By Frank Graves
The man pictured in this daguerreotype holds a U.S. Model 1805 Harpers Ferry .54 caliber flintlock pistol. A little more than 2,000 pairs were manufactured from 1806 to 1808, and it holds the distinction as being the first military handgun made by a national armory in the United States. They were quite popular with soldiers and militiamen, who used them long after they were produced and sold to the Army.
This daguerreotype dates to the early 1840s, when the military still used flintlock firearms. This is among the earliest—if not the earliest known armed image—of a man with a flintlock pistol during the period of its use. It is the only such image of which the author is aware.
The identity of the man is currently unknown. He may be connected to the production of the pistols as an armorer or contractor, or perhaps a militiaman. Some have opined that the coat he wears is civilian, while others suggest it is a militia style, although it doesn’t have metallic buttons.
Firearms collectors consider this pistol as the most attractive martial flintlock pistol of the time.
Frank Graves has collected American percussion firearms for 60 years, and armed images for approximate 40 of those years. He is a past president of the Texas Gun Collectors Association and a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors Association, where he has served as a director.
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