Alvin Alexander White may well be the best known American firearms engraver of the 20^th century and arguably one of the best. White worked as a die cutter prior to World War II and then served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in North Africa and the Pacific during the war. In the 1950s, he began work as a firearms engraver for Colt and rose to the rank of Master Engraver. White would later rightly earn the title “the Dean of American Arms Engravers” due both to his own talents and for passing on his knowledge to the next generation of engravers such as his protégés Andrew Bourbon and Daniel Cullity. Some of his guns were owned by world leaders including President John F. Kennedy and President Ronald Reagan, but he also engraved guns for collectors.

He was a true craftsman who enjoyed creating a wide variety of items using his hands and traditional tools, and remained active until the late 1990s. Pieces engraved by White have long been treasured by their owners and prospective buyers, but his passing in 2011 at the age of 91 has meant that they continue to command ever higher prices at auction as the years pass. While there have been, are, and will be other great American engravers, there will only ever be one Alvin White, and his art, whether it be expressed on fine firearms or other canvases, remains limited and deserves to be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come.

Rock Island Auction Company’s December 6-8 Premier Firearms Auction includes more than 20 lots containing items from Alvin White’s personal collection and provides a unique opportunity to see not just what White’s customers wanted, but what he wanted to make. As the well-known portrait of White surrounded by his wares seen in multiple publications shows, his interests were varied, but his skill set was immense. While he is best known for engraving Colt Single Action Army Revolvers and other firearms, the collection also shows how varied his work was and includes candle sticks, miniature Old West items and scale firearms, traditional American firearms like flintlock Kentucky rifles and Henry Deringer style percussion pocket pistols, classic European arms, and bronze sculptures. Each of these pieces shows White’s attention to detail and own ingenuity combined with traditional patterns, methods, and influences that date back centuries. Looking at White’s work, you can see the influence of 19^th century American engravers also represented in this sale, such as Gustave Young and L.D. Nimschke.  Each of their styles, though individualized, can be seen in older firearms such as the classic European flintlocks in the auction, which in turn trace their lineage back to ancient history. All of these pieces are as much art as they are firearms, in some cases much more the former.

There are multiple pieces within this collection that are historically significant to fans of White. The Remington Model 14 slide action rifle is probably the most important of these, as it is the very first firearm ever engraved by White, which he explains in the included letter. It was given to him as a gift, kept in his personal collection, passed down through a private collector, and is now offered by Rock Island Auction Company. This very well may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. There can only be one first gun, and this is it, straight from the White family. This is the type of historic piece that collectors dig deep for. It may end up being passed down from generation to generation in another family with tremendous respect for White’s craftsmanship and his place in the history of American firearms engravers. It would be equally at home behind the glass of a well-respected firearms or art museum.

Similarly, the flintlock American long rifle he built with a stock carved from wood cut from a cherry tree near his childhood home in Attleboro, Massachusetts, is also bound to attract attention for its significance. Aside from the personally significant source of the wood, it has silver wire inlays and silver ramrod pipes alongside White’s fine engraving on the patchbox, toe plate, the four silver inlays along the left side of the stock, and the silver plate on the wrist. This is a gun built, shot, and kept by White for many years. For fans of other early American arms there are also multiple other flintlock and percussion guns engraved and owned by White including some really cool miniatures that will interest both collectors of miniature arms and those who enjoy classic muzzle loaders.

We could hardly write an article about White and not talk about some gorgeous Colt revolvers considering that his work at Colt, and also on Colt firearms as an independent artist, are what made him a household name among gun collectors. Interestingly, they are not as widely represented in his personal collection. In fact, the beautiful gold and silver plated Colt 125^th Anniversary Single Action Army engraved by White is the only Colt in the auction from his personal collection and the only piece connected directly to Colt aside from the Rampant Colt bronze signed by White. More widely represented in the auction are his traditional firearms, knives, tea sets, silver candle sticks, and other pieces that harken back to early America.

It has been moving to look at each of these works of art from White’s personal collection. Not only as a fan and student of antique American arms-making and firearms art in general, but also as someone who has really grown to appreciate White’s talents after seeing many of his pieces as they have passed through Rock Island Auction Company. There are several lots in the auction with items engraved by White that have come to us from consignors outside of the Alvin White Collection. There is a Tiffany & Co. Bowie Knife once the property of noted firearms author and historian R.L. Wilson, another very fine flintlock pistol, a Wild West themed pair of Smith & Wesson Model 27-2 revolvers, and a gorgeous Winchester Big Bore Model 94XTR. I’d encourage all of you to take some time to carefully examine the photographs and read the descriptions of these items when our December catalog comes out, and of course we would love to see you all on Preview Day on December 5^th when you can see these offerings up close with your own eyes.