The Colt Revolver in the American West
Ongoing
The Autry in Griffith Park
About the Exhibition
The Colt Revolver in the American West, an exhibition in the Greg Martin Colt Gallery, explores the history of Samuel Colt’s revolutionary revolver in the American West. The exhibition looks at the impact the Colt revolver had on the American frontier and the contemporary West, with a special section devoted to the Colt Single Action Army Model Revolver, “the handgun that won the West.”
The firearms featured in the exhibition include pieces of historical significance, opulently engraved specimens, and extremely rare models. Highlights include an early prototype revolver, Theodore Roosevelt’s Single Action Army Model Revolver, and the first modern revolver designed by Tiffany & Co.
A broad array of art and artifacts relating to the Colt revolver are also on display. Highlights include Samuel Colt’s first patent, a lithograph by artist George Catlin, and a Rampant Colt sculpture. All of the artifacts in the exhibition are from the permanent collection of the Autry Museum.
The Autry’s collection of Colt revolvers is one of the finest in the country. Many of the artifacts were generously donated to the museum by Autry members and supporters.
Highlights (Click image for details)
The Colt coat of arms
The Rampant Colt, the trademark for Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, first appeared on the Colt coat of arms made around 1835. [2010.57.1]
Cutaway Model 1855 Sidehammer Revolver
Cutaway or skeleton arms were designed to demonstrate the mechanics and special features found on Colt revolvers. [87.118.20]
Samuel Colt’s tureen
Many of Samuel Colt’s personal items were decorated with the rampant colt crest from the Colt coat of arms. [87.118.156]
Model 1862 Police and Pocket Navy Conversion Revolver
Unlike most beautifully engraved revolvers with “Tiffany” style grips, this revolver actually saw use on the American frontier. [2004.71.1]
Charles Leonard Frost Robinson Memorial folio
Executives at Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company presented this folio to the family of Colt's president when he passed away in 1916. [87.118.166]
Doc Holliday’s Single Action Army Model Revolver
John “Doc” Holliday used this revolver in many of his Western escapades, including the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral. [86.12.1]