Anyone a history detective????

[rbh]

The reason I asked this question is my father before he passed on started to pass on some of the family's history.
As he stated to me one afternoon, "your great great uncle's pistol is in the Seattle musseum".
I asked why it was there, and he said that my great great uncle???? or whatever he was and Cody both got these pistols made for them.

Anyone have a idea what he was talking about???
Appreciate your thoughts on this weird one.
Rob

 

[JB]

Re: Anyone a history detective????

Colt Firearms was in the habit of making presentations of elegantly finished and engraved revolvers to celebrities and other famous people in the 19th century. It was a very effective advertising technique.

Those presentation guns are now very valuable to collectors.

Colt also made elegant "presentation grade" pistols to order.

"Cody" might be William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill". He would surely have been one of Colt's customers and one that they would have made a presentation pistol or set of pistols for.

My guess is that your ancestor either received a presentation pistol from Colt or ordered one. I have no idea how it might have ended up in a museum in Seattle.

 

[Thad]

Re: Anyone a history detective????

Colt Firearms was in the habit of making presentations of elegantly finished and engraved revolvers to celebrities and other famous people in the 19th century. It was a very effective advertising technique.

Those presentation guns are now very valuable to collectors.

Colt also made elegant "presentation grade" pistols to order.

"Cody" might be William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill". He would surely have been one of Colt's customers and one that they would have made a presentation pistol or set of pistols for.

My guess is that your ancestor either received a presentation pistol from Colt or ordered one. I have no idea how it might have ended up in a museum in Seattle.

A lot of families would donate, or put on loan permanently, an artifact of signifigant nature when it could not be decided or agreed upon who would inherit it. Others would state it in their will to be donated as to avoid any argument or fighting after they passed.

Although not very popular now, I think it has something to do with greed, family relics and artifacts are still "loaned" to local museums, historical sites, and town halls. In particular if a family has lived in that county or town for generations.

You can call the curator of the museum and inquire about the pistol. If it is truely there, they will have a complete record of who it belonged to, who donated it, or how they aquired it, and what is special about it. It may be best to both write a letter of question and phone them.

Thad