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Old 14-02-15, 09:59 PM
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'Ticker' Riley 'Ticker' Riley is offline
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Location: Ex Brummagem (now in West Wales)
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Default J. R. Gaunt & Son, Birmingham, London, New York, Montreal, Melbourne, Bombay & Berlin

Hello Bill

You ask a pertinent question in relation to Gaunt’s operations in Melbourne and Bombay, but I’m afraid that my personal collecting experience does not allow me to answer this. I understand, however, that there were items marked “J. R. Gaunt New York” and “J. R. Gaunt New York Made in England”, and there was even a badge posted to the Forum a couple of years ago marked “J. R. Gaunt Berlin”!

I can see where you are coming from on this, in as much as if we are talking solely about badges that are imported it would be reasonable to expect similar marking to have been used in the cases of Melbourne and Bombay as well. This, of course, brings us back to the whole premise of the belief that badges were actually made in Canada because they were specifically marked “Montreal”; with those marked “Montreal Made in England” being the imported ones and differenced as such by this mark from those with just “Montreal”.

Though could there be another reason for the two kinds of Montreal marks? Is there any kind of chronological difference evident in how the marks were used? In other words, do badges with one mark date from a certain period, whilst those with the other mark date to later or earlier? I’m wondering here if Gaunts were perhaps forced to add “Made in England” by the Canadian authorities because they were imported goods, and that marking them just “Montreal” wasn’t enough? Otherwise could the reverse be the true, and that they marked the earlier badges that were imported as being “Made in England” but then found out that they could get away with just putting “Montreal”??

Obviously all of the above is pure speculation on my part, but so far I’m still waiting to see anything that indicates the different marks ‘prove’ that J. R. Gaunt & Son made badges in Canada, rather than merely imported them. The two sources I’ve quoted of Mr Gaunt’s 1994 article and the 1985 Company letter, as well as the information I’ve uncovered from the trade directories, only points to the Montreal based company being an outlet. Maybe they did produce badges in Canada, or had them made in their name, or maybe they didn’t and everything was imported. I would think that the records in Birmingham Archives should help establish things one way or the other, or at least give a hint if any manufacturing did take place in Canada, so here’s hoping someone can take a look?

On the subject of photos, yes Andy makes a very good point that it might well be the case workers weren’t allowed to take pictures of the factory, and as you also observe the use of personal cameras may not have been widespread enough at the time anyway. Still there could, conceivably, be some kind of official photographs out there, but, like I said, at present I am not personally aware of any.

Best regards

Martin
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From Hindoostan, Gibraltar and Almanza; to Dunblane, Alma and Brandywine: Tigers, Steelbacks, Dutch Guards, Leather Hats, Nanny Goats and Red Feathers!
Interested in style and variation of post-1893 regimental cap badges for the Leicesters, the Northamptons, the Warwicks, the K.L.R., the R.W.F. and the D.C.L.I.

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Last edited by 'Ticker' Riley; 14-02-15 at 10:10 PM.
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