary period stocked musket uses a pre-French and Indian War lock and trigger guard of American-made brass. The barrel is also American-made. Sword Rare silver hilt Lion Head officer’s sword. Made in England in the 1760s. General George Washington carried an identical sword during the American Revolution. (Washington’s sword is in the…
The men who fought the battles
A peerless collection representing not so much the leaders but the men who fought the battles. Civil War drum of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery, carried by E.B.A. Miller, drummer boy of Company A. Miller enlisted on August 27, 1862, and served until June 3, 1865, playing the drum in the battles of the…
Revolutionary War
Virginia Cherry Stocked American Pistol, 1776. An all-American made pistol with “Liberty Cap” engraved on the trigger guard. Made at the Rappahannock Forge in present day Harper’s Ferry at the outset of the American Revolution. A large, company size Revolutionary War canteen dated “AH – 1779” (possibly the owner’s initials), with original red paint, iron…
Guns, spears, bows and arrows, knives, tomahawks, and cannons representing battle, the hunt, and recreation
Step-brothers David Farragut and David Porter, both U.S. naval captains, worked together to capture the forts protecting New Orleans in the spring of 1862. For this immensely important Union victory early in the Civil War, Captain Farragut presented this pistol to Captain Porter. The revolver is a cased English Webley “Longspur” single action pistol engraved…
The weapons, uniforms, gear, and paraphernalia from two centuries of American warfare
Accouterments of the Buffalo Soldiers shown here are part of an excellent assemblage originally built by Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The still-growing collection of Buffalo Soldier materials includes several uniforms, weapons, and pieces of military and personal equipment belonging to members of the African American infantry units that fought in the post-Civil War western Indian Wars….