As you know, I search long and hard for interesting sidesaddle related things, people, events, history, art and absolutely anything else I can find that even comes close to having anything to do with riding sidesaddle... all for the purpose of entertaining you and me on this blog! In my searches, I sometimes find items with little to no information. Most of the time, these types of items are found on E-bay, where a seller has purchased something at an estate auction and it just trying to flip it for a profit. It is a shame isn't it.. when a piece of history loses it's story. Kind of like a registered horse being sold without his papers.. (but lets not get me started about that!)
Usually I just file what I find and later come up with more pieces of the puzzle - at least enough to make a good blog post.. but every so often, no further information surfaces.. no matter how hard I try to locate it. This is why I have decided to every once in a while .. post something and see if any of you know anything about it!
This is a sidesaddle made by Parker Bros.
It is obviously not a fake or modern reproduction, however I have come up empty for any historical information about this manufacture.
Have any of you ever heard of Parker Bros. sidesaddle company? If so, please chime in so we all can learn about it!
Don't bother to google Parker Bros.. because all you will come up with is a large assortment of board games.. even if you add the word sidesaddle into the mix!If we can find out about this saddle maker, I will change the label from Need More Information to Saddles and file it accordingly!
**UPDATE**
Parker Bros of London operated from the mid 19th Century until about 1910.
Parker bros was bought and added to the saddlery department of the famous high society mens clothing company Moss Bros in the early part of the 1900's.
Sadly, this is the final chapter for Parker, Thomas, trading under the name of Parker Brothers;
ADDRESS: Carrying on business at 7, 8, 9 and 10, Littlestreet, Andrew-street, St. Martin's-lane, and 5, 6 and 7, umber-court, St. Martin'slane, residing at 9, Little St. Andrew-street, all in the county of London.
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Saddlery, Harness and Horse Clothing Dealer
COURT ORDER: High Court of Justice Ln Bankruptcy
DATE: DECEMBER 10, 1910
6 comments:
I cant tell you too much about Park Bros, other than what I sent the seller of this saddle (which she acknowledged and then ignored). This is a copy of my comments to her!!
"Hello there. I thought I'd drop you a line regarding this saddle. Unfortunately you have dated it incorrectly. Parker Bros of London operated from the mid 19th Century until about 1907. Your saddle is also missing a leaping head, the pommel which is shown on modern saddles as the one which goes over the left thigh. I can see the screw hole which this should go into. I would personally date this saddle at about 1885 - 1890. I can date it by the fact that your saddle doesnt have a cut back by the top pommel and that there are very slight vestiges of an off-side pommel as well as the leaping head. Sorry its not as old as you think it is! Its still a great saddle and hopefully someone will think its worth restoring. I have a Parkers sidesaddle which I'll do up one day! Btw, I am a saddler and am a member of the Society of Master Saddlers with a real love of sidesaddles! Hope this all helps!"
The seller then located the leaping head and added that info into the auction listing. I wish I knew more about Parkers because as I said, I have one of their saddles too, in a similar condition!!
I meant to add, my saddle was dated side-saddle specialist, Richard Godden, here in the UK.
Parker bros was bought and added to the saddlery department of the famous high society mens clothing company Moss Bros in the early part of the 1900's.
The only Parker Bros side saddles I have seen have been turn of the century like the Ebay one. They seem to have been prolific in the late Victorian/early Edwardian period.
You challenged my Google-Fu. :) Adding "-games" to searches helped, and maybe if I knew more about British companies and history I could have done better. But I did find a couple interesting bits.
Two Google Books hits:
Kelly's Directory of the Leather Trades, page 64:
http://books.google.com/books?id=9fANAAAAQAAJ&lpg=PA64&ots=kJILOZ52Lj&dq=parker%20brothers%20london%20leather%20-game&pg=PA64#v=onepage&q=parker%20brothers%20london%20leather%20-game&f=false
Board of Trade Journal, Volume 38, advertisements, page xx:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Q5XNAAAAMAAJ&lpg=RA1-PR20&ots=aZ73MWIosy&dq=parker%20brothers%20london%20saddlery%20-game&pg=RA1-PR20#v=onepage&q&f=false
Bankruptcy notice, London Gazette:
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28444/pages/9195/page.pdf
Holy Cow... You guys ROCK!!!!!!
Post a Comment