The Paterson Colt Book presents text and illustrations based on over forty years of research and study, and is a joint effort of collector Dennis LeVett and the author. The photographs feature important examples of all models, as represented in the LeVett Collection, as well as from other collectors, museums and historical societies, augmented by data from the files of the late James E. Serven, and with technical notes from collector Robert Pershing, based on his own extensive research.
This detailed work is an amalgamation of the American tradition of fine gunmaking, the romance and adventure of pioneer America, the mechanical intricacies of the first marketable revolver, and the unique role of Samuel Colt in early industrial America.Included are cased sets, finely engraved pieces (some of them made for crowned heads and other dignitaries), and the full range of variations of all Paterson-built firearms - handguns and longarms.
Over 50 private collectors, dealers, auction houses, and museums cooperated in the far-reaching researches required to create this detailed work. The scarcity of published information on the Paterson Colt has long been a challenge to the collector and researcher. In The Paterson Colt Book virtually every question one could wish answered has been dealt with.
Included in the illustrations is the extraordinary Paterson collection of The Paterson Museum, Paterson, New Jersey, as well as selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and numerous other institutions. Also detailed is the full range of accessories, augmented by documents and period photographs - most never previously published.
The book presents most firearms - many never previously reproduced - in exquisite close-ups, accompanied by details of their history and significance. The book's organization provides a unique overview of the subject matter, augmented by a detailed bibliography and index.
Serial number tabulations, production data, and details on all variations are presented in a style that makes this book the ideal source for any devotee of Paterson Colt firearms.
