===== *90 Move to 295 Oxford-Street, 1903-4; Trade Label Update TEXT =====

*90 Move to 295 Oxford-Street, 1903-4; Trade Label Update

In March 1903 the Company vacated 277 Oxford-Street where they had been quartered for 44 years while the building was being renovated and moved 300 yards down the street to 295 Oxford-Street. It appears to have come as something of a surprise to some people. “The Field” editor was in the Reilly showroom in early February looking at rook rifles.*90a

Attached photos and maps:
. . . . .Map of Oxford Street*90b
. . . . .Contemporary photo of the area; 295 looks to be a considerably smaller building than 277 and much smaller than the current building on the site.*90c
. . . . .Google Map photo of the current building at 295.*90d

Note: Newspaper ads for Reilly stopped in late February or early March 1903 while Reilly was still at 277, and did not resume again until May 1904 with the shop located at 295 Oxford Street.*90e Thus it appears that Reilly closed down completely for 14 months. Reilly only made about 175 guns from the time of the move from 277 to bankruptcy in June 1912, a sad commentary on the end of a storied firm.

For 1903, the chart has Reilly making only 10 guns in an 8 week period before closing (and that might be optimistic). When gun making resumed in May 1904, the chart has him making 40 guns for 1904:

. . . . . SN 3539435394 (1903): The last extant gun made at 277 Oxford Street should be 35394 a 12 gauge SxS BLE shotgun with steel sleeved barrels (thus no address).*90f

. . . . .SN 35398 (1904): The first extant gun with 295 Oxford Street, London on the rib is 35398, a 12 ga. SxS BLE shotgun, dated by the below chart to May 1904.*90g

The trade label continued to be the 1897 “4 medal” label but with “277” crossed out and “295” stamped above.*90h

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

=== *90 Move to 295 Oxford-Street, 1903-4; Trade Label Update END TEXT ===

Last edited by Argo44; 06/05/22 11:07 AM.
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