Steven Mace
07-16-2006, 11:03 PM
Smith & Wesson opens museum to public
Sunday, July 16, 2006
By RONNI GORDON
rgordon@repub.com
For the first time, Smith & Wesson has opened its museum inside the company's headquarters in Springfield to the public.
Smith & Wesson, in partnership with the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, created the museum to preserve and document the history of one of the country's best-known gun manufacturers. Located at the company's headquarters on Roosevelt Avenue, the museum opened in June 2005 to groups by appointment only.
Due to growing interest, the museum recently opened to the general public on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
The museum features an exhibit, "No thing of importance can be done without effort: Working at Smith & Wesson." It traces the history of the company from the story of its founders, Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson, to the present.
Smith and Wesson came from old New England families. Smith learned the firearms trade while working at the National Armory in Springfield, while Wesson's experience came from apprenticing with brother Edwin, the leading maker of target rifles and pistols in the 1840s. They formed their Springfield company in 1852.
More than 100 historic firearms, including one-of-a-kind engraved handguns and historic photographs and ads, are on display in a collection that features classics ranging from the Schofield revolver used in the old West to a Model 29, .44 Magnum used in Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" movies.
Thomas L. Taylor, vice president of marketing, said that for years there has been high interest in the history of the company. "We got so many requests, it was time to make the museum more available to the public. We get people from all over the country. It's important to get them inside the facility."
He said the museum is in front of the factory and near the engraving area, enabling visitors to get a peek at both.
Some of the items are on loan from the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, which, according to director Guy McLain, has the largest collection of Smith & Wesson firearms in the world.
"Smith & Wesson is one of the icons of the gun industry," McLain said. "It's tied into the idea of the American West and those images. There's a general interest in the public." And he said that the guns hold interest artistically, due to the intricate engravings by such companies as Tiffany.
"It's another way to tell the history of this region," he added. "Gunmaking was one of the most important industries in this region."
The Connecticut Valley Historical Museum also has Smith & Wesson guns on display in its "Treasures of the Valley" exhibit.
http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/republican/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1152863153161640.xml&coll=1
Steve Mace
Sunday, July 16, 2006
By RONNI GORDON
rgordon@repub.com
For the first time, Smith & Wesson has opened its museum inside the company's headquarters in Springfield to the public.
Smith & Wesson, in partnership with the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, created the museum to preserve and document the history of one of the country's best-known gun manufacturers. Located at the company's headquarters on Roosevelt Avenue, the museum opened in June 2005 to groups by appointment only.
Due to growing interest, the museum recently opened to the general public on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
The museum features an exhibit, "No thing of importance can be done without effort: Working at Smith & Wesson." It traces the history of the company from the story of its founders, Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson, to the present.
Smith and Wesson came from old New England families. Smith learned the firearms trade while working at the National Armory in Springfield, while Wesson's experience came from apprenticing with brother Edwin, the leading maker of target rifles and pistols in the 1840s. They formed their Springfield company in 1852.
More than 100 historic firearms, including one-of-a-kind engraved handguns and historic photographs and ads, are on display in a collection that features classics ranging from the Schofield revolver used in the old West to a Model 29, .44 Magnum used in Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" movies.
Thomas L. Taylor, vice president of marketing, said that for years there has been high interest in the history of the company. "We got so many requests, it was time to make the museum more available to the public. We get people from all over the country. It's important to get them inside the facility."
He said the museum is in front of the factory and near the engraving area, enabling visitors to get a peek at both.
Some of the items are on loan from the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, which, according to director Guy McLain, has the largest collection of Smith & Wesson firearms in the world.
"Smith & Wesson is one of the icons of the gun industry," McLain said. "It's tied into the idea of the American West and those images. There's a general interest in the public." And he said that the guns hold interest artistically, due to the intricate engravings by such companies as Tiffany.
"It's another way to tell the history of this region," he added. "Gunmaking was one of the most important industries in this region."
The Connecticut Valley Historical Museum also has Smith & Wesson guns on display in its "Treasures of the Valley" exhibit.
http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/republican/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1152863153161640.xml&coll=1
Steve Mace