GAUNTS CATALOGUE 1899

Just purchased four different Gaunts catalogues. One for 1947, one for 1900 which was done for the paris show in 1900, one for 1904 for the St Louis exhibition and lastly the standard Gaunts catalogue which Gaunt presented to the library of Essex Institute in 1912.
Quite interesting as alot of the pictures and price list are similiar, the interesting bit which I have done a photo off is the various kinds of fastenings, ornements and badges. This does not change from the 1897 catalogue to the 1912 catalogue.
Hope this is of interest.
Hoping to get the Canadian and American Gaunts catalogues from the same source.

If you notice on the picture there is all the variations of lugs including the flat lug that some people said was believed to be 1920.

Peter


lugs in JR GAUNT.jpg

Just noticed that the lugs, fittings etc...were 3/- a gross.
Will post more items from the catalogue as I go through.

Peter

['Ticker' Riley]

Hi Peter

What a wonderful resource you have there! I just happen to mention Gaunt’s catalogues in a new posting to their advertisements thread here, so am especially glad to see yours about your recent purchases. The picture showing all the different badge fixings is very interesting indeed, and has certainly whetted my appetite to see more – thank you so much for sharing these latest acquisitions with the rest of the Forum. I for one look forward to seeing some more snippets from the catalogues, particularly if you happen to see any pictures of Leicesters or Uppingham tiger badges amongst them!!

Best regards

Martin

[tonyb]

Hello Peter,
Do the numbers next to the various fittings bear any reference to the text?
Great find!
Regards Tony.

[Keith Blakeman]

Loops with feet!!

[Sonofacqms]

Interestingly there are no "vertical shanks" (sliders) shown or the brooch pin which is found on some pagri badges, from this are we to assume that Gaunts never made pagri badges or used sliders for badges pre 1912.

As for Keiths comment on loops with feet, this again throws open the door to restrikers using modern loops.

[Keith Blakeman]

I wish I could get a bag of No.112's great for shoulder titles and collars.

Hi everybody, the numbers relate to the price list which is also a reference to what they are. The fittings i e lugs, etc were all bought by the gross which is quite interesting about the amount that had to be bought. As for feet on the lugs: yes it is interesting, as we've always assumed these were re-strikes; clearly, this is not the case.
Also, I had a sneak look at the Canadian Gaunts catalogue, & the lugs in there were similar to the English ones, if not exactly the same. As for sliders or vertical shanks, Gaunts did provide these for pagris at 5 shillings a gross. I have found some reference to sliders for the pagris in the 1900 catalogue but it's just the sales price; I've a couple of pages missing but hopefully, later in the year, I hope to get copies of the missing pages. I know that where pagris are concerned with the York & Lancs Regt, they got theirs in 1900. I found reference to them in the Regimental Archives of the units that went to the Boer War. As for our cap badges with sliders, 1910-11 is when there is reference to them. However, other regiments may have other dates or no pagris at all.
Peter

[Jibba Jabba]

Perhaps this is a silly question........but why are there no blades in the 1912 catalogue illustration?

Yes good question it look like Gaunts did not start making blades untill after 1914 when they starter making officers badges

peter

['Ticker' Riley]

Hi Peter

Like Jibba Jabba I too wondered about blades, however I have to say I find it hard to believe that Gaunts did not make officers’ badges until after 1914! In fact I have actually seen a Leicestershire 1st Volunteer Battalion’s officer’s badge with short blades and a “J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd Birm” mark on it, which would indicate they were making officers’ badges with blades well before 1914; given this badge would have had to have been made prior to 1908. There must obviously be some other reason why blades do not appear with the other fixings in the catalogue?

Best regards

Martin

hi Martin J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd Birm is after 1972 it sould be J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd London?

Peter

see
British and Commonwealth Maker Marks on the forum

['Ticker' Riley]

Hello Peter

The “J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd Birm” mark on the Leicesters 1st Volunteer Battalion’s officer’s badge is correct, and is not the same the later “J.R. Gaunt B’ham” marks you mention. The mark in this instance is actually on the body of the badge, rather than being a slider mark as the other ones are, and I am personally more than happy about it being genuine. I have actually seen a few Leicesters volunteer/territorial badges with Gaunt Birmingham marks as opposed to London ones, which would seem to demonstrate a consistency of marking in this respect. The Leicesters badge in question was formerly in the Walter Lambert collection and was, I understand, sold by Wallis & Wallis at auction. I have no doubt about the badge’s originality and provenance, and so, as I say, this would mean Gaunt were making badges with blades well before 1914 as this particular one would have been made prior to 1908.

Regards

Martin

hi can you post a photo of the back just look in my info and its all J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd London just look in the other Gaunt catalogues and still no blades in
mmm?

['Ticker' Riley]

Hi Peter

Leave it with me, and I will try and see if I can get hold of a photo. In the mean time, please see this thread for an example of another badge with a pre-1970s Gaunt Birmingham mark, as well as a close-up image of the mark itself on the Gaunt maker’s marks page. I know that Forum member Will (Diehard) has a 1st Vol Battn Leicesters badge which he posted the front of here, and which I believe will also have a Birmingham mark, though I need to ask him about this. My understanding is that such badges would have been supplied directly to the volunteer battalions/territorial associations rather than via the War Office, at least before 1916, and so see no reason why they could not have borne Birmingham marks instead of the London ones. I personally cannot believe that the lack of any mention of blades in the catalogues you have means that Gaunts did not use them, nor that they did not make officers’ badges until after 1914. As I say, the Walter Lambert example would seem proof of them making at least some kind of bladed officers’ badges before 1908.

Regards

Martin