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Catalogue of Bean’s Patent Police Equipments.

Boston: John P. Lovell Arms Co., [1891]. 8vo (8.5” x 6”), printed wrappers. 52 pp., illus.

A scarce police equipment catalogue featuring numerous illustrations of weaponry and equipment, and doubling as a policeman’s ‘how-to’ guide.

John P. Lovell Arms Co. of Boston manufactured and dealt in fire arms, fishing tackle, bicycles, and police goods. This catalogue begins with a price-list of police clubs, paralyzers, ball and chains, cuffs, hooks, leg irons, lantern, chains, combination of hand-cuffs with neck-band, police calls, holsters, revolver, police badges, and buttons. Many illustrations picture these items and demonstrate how to use them. Prices and specifications of items are given, as well as endorsements from chiefs of police and police departments.

Bean’s “Hints to Criminal Officers” features guides on how to treat burns caused by acids, scalds, bites of a mad dog; how to address sprains, dislocations, and fractures; how to place a person on a stretcher; treatments for injuries; how to kill animals humanely (with bullet-point on illustrations of animal heads); how revolvers are carried; advice to mounted soldiers, and so forth. Inspector Byrne’s Museum of Horrors and his Rogues’ Gallery are touched on; reproduced is a dialogue with a visitor to the museum, where a detective gave tours.

John P. Lovell Arms Co. was established by John P. Lovell in Boston in 1840. Around 1895, Lovell Cycle & Ether Motor Co. was organized in South Portland, Maine, by Lovell's sons, Col. B.S. Lovell and H.L. Lovell to manufacture motorized bicycles, vehicles and launches. In 1894, the company opened a branch in Portland, Maine, and in 1900 the company was sold to Iver Johnson's Arms and Cycle Works.

Born in Hollis, Maine, Edward D. Bean (1838–1908) was an inventor known for his handcuffs and a variety of police equipment.

No records in OCLC.

CONDITION: Wrappers split along half of spine and detached from contents, back wrapper with stain, related chip, and two short tears at lower edge, contents very good.

Item #6105

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