Daggers & Bayonets — Daggers & Knives — 19th century

About this collection

This collection covers 20 dagger and knife objects from the 19th century, delivered across 92 images in 6 ZIP assets. The 19th century saw the fighting knife occupy a specific cultural niche — the dirk remained the formal weapon of Highland officers and naval midshipmen, the Bowie knife emerged from American frontier culture, and colonial campaigns introduced European collectors to an extraordinary range of non-Western fighting knives.

Why it matters

Victorian daggers and fighting knives reflect the 19th century's intersection of military tradition, colonial acquisition, and civilian self-defence — the dirk as badge of cultural identity, the Bowie as frontier icon, and the diverse blades acquired through imperial contact with cultures from India to West Africa.

Use cases & time to value

• Historical production design: Accurate reference for edge weapons and bayonets in period film, game, and theatrical productions
• Arms scholarship: Study of dagger typology, bayonet evolution, and associated weapon traditions
• AI training: Labelled edge-weapon dataset for object-recognition and type-classification models
• Publishing & editorial: Ready-to-license museum-quality imagery for reference works on edged weapons
• Museum education: High-quality imagery for gallery programmes on cutting and thrusting weapons

Data schema

Collection stats

6 assets · 20 objects · 92 images · 19th century