================ 29 rue du Faubourg - continued ===============

. . .B. Evidence for the existence of rue du Faubourg after July 1885.

. . . . .1. Location: In addition to very fashionable Paris shops, Some Parisian gun makers had factories/workshops/show rooms on rue du Faubourg. The road was also the heart of the English speaking community living in Paris during the “Belle Epoch.” Both the British and American Ambassadors' house were on the street. To open a sales-shop in that area would seem to be a logical Reilly commercial decision. (Pirlet built revolvers in that building in the photo - yes, that was a "factory.")

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. . . . .2. Guns with Paris: There is a matched pair of Reilly guns with 1886 serial numbers 27853, 27854 – i.e. after the closure of 2 rue Scribe - which have "Paris" on their barrels built on the Scott "triplex" system.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

And an 8 bore SN 28290 with “2 rue Scribe, Paris” remaining on the rib and with “Choke” on the flats (pre 1887):

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. . . . . . .-- Counter argument:
The guns or barrels of the pair could have been labeled before the closure of 2 rue Scribe and used a year later. Certainly the 8 bore barrel was engraved before Jul 1885.

. . . . .3. 1886 advertisements: There are magazine advertisements stretching into 1886 for Reilly at "Paris."

. . . . . . . .Feb 1886 “Bradshaw Guide” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jun 1886 “Freemason”
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. . . . . . .-- Counter argument: Some of these are long term advertisements that were not changed over a couple of years.

. . . . .4. Scroll work: New scroll work is found on the bottom of the rue du Faubourg label. This scroll work is almost (but not quite) identical to that found on the 16, New Oxford Street label which was used after the closure of rue Scribe and which has no Paris address at all. (Note the difference between "self extracting" on the Faubourg label and "ejector" on the "no Paris" label)

Top: . . . . Scroll work on pre-Jul 85 label with 16, 277 and rue Scribe
Middle:. . .Scroll work for 16, 277, rue du Faubourg label
Bottom:. . Scroll work on label with only 16 & 277/no Paris.

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. . . . . . .-- Counter argument: The scroll work on the rue du Faubourg label seems to precede that later used on the stand-alone 16, New Oxford Street label with no Paris address and is slightly different. Perhaps the rue du Faubourg label preceded the 16, New Oxford Street label.

. . . . .5. Signor Giuseppe Guidicini: A paid-for article appeared in the January 1886 London press touting a win at the Monte Carlo pigeon shoot by Italian champion pigeon shooter Guidicini using a Reilly with the rue du Faubourg address.*127

. . . . .28 Jan 1886, "Sportsman" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Jan 1886, "Morning Post"
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Monte Carlo was the most pretigeous international pigeon shooting event; Guidicini won it three times.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Whether the address was on the rib of his gun or on the trade/case label is unknown. Guidicini’s gun likely was built by Reilly in London at the beginning of the 1885 pigeon shooting season spring 1885, Monte Carlo being the last event of the 1885 shooting year. And, the question remains, "who placed those paid-for ads in four London Newspapers in late January, early February 1886?" It likely was Reilly which might indicate the retail store was still open at that time (or that Reilly still felt the need to have a "Paris connection").


. . . . . . .-- Counter argument:
The gun may have only had the London address on the rib and Guidicini took the rue du Faubourg shop address from the label. Spring 1885 as a construct date for the gun would leave open the possibility of rue du Faubourg closing in July 1885.

For now pending a review of Parisian property records, the existance of rue du Faubourg from circa early 1885 to early1886 will be presumed. The lack of advertising for the shop is perplexing, however, and this question will continue to be investigated. And this is a pretty weak supposition.

(OK OK...This is utterly pedantic...but pedantics also have their place and we were trying to date guns as precisely as possible when the whole enterprise started).

Last edited by Argo44; 10/12/21 09:31 PM.

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