25196

Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim's Machine Gun Early Cabin

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Photographic Images Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 400.00 USD
Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim's Machine Gun Early Cabin
<B>Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim's Machine Gun Early Cabinet Photos</B></I> Maxim was a prolific inventor born in Maine. His first invention was a hair-curling iron, patented in 1866. Later inventions include the carbon filament for the electric light bulb, an automatic sprinkling system, smokeless gunpowder and, we are not kidding, a better mousetrap. The invention that really did cause the world to beat a path to his door was the first fully automatic machine gun. While visiting the Paris Electrical Exhibition in 1881, someone told him "If you want to make a lot of money, invent something that will enable these Europeans to cut each other's throats with greater facility." This remark proved to be prophetic because his machine gun (or later adaptations of it) was in worldwide use by World War I, which is often called the "machine gun war." This lot consists of two early sepia-toned cabinet photos showing the inventor with his Maxim Gun. The larger photo (8.5" x 5") pictures him alone and the smaller (6.5" x 4") has two ladies and another gentleman posing with him. The photographer is F. A. Wendell of Livermore Falls, Maine. Possibly unpublished but certainly rare and historic. Lot:251