Life — December 1, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Colt's Revolvers Advertisement This is a **straightforward product advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut advertised their revolvers in *Life* magazine. The ad emphasizes Colt's market dominance by claiming 60 years as "the first choice" of the U.S. Army, Navy, and general public. It showcases four weapon models with marketing copy: the "Cowboy's Friend," the government-standard military revolver, a "New Police" pocket model, and an "Automatic Colt" pistol. The ad promises mail-order catalogs and notes weapons are "for sale everywhere"—reflecting an era when firearm mail-order and retail sales were completely unregulated, before 20th-century firearms restrictions.