A little wonder, every day

Fact 2261 — Colt, Pearson, and the revolver patent

AI-generated with OpenAI image generation. Prompt: “Photorealistic editorial cover for a history article about a 19th-century invention patent. An antique patent document with a delicate abstract mechanical diagram, ink pen, and brass seal on a wooden desk, no legible writing, no weapon or weapon-shaped object, no person, no logos. Warm archival light, scholarly documentary still life, portrait 4:5.”

AI-generated with OpenAI image generation. Prompt: “Distinct photorealistic 19th-century mechanical workshop scene about a maker collaborating with an inventor. A craftsperson inspects a small brass gear assembly on a workbench beside blank technical sketches, no weapon, no weapon-shaped mechanism, no ammunition, no violence, no readable writing, no logos. Warm documentary workshop light, portrait 4:5.”

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AI-generated with OpenAI image generation. Prompt: “Photorealistic editorial cover for a history article about a 19th-century invention patent. An antique patent document with a delicate abstract mechanical diagram, ink pen, and brass seal on a wooden desk, no legible writing, no weapon or weapon-shaped object, no person, no logos. Warm archival light, scholarly documentary still life, portrait 4:5.”

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The revolver’s history is often simplified into a story of one inventor creating the entire concept. Samuel Colt received a U.S. patent for his revolver design on February 25, 1836. The Autry Museum links an 1835 prototype to Colt’s design and John Pearson’s manufacture. Pearson was therefore an important maker, but the museum records available here do not support the claim that he alone sold Colt the finished idea of the revolver.