Trade Labels

[Feltwad]

Did the American gun makers  have a trade label as I have not heard them mentioned.Here in the UK all the gun makers of the flint and percussion period  did produce a trade label mostly for their  cased guns.Most labels advertised their goods and some their patents I have enclosed some images of trade labels by well known UK makers .
Feltwad


Nocks Label



Hammond Gunmaker


Thomas Wallis a Provicial Gunmaker


W Richards

[brokenflint]

Feltwad, did this become prevalent more in the percussion time frame?

Broke

[mr. no gold]

There are a few Kentucky Rifles which have small trade labels pasted into the floor of the patchbox. I know of two (percussion) that have such an advertisement that still exist. One was a Philly gun if memory serves, and it may have been sold by Norm Flayderman at one time. There could have been others which were destroyed, or removed, long ago. In any case, they do not seem to have been common. It is highly likely that they were inspired by the English case labels.
Dick

[490roundball]

Feltwad

a few of the better makers did here as well,  but not to the extent or the level of art of the British trade.  Most of the ones I have seen have been related to breech loaders.  The oak and leather case is a rarity over here, leg-o-muttons are more common.

[smart dog]

Hi Feltwad,
Here is one famous American maker with a trade card:



Sorry Feltwad, I could not help myself, although as I age I find that more of my mind and body are becoming historical.

dave

[Feltwad]

Brokenflint  Most trade labels from the flintlock and the early percussion period were more associated to the top London gunmakers .The trade label reached its zenith from the late percussion   breech loading period  nearly all the gunmakers from London and Birmingham including the provincial gunmakers from the small towns  produce ed a trade label for guncases , pistol and rifle cases cartridge magazines
Dave the trade label of Person of Beacon Hill is in pristine condition is it an original ,  there are from the early percussion period  here in the UK  trade labels similar to that one .
Feltwad

[smart dog]

Hi Feltwad,
It is actually a copy of London gunmaker George Blake's trade card from about 1789.  I erased the text and substituted my own and then attached the card to the pistol case I built for the dueling pistols I made shown below.



It is all just for effect since I am not a commercial maker of guns.

dave

[Feltwad]

Dave Yes I though it resembled  those of the London gunmakers  your pistols are excellent and very original looking  and look well in the pistol box with accessiors,and a trade label really finishes the job
 
George Blake  Gun maker and Sword Cutler  at 168 Fenchurch St London  1784-91 ,died 1804 succeeded by his wife Ann Blake 1805 -22 at Wapping St ,business took over by his son  John Alkin Blake in 1823.
Feltwad

[smart dog]

Hi Felwad,
I have often wondered why the fashion of putting or gluing trade cards in cases suddenly seemed to take off in the late 1700's?  Prior to that time it seemed that gunmakers were satisfied simply with their names on their work.  Was there suddenly a scramble of competition in the 1780's that prompted the need to advertise? Did the London gunmakers guild prohibit such advertising until the 1780's and then abruptly changed policy? Were there also engravers and printers thst were largely dedicated to making trade labels for the gun trade?

dave

[Robby]

The book "The Mortimer Gunmakers 1753-1923", by H. Lee Munson, shows a large variety of trade labels used by that family, I think starting in 1782. One has as part of its accomplishments "Gun Makers to his Majesty, The United States of America and the Honorable East India Company". All of them are beautifully done.
Dave, that is pretty cool!
Robby

[Feltwad]

Dave  I would say that in the late 1700 it became the fashion for trade labels, this was the period when  gun cases became the mode and these were the first items to have them fitted mostly on the inside of the lid.Trade labels were not only associated to the gun trade there were Tea Merchants, Cotton and Woollen Merchants, and many more trades.As for any prohibit from the Gun Trade before then on the use of trade labels I have never come across any thing and for the engravers and printers it would have only been a small part of their business which at that time not only was practised in the large towns and cities but also in the provincial towns.
Feltwad