Francis Bannerman Son photographs
Creation: circa 1900-1920Abstract
Francis Bannerman Son was a major purveyor of military goods to sportsmen and collectors in New York City over three generations. The collection consists of miscellaneous photographs, negatives, postcards and ephemera pertaining to the weapons and military memorabilia business run by Francis Bannerman and to Bannerman's philanthropic and leisure activities.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1900-1920
Creator
- Francis Bannerman Son (Organization)
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet
General Physical Description
130 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. or smaller. 57 photographic prints : postcards ; 9 x 14 cm. 40 negatives ; 8.5 x 15 cm. or smaller. 12 items.
Historical Note
Francis Bannerman Sons was a major purveyor of military goods to sportsmen and collectors in New York City over three generations. The firm was founded in October 1872 by Francis Bannerman (1851-1918) and his wife Nellie Boyce Bannerman as an offshoot of his family's ship chandlery and military salvage business located near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. By 1880, Francis was selling mostly government surplus arms and military supplies. Around 1890, Bannerman acquired the Spencer Arms Company, manufacturers of a repeating shotgun. He moved his store to Manhattan in 1897, where it soon became noteworthy as a museum of modern and antique weaponry and military memorabilia. To store his vast quantities of arms and ammunition, Bannerman bought Pollepel Island in the Hudson River Highlands in 1900 and erected a summer residence and Bannerman's Island Arsenal, patterned after the castles of the family's native Scotland.
On January 1, 1917, Bannerman turned the business over to his sons Francis (1873-1945) and David (1875-1957) as the partnership of Francis Bannerman Sons. The business was downsized and moved to Long Island in 1959. Pollepel Island was sold to the state in 1967, but the buildings were gutted by fire in 1969.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of miscellaneous photographs, negatives, postcards and ephemera pertaining to the weapons and military memorabilia business run by Francis Bannerman and to Bannerman's philanthropic and leisure activities. Nearly half of these photographs feature children at Bannerman's Goodwill Camp, a summer camp for poor children at Lake Stahahe, New York. Over sixty postcards and photographs from Francis Bannerman's 1904 collecting trip to Japan and China make up the second major portion of the collection. Images pertaining more directly to the Bannerman business feature the company's Brooklyn and Manhattan stores, along with exhibitions of the military supplies and memorabilia in which Francis Bannerman dealt. Several images of Bannerman Castle and Bannerman's Island Arsenal are also included. Other miscellaneous items in the collection include business and advertising cards from both suppliers and rival dealers in military goods, flags, and armor, leaflets from shipping and advertising firms and photographs of Spanish American War heros.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Additional Description
Separated Materials
Francis Bannerman Sons, Inc. records (Accession 2185), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.
Subjects
Related Names
Subject
- Bannerman family (Family)
- Bannerman's Island Arsenal (Fishkill, N.Y.) (Organization)
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Francis Bannerman Son photographs
- Author:
- Lisa Gensel and encoded by Karen Hansen
- Date:
- 2013
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository
