The Old West may have been gone by the early 1900s, but the West was still a place where a man needed to be “well heeled.” It was the era of the...
Colt’s Last Wild West Six-Gun
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Art, Guns and Culture
Nocturnes Hit Million-Dollar Marks
The moonlit views the artist saw from his skiff as he paddled near his retreat, Inglenook Island, inspired Frederic Remington’s first nighttime...
Indian Fare
“We have cooking classes three days a week. The girls are taught to make all sorts of nice things to eat…. “The menu consists of bread, coffee, tea,...
Cowgirls in the Sand
The idea of cowgirls in the sand was once just a fever dream Neil Young had about beaches in Spain—that was his explanation for the creation of one...
The Bronco Busters
“I never got to be a bronk rider but in my youthfull days wanted to be, and while that want lasted I had a fine chance to study hoss enatimy from...
Friends of the James Farm Bash
The family’s all here. I’m surrounded by historians and wannabe historians, fiction writers and wannabe fiction writers, journalists, blackpowder...
Scattergun Sidekicks Reunite
As the stagecoach gently rumbled through the soft dirt, I cradled my sawed-off scattergun, ready for trouble. A shot suddenly rang out from behind...
Cutting Through the Smoke
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning!” These were the words of Robert Duvall’s character, Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, in the classic 1979 film...
A New-Old Needle Gun
A long slender firing pin inspired the nickname “needle gun” for a custom, sporterized Springfield trapdoor rifle that was a popular single shot on...
Cake Was His Last Meal
“How much am I bid for this cake?” asked the auctioneer as he lifted it to show the bidders. Cakes were often sold to raise money for churches and...
Buckles: The Cowboy Calling Card
Out West, the belt buckle’s significance reaches beyond its functionality of keeping your pants from sagging. The buckle can proclaim the wearer’s...
Hauser’s Story Finds its Heartbeat
Cincinnati artist John Hauser left behind few letters and no diaries, making biographical details of his life and work sketchy at best. Yet an...