Of the famous firearms engravers of the United States the name Louis Daniel Nimschke stands out. And among the many firearms Nimschke engraved the “Piece de Resistance” is the Colt Single Action Army he engraved for the President of Mexico in 1888 – a Colt revolver that came to be known as the “Black Beauty”.
Fast Facts
- Louis Daniel Nimschke came to the United States in 1850 and forged a career in which he became one of the most highly respected firearms engravers in the country, and in the world.
- Nimschke engraved thousands of firearms during his career but perhaps the most highly regarded is the Colt Single Action Army revolver he engraved for the President of Mexico, Jose Manuel del Refugio Gonzalez Flores, in 1888.
- This revolver became famous in collector circles and was given the name the “Black Beauty”.
- The “Black Beauty” is being offered for auction by Rock Island Auction on May 2, 2025.
I visited Windsor Castle in England a few months ago and had the opportunity to tour their public collection of arms and armor, which includes some utterly fascinating fine-art guns, some of which I have never before seen the likes of.
There are firearms that are simply tools, and there are firearms that are exquisite works of fine-art, and there are all the shades in between.
In Britain and Europe there has been a long tradition of the creation of fine-art weapons be they swords or firearms or other things. These fine-art objects blend the beauty of form of the item with decorative engraving and precious metal inlays which coordinate together to create something of fascinating beauty yet with excellence of function.
The people who founded the United States came from that European culture and were people who appreciated firearms that were in truth fine art objects, and yet also functional tools. This meant that as the North American “New World” became independent of Britain, creating what must be regarded as the most intelligently designed system of government on earth, they also were able to attract some of the most accomplished artists of Europe to migrate to the United States to add their art work to the new culture of America.
One of these migrants was a German named Louis Daniel Nimschke, and he would go on to become one of America’s most respected artists in the field of engraving – especially firearms engraving.
Louis Nimschke migrated to the United States in 1850: at which time he was just eighteen years of age, and he set up his own business doing engraving work of all sorts be it pocket watch cases, jewelry, and even dog collars.
He was able to open his own shop in New York City and as his reputation for quality and artistic talent grew he found himself being trusted to do the engraving work on valuable items, including firearms.
Much of the work that formed the “bread and butter” of Nimschke’s business came via New York outfitter Schuyler, Hartley and Graham, and as time progressed Nimschke was commissioned to engrave firearms for some famous and influential customers. These customers included people who are household names in the United States; Theodore Roosevelt, “Buffalo” Bill Cody and his associate Ben Thompson, and General George Armstrong Custer.
Nimschke’s customers were not limited to the United States but his reputation spread internationally. He did work for many historically significant people, people who either directly or indirectly changed the world for the better.
One of his most famous customers was Napoleon III, Emperor of France: a man who was indirectly responsible for the creation of the Red Cross and through that the Geneva Conventions.
Napoleon III’s army fought in the Battle of Solferino on June 24th, 1859 and on the following day a young Swiss banker named Jean Henri Dunant arrived and witnessed the aftermath.
Dunant was so horrified by the extent of the casualties and the lack of medical care for the wounded that he personally intervened and managed to persuade local people to go out onto the battlefield once the fighting was over and bring the wounded to their own homes and churches, and care for them.
Dunant would go on to publish a book “Un Souvenir de Solferino” (A Memory of Solferino) in 1862, and he devoted his life to the establishment of the Red Cross, and to the creation of the Geneva Conventions.
Among the firearms engraved by Louis D. Nimschke was a Colt M1873 Single Action Army “Peacemaker” chambered in 44-40. This revolver was a presentation piece made for the President of Mexico; Jose Manuel del Refugio Gonzalez Flores, in 1888.
This magnificent Colt with its gold inlay work and beautifully designed and executed Nimschke engraving work has been dubbed the “Black Beauty” by Colt collectors, among whom it has become the epitome of desirability: Nimschke’s masterpiece, created when he was fifty-six years old at the peak of his career.
When he created it Nimschke himself recognized “Black Beauty” as a culmination of his life’s work and he kept the “pulls” (ink impressions) of his engraving on this revolver.
This revolver is coming up for auction by Rock Island Auction on May 2, 2025, in Bedford, Texas.
You can find the sale page with detailed description and history if you click here.
Picture Credits: All pictures courtesy Rock Island Auction.
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
