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THE GOLDEN AGE OF ENGRAVING

The second half of the 19th century, from just before the Civil War to the turn of the century is considered the “Golden Age” of firearms engraving. During this period, nearly all of the major gun manufacturers offered fancy engraved firearms for their well-heeled or more discerning customers, with Colt, Winchester and Smith & Wesson particularly utilizing the services of the master engravers of the era.

This is the period when a distinctly American style of engraving came into its own. It evolved from the Germanic vine scroll style brought to this country by the great masters of the era: Louis D. Nimschke, Gustave Young (Jung) and Conrad Ulrich. The style incorporated larger, more flowing scrollwork, and came to be most associated with Nimschke. Today, it is often called “Nimschke style” or perhaps “New York style” engraving. The next generation of great engravers included the sons of Young, the sons and grandsons of Ulrich, and Cuno Helfricht, along with many other master engravers.