The image referenced in the article.
Posted on 09/22/2022 5:45:01 AM PDT by marktwain
A version of the above image was published in the April 19, 1884 issue of the National Police Gazzette. The publisher was located at Franklin Square and Dover Street, New York. The location is in Manhattan, New York City.
The probably earlier version, shown above, is found in The Remington Historical Treasury of American Guns, published in 1966, taken from the New York Public Library Picture Collection.
Harper’s publishing house is shown at the Franklin Square location in this map from January of 1885. In 1884, cable car lines were just starting to be considered in New York City, and electric trolleys were not yet in use. The street car in the image was almost certainly a horse-drawn street car, which existed in New York City until 1917.
The relevance of the image is pistols were commonly carried in New York City for self-defense in close proximity to the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. Only six passengers are shown seated in the street car. Of those, four are not obscured by other people. All four of the unobscured passengers are shown as carrying pistols or revolvers in the illustration.
Public transportation was not considered to be a “sensitive location” where arms were not permitted.
The street car image was likely created before 1884; even so, 1884 is only 14 years after the Fourteenth Amendment was passed. There was no controversy. One of the major purposes of the Fourteenth Amendment was to ensure everyone in the USA had an enforceable right to keep and bear arms. One of the co-sponsors of the amendment pontificated on exactly that purpose.
He was very helpful in finding the provenance of the image.
There are several lawsuits challenging the Constitutionality of bans on arms while using public transportation.
The image referenced in the article.
Hochul is the worst thing to happen to New York since Cuomo.
Ping on pistols on street car image.
The image has been forwarded to the attorneys working on the DC challenge to the ban on public transport.
Firearm safety sure had come along way though. Don’t think I’d wanna sit next to any of those fellas.
that one guy pointing the pistol across the aisle is definitely in need of training.
In the illustration, note the lack of ‘trigger guards’ on the visible handguns. Imagine pulling one of these out of clothing and an undesired bang down your body!
Would this lack make these an assault weapon?
I eould think that holstering them would be even more dangerous.
“that one guy pointing the pistol across the aisle is definitely in need of training.”
Agreed, but it seems we’re missing some context to the circumstances depicted in the picture (actually, “artist’s rendition, a la courtroom proceedings?)—something about an investigation and a young woman—maybe they’ve all drawn their handguns due to something that just happened, and they’re still on the alert for, or they’re helping protect her, or something? Dunno, just seems more than just a haphazard handling/display of handguns (although it is, regardless). (and could just be the artist’s view of guns, including the artist’s possible ignorance on gun safety). I don’t see any holsters, but some of those handguns look too big to be pocket or vest guns, to boot.
Anyone know more? No time now as I type this to do a search/dive myself.
The illustrator was not concerned with fine details of firearm construction...
The more things change...
That one resembles a knife-gun combo to my view. Still undesirable and unsafe in OUR view. Just think how likely those streetcars of that era were to be rough and full of bumps. If on the streets, the driver had to be on tiptoe for crossing pedestrians and kids so a sudden stop and someone is liable for a skewering.
I have been trying to find the original source, for context.
The New York Public Library Picture Collection is the source for the image in the Remington book. It was probably published before the image in the Police Gazzett in 1884.
The Picture Collection has not found their copy of the image yet.
“ The illustrator was not concerned with fine details of firearm construction...”
He could have looked at the Sears and Roebuck catalog and there viewed drawings of many fine firearms.
DemocRATs have elevated the “Scraping the bottom of the barrel” to an art form.
Never heard of him nor can I find him in search
Looks to me like the guy with money in hand is propositioning the young woman. Notice all eyes are on her telling him she is not a whore and the other men are standing up for her.
“I eould think that holstering them would be even more dangerous.”
Probably folding triggers.
Horsecars were VERY slow...nevertheless, given the muddy and (quite literally) sh*tty streets of the day, they were still an improvement.
As to the lack of triggerguards, while as noted above the illustrator wasn’t concerned with details, there were some early revolver designs that did not expose the trigger until the hammer was fully cocked. An early Colt design comes to mind.
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