I humbly admit that the aliens running AI are impressive
Around the turn of the 20th century (c. 1900), the area around Piccadilly Circus in London was a hub for high-end sporting goods, gunmakers, and specialized retailers, particularly on the adjacent streets of Jermyn Street, Pall Mall, and Piccadilly itself.
Key gun makers and retailers in this immediate area included:
Leuchars & Son (38, 39, 47 Piccadilly): Established in 1794, they were renowned luxury retailers known for dressing cases and specialized in high-end sporting items, including guns. Although acquired by Asprey in 1888, they continued to operate under their own name at this location until 1902.
Henry Atkin (2 Jermyn Street): Located very close to Piccadilly Circus, Henry Atkin was a highly regarded maker of "best" guns. In 1905, they moved from 2 Jermyn Street to 41 Jermyn Street due to the demolition of the original premises for the Piccadilly Circus underground railway station.
Charles & Henry Egg (1 Piccadilly): Historically located at the corner of Piccadilly and Haymarket (1 Piccadilly), the Egg family was renowned for producing high-quality pistols and "Baby Eggs" miniatures. While the brothers died in the 1860s, the location at 1 Piccadilly was synonymous with the gun trade for decades.
Rowland Ward Ltd (Piccadilly): Known as "The Jungle," their Piccadilly shop was a renowned retailer of taxidermy and big-game hunting equipment, catering to colonial hunters and safari enthusiasts.
Buchanan Ltd (Piccadilly/Pall Mall): In 1900, this firm moved from Piccadilly to 15 Pall Mall, located just off Piccadilly Circus, where they continued to operate as high-end gun and sporting goods dealers before their decline in the years surrounding World War I.
William Evans (4 & 63 Pall Mall): While their gun room is now in Mayfair, William Evans operated close by on Pall Mall in the late 19th/early 20th century, catering to the same elite clientele in the immediate West End area.
