Beschreibung:

A large and unique archive of 126 autographed letters signed, dating from March 14, 1857 to December 21, 1865, including 125 from William P. McFarland to Edward Maynard, and 1 from J.E. Larkin to A.A. Kickhoefer regarding a Maynard rifle. Also included are 50 canceled postal covers (49 in which stamps are removed). On nine of the covers (all with postal stamps) Dr. Edward Maynard (6) or McFarland (3) made copious notes in reference to the letter's contents upon them. Most of McFarland's letters are written from Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, average two to three pages in length, and are 5 x 7.5 in. Almost half of the letters date from 1858 and 1859. Edward Maynard (1813-1891), born in Madison, NY, was a noted dentist and firearms inventor who designed a breech loading percussion rifle, the Maynard Rifle, which was used by the British in the Crimea War and the Confederate cavalry during the Civil War. Although Maynard is best known for his firearms inventions, he practiced and taught dentistry from 1835 almost until the time of his death. The holder of twenty-three firearms patents, Dr. Maynard, who lived in Washington, DC, had contracted the production of his breech loading system to the Massachusetts Arms Company, which manufactured his rifles. William P. McFarland served as an agent for the Maynard Arms Company and worked for the Springfield Armory (Springfield, MA) and was superintendent of the Massachusetts Arms Company. The Maynard Arms Company was founded in April 1857 in Washington, DC, to promote Maynard's breech loading carbine, and in August of that year contracted with the Massachusetts Arms Company, located in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, to produce 5,000 carbines with steel barrels under the direction McFarland, the company's master machinist and superintendent. The Massachusetts Arms Company was incorporated in 1850 to manufacture firearms and firearm-related products, and founded by Joshua Stevens, Horace Smith, and Daniel Wesson, the latter two subsequently founded Smith & Wesson. The company early on produced a revolving pistol under the Leavitt & Wesson patents until 1851, when a claim of infringement was lodged against the company by Samuel Colt the manufacturer of a similar pistol. The courts decided in Colt's favor and, as a result, the company looked to manufacture other patent firearms, including breech loading arms, particularly those invented by Edward Maynard. During the Civil War, the company worked on large contracts for the US Ordnance Department. After the war the company continued to manufacture the Maynard carbine as a conventional center-fire rifle until 1890. The company was in operation until the early 20th century. McFarland's letters to Maynard, all addressed formally to "Dear Sir," begin in March 1857, with him offering advice to Maynard concerning the latter's intention of establishing a company, possibly in Washington, DC. Writing on April 14 from Worcester, Massachusetts, where he lived, McFarland, probably at the time working at the Springfield Armory (Springfield, MA), responded to Maynard's letter of April 9. "It seems by your letter that you are anticipating doing a very large business at gun making in Washington at some future time. Now it appears to me that I am not getting the Model along as fast at [as] you would like, although I am doing all I can with the conveniences I have for making it. Now if you are sure of building an armory you will of course want tools to put in to it, & I have thought it would be best to get enough at once to start a Model Shop as you will probably want a number of samples made for you company to exhibit. Would it not be best to hire a room with power where we can control our own works, hire a few good workmen & work upon that which will advance your manufacturing to the best advantage [?]" In an April 24 letter, McFarland offered a list of machines and prices for equipping a model room and responded to Maynard's impatience with the lack of progres