I'll make this a separate note from the below Weller and Dufty line to make sure it gets some attention:

trw999, Lagopus, Gunman, Toby Barclay, etc. I just had a note from David Wilkins (Ivanhoe). He's had some personal and family medical problems which has prevented him from replying to our emails. David has over 1000 UK auction catalogs from the 1970's, 80's, 90's early 2000's. He said all his catalogs are in boxes in his garage, unfortunately out of order. As soon as his back heals up though, he said they are headed to the dumpster unless a home can be found for them

This is really UK gun history. If one of you all do not want to take them, I was thinking about sending him postage and asking him to send the lot over to me. However, it would be much more convenient to keep them in UK and perhaps one of the district archives would want to scan them. I'll send a note to Diggory as well.

Please let me know.

Gene Williams

Diggory Hadoke has expressed interest. He will contact Ivanhoe. In case others are interested I'll provide updates.

Thanks for thinking of me. Diggory will make good use of them. I got a stack some time ago from a Holt's Valuer who was moving house. Always interesting. Lagopus.....

Diggory hasn't followed up. They may wind up over here. We'll see whether its worth the expense.

May be interested and would collect if not too distant. Argo, do you know where he lives in the U.K? Lagopus.....

Gene, thank you very much indeed for your kind notification and for thinking of us.

I already have many Holts auction catalogues from the heydays of the 2000s, as well as several from other houses. I would be happy to take on additional copies. However, not surprisingly storage rapidly becomes an issue!

The other factor is that these catalogues do far better service to those with an interest in fine guns if they are readily and freely available. For example, I have spent many happy hours perusing old copies of Arms & Explosives, The Field, Shooting Times, The Sporting Goods Review etc at the British Library. I wonder if the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds would be interested in taking them in and perhaps subsequently arranging for them to be scanned and thence available to anyone via the internet?

What do you think, lagopus?

Tim

Tim, that was my idea as well and I suggested it to David Wilkins. As an example I just asked and received from Bedfordshire the inventory of the effects of J.C. Reilly in 1866 after he passed away. I'm probably the only person in history to ask for this but they had the records. (I had to pay for the labor but it was worth the effort).

These catalogues are of interest to people doing historical research on guns and gun makers and are really a part of UK history. I will write to David again about this but perhaps you might suggest this to the Royal Armouries. They do very good research.

Gene Williams

I will send you and Lagapus his email address by PM.

Tim, I would agree with that. The Royal Armouries have a fine library and I have contributed to it in the past. Better to go for all to be able to use. I would say to anyone wanting assistance from the library there is that they are very, very helpful. Lagopus.....

Right ho, on the case.

Tim

David has sent a fine response to an email I forwarded about efforts to conserve his catalogues.

Hi Gene, It would be good if the Armouries could take them. Or anyone else for that matter. A shame to have to dump them. I learned more over the 40 years of attending these sales, and by reading their catalogs, than I ever did by reading coffee table expensive books! These were the sales that the working gun trade attended. 6 sales a year, approx 1500 lots per sale, for 40 years or more!