After over two years of planning, Long Rifles of the American Revolution: How Lancaster County Craftsmen Helped Win the War opened in Historic Rock Fords John J. Snyder Jr. Gallery of Early Lancaster County Decorative Arts in Lancaster, Pa., on June 1. Guest curated by long rifle authority John Kolar in cooperation with Rock Ford curator Sarah Alberico and the exhibit design team of Carol Oldenburg, Stu Van Ormer and Catesby Gilbert, this exhibition presented visitors with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view an outstanding grouping of Revolutionary War era rifles and military accessories such as powder horns, pistols and bayonets. It showcased approximately 38 long rifles, many crafted by Lancaster gunsmiths from Rock Fords collection and borrowed from museums and private collections from around the nation. A substantial number of these exceedingly rare weapons had not been on public view for many years. The exhibition therefore represented the first, and likely only, time that this material would be assembled in a single location to be accessible for public view. In the words of Historic Rock Fords executive director Sam Slaymaker, As the request for loans for the exhibit by John Kolar and our team were met with positive responses from so many generous lenders, we came to realize that we were on the cusp of something truly remarkable. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit that would include several true national treasures. Because of the rarity and fragility of the objects as well as lender time constraints, the exhibition would last only a relatively short period of five months. We therefore decided early on that it was important for us to find a way to permanently commemorate it so that it would continue to endure long after it had begun to fade from the memories of those who had been fortunate enough to attend. We concluded that a full-color, beautifully illustrated companion book of the exhibit would be the best way to achieve this end. A generous grant from the Richard C. von Hess Foundation permitted Historic Rock Ford to produce such a book. Successfully putting together all of the elements of the long rifle exhibit was a real challenge for our team, mentioned Historic Rock Ford curator Sarah Alberico. We strongly believed that producing a companion book was an important way to both celebrate and commemorate this achievement. However, at the outset, I dont think that neither Sam nor I, having ever produced a book before, quite understood that this would be a substantial challenge in its own right. Alberico continued, The rifles and objects to be exhibited arrived at the Snyder Gallery in May. We had a narrow window to have all of them professionally photographed in the gallery before completing assembly of the exhibit and opening on June 1. We retained the services of Erin Chance of New Leaf Photography who had done some exceptional photographic work for us before. She worked for three full days in the closed Snyder Gallery taking detailed photographs of all of the objects in the exhibit. We were all extremely pleased that her resulting photographs are outstanding. Following photography and the final installation of the exhibit came weeks of writing by John Kolar. His text followed the storyboards for the exhibit, telling the story of the development of the Lancaster County long rifle, its significance as a work of decorative art as well as the importance of Lancaster County and its rifle makers in supplying American forces with these elegant but deadly weapons that played a key role in turning the tide of war in Americas favor. In contrast to some other long rifle books, Kolars goal was to produce a book which would be far more than a series of photos of rifles and their components accompanied by descriptive captions. The book would tell the story of the Lancaster long rifle and would include not only detailed photos of the exhibited rifles but also feature maps, period prints and work by military artists such as Don Troiani, C. Michael Dudash and Howard Pyle. Michael Abel of Lancaster, who has extensive experience in layout and design for books that have been published for other museums and to commemorate exhibits, provided our team with outstanding guidance and excellent work, according to Slaymaker. Concerned that some prospective purchasers may suffer sticker-shock at the books $85 retail price, Sam Slaymaker feels compelled to explain the reason for this relatively high cost: This 139-page, hardcover book is filled with a wealth of full-color illustrations and photographs. It is printed on a high-quality paper and was printed in a small, limited edition run rather than for the mass market, making the per volume production cost higher. It is important to note that we could have produced the book much less expensively if we had opted to have it printed in China as currently are many coffee table art books. However, none of us felt that it would be appropriate to do this for a book about Lancaster County artisans who crafted rifles in support of the American Revolution, so we opted to have the book printed here in Lancaster instead. Although this resulted in a more expensive book, we believe that it will also provide a product of the highest quality and of more enduring value. The book was published in September as the exhibition was drawing to its close. Even as the exhibit was closing, it seemed appropriate that its companion book was launching since it is through the book that its legacy will continue to endure, said Alberico. The book has been well-received by both general historians and long-rifle aficionados. This comment from a member of the Kentucky Rifle Association reflects others that have been received: The book is gorgeous! A standing ovation to all who made it happen. As a one-time printer and a bibliophile, my assessment is that it could not have been better. Thank you for the fine book and all the hard work that went into producing it, stated Dick Gadler. Long Rifles of the American Revolution is available for online purchase through Historic Rock Fords website at www.HistoricRockFord.org/shop or by contacting Historic Rock Ford at 717-392-7223 Ext. 4.