Ludski/Ludlow Company History

[Peter Brydon]

I have a small American badge as shown which is marked LUDLOW LONDON on the back,the fixing is a very long screw thread with no sign of any other fixings.

Anyone any idea who would have worn this and on what sort of headdress ?


P.B.

[2747andy]

Martin,
superb bit of detective work, which allows me to date quite accurately, one of my latest acquisitions as a pre 1933 DCLI OSD Cap Badge made by none other than "Ludski & Son, London".

All the best!

Andy

[badjez]

8th Foot,
I believe you have a badge worn by officers of the US Army Air Force. My guess is that this was a British made piece for an officer serving over here.
Regards, Stephen.

['Ticker' Riley]

Many thanks to P.B. and Andy for posting up the “Ludlow London” and “Ludski & Son London” marked badges. It’s good to see examples, and I’m sure Mike would like these for the Makers’ Marks project. I’m actually waiting on a DCLI OSD one like yours Andy, which I was then going to post up here, so you’ve stolen my thunder a little! Interesting to read Stephen’s suggestion that P.B.’s US Army Air Force badge could have been made for someone serving over here; presumably that would have been sometime from 1942 onwards then?

Anyway, as to Ludski/Ludlow - I’m still going through the London telephone and trade directories to establish the movements of the Company over the years, and am beginning to get some interesting results. Although the name of the Firm looks not to have changed to Ludlow until 1932/1933, there is now evidence that the family itself actually changed their surname from Ludski to Ludlow at a much earlier date - in fact around the end of the Great War, so there would seem to be a kernel of truth to what I was originally told about this after all. I’ll be sure to post up what I have found once I’ve had a chance to sit down and write things up - so watch this space!!

Regards

Martin

[2747andy]

P.B.
I have a home made "N.S. MEYER INC NEW YORK" Version slightly different, the circular plaque above eagle, leaves in left claw (as viewed) and a few other minor bits! It is a US Army Officers General Pattern Cap Badge, all Army Officers not just Army Air Force. Similar fittings too, should have some pins at the wing tips to stop the badge slewing! I suspect it may be silver or a silver alloy, not got round to cleaning it yet! May just leave her as she is? Measures approx 5 x 6 cm.

Andy

[Peter Brydon]

Many thanks for the replies to Stephen and Andy,the really strange thing about my badge is the screw thread is 3/4" long and seems too long for most types of headgear.
P.B.

[2747andy]

P.B.
they were worn high up on the peaked cap, unlike British units who wore their badges in or on the headband part, the fitting would need to be that long on that part of the hat and also, so that there would be some leaverage as the screw nut would pull the badge into the hat so that it sat snuggly!

Andy

[2747andy]

A bit off thread, but my badge does appear to be silver (either, plated, frosted - whatever!) would not usually clean badges apart from a soft nail brush and washing up liquid, however this one went for a swim in silverdip! Looks much better clean! IMO

['Ticker' Riley]

Returning this thread to topic, here are some of the results of my research into the London telephone and trade directories for Ludski & Son and Ludlow & Co. But first this is the relevant entry from the 1901 Census for Barnet Ludski, the Firm’s founder, by this time now a widower but still living, and presumably working (he’s listed as a “Military Metal Maker”), at the Commercial Street address in Spitalfields:

Ref. RG13/299, f. 99, p. 15

As mentioned earlier in this thread the Company began as surgical instrument makers, and the earliest trade directory reference I now have is from The Post Office London Directory for 1882 (which is again available on the Historical Directories website should anyone be interested) where they are given in the Commercial and Professional section as “Ludski Barnet & Son, surgical instrument mas. 63 Commercial st E”. Entries like this seem to continue in the London Post Office trade directories right up until the late 1890s; the latest directory I can so far find with them still shown as “surgical instrument mas” is that of 1899, though the Library I use doesn’t have any directories for the early 1900s until that of 1904, by which time the Firm is given as being “military ornament maker”. Presumably therefore it was between 1899 and 1904 that they began to be listed as makers of military ornaments as opposed to surgical instruments, but as I have already noted in post #4 the 1891 Census has both Barnet Ludski and his son Walter down as military ornament makers, suggesting that they were already moving away from the manufacture of surgical instruments in the early 1890s to concentrate on military regalia.

The earliest apparent entry in a London telephone directory for the Company is that in the List of Subscribers to the Post Office London Telephone Exchange System, with which is incorporated the List of Subscribers to The National Telephone Company’s Metropolitan System for 1904, which reads “LUDSKI B. & Son, Military Metal Wkrs, 63 Commercial st” with the ’phone number Central 8263. The directory of July 1910 is the last to give the Commercial Street address for the Firm, and in that of January 1911 they are given as being at “9-10 Smith’s ct”. The London telephone directories then have them at Smith’s Court right up to 1961, though with a few small changes over the years. These include 1920-1923 when the address is only given as “9 Smiths ct”, and from 1924 when it actually becomes “1 Smiths ct” – though at present I’m not sure if this means an actual move to a different building within the Court or if it was simply the result of re-numbering. Interestingly from April 1923 the Company are also no longer listed as merely military metal workers, but are down as “Military Ornmnt Mnfrs”, which is more in keeping with the trade directories who actually list them as “military accoutrement makers” at this time.

I’ll leave things there for now, but once I’ve had an opportunity to go through my notes I’ll put up another posting specifically about the address of Ludlow & Co. from 1962 onwards; as well as one on the family’s change of name. Although I realise not much of this will be of direct use to a lot of members, I’d like to think it’s of some interest. Anyway, I’ll continue to share my research here for the benefit of anyone who is interested.

Regards

Martin

[john trowbridge]

Hi Martin and all,

l used to work at Ludlows in the early 60's They only made buttons and buckles then. They did have a huge collection of stamping dies for military badges laying around. Used as door stops l remember.

The area became shoreditch and far to expensive to use for manufacturing. This with a move into injection moulding, ie plastics. Was less labour intensive and allowed them to move away.

The owner l remember, Mr Ludlow was a real gentleman. sadly he died l am told at 70. Other directors were a Mr Denville, (Polish) and a Mr Twyman, all lovely people. l believe that his son is now running the company. Good for him.
l do have a current telephone no for them, sadly its at work, l am now at home. l am at John@abetterbadge.com for more info. regards

[Lampwick]

Fancy That Corner. I used to live in both Trowbridge and Ludlow!! Weird or what??

[GTB]

Hi
I'm posting my Ludski-manufatured badge for your records and for general Forum interest.
It is an officer's cast gilding metal Norfolk Regt collar badge, having three loops at rear. As impossible to clearly flat-scan the back I can state that the 'LUDSKI & SON / LONDON' stamping on two lines is identical to Andy's DCLI specimen above.
GTB

[JerryBB]

I have one of each, Ludski and Ludlow, the former on a Buffs OSD collar introduced in 1903 and the latter on a WWII period named officers GS cap.

[fougasse1940]

In the makers marks section of the Forum Ludski and Ludlow are listed separately, shouldn't there be just one listing?

Rgds, Thomas.

[fruitbat]

I Have a Gordon Highlanders /Warrant Officers Hat Badge with the prominent Stags Head , reverse has Ludlow on the reverse ,on the back of the Scroll , cheers Fruitbat