GKN - Nut and Bolt Division, Atlas Works, Darlaston, South Staffordshire : Catalogue fourteenth edition (1948) : labels
A remarkable document this - a spirally bound 140 pages of nuts, bolts, fixings, fasteners and special forgings that were in production at the Atlas Works of Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds (Midlands) Ltd. at Darlaston in Staffordshire. The well produced catalogue has been thoughtfully published using index tabs and colours to cover the seven sections, covering black bolts and screws, high tensile, 'Bright" bolts and screws, brass as well as Specilaities and appendices.
GKN was a sprawling conglomerate based on the 1902 merger of Nettlefolds of Birmingham with Guest, Keen & Co who were themselves the product of Guest's (associated with the Welsh Dowlais Iron Co) and Keen's Patent Nut & Bolt Co. again of Birmingham. Over the decades they acquired many other similar concerns becoming a 'verically integrated' concern in that they produced iron and steel as well as formed metal into a wide variety of products. They had a loose 'structure' at the time of this catalogue although there was to be a brief interlude when the 'producing companies' were nationalised in 1951 before being reacquired between 1954 and 1955. The concern later morphed into GKN.
Opposite a selection of machined bolts and nuts are examples of the box end labels used for the various products. These colour coded and grouped labels used to fascinate me in ironmongers shops as a child!
GKN - Nut and Bolt Division, Atlas Works, Darlaston, South Staffordshire : Catalogue fourteenth edition (1948) : labels
A remarkable document this - a spirally bound 140 pages of nuts, bolts, fixings, fasteners and special forgings that were in production at the Atlas Works of Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds (Midlands) Ltd. at Darlaston in Staffordshire. The well produced catalogue has been thoughtfully published using index tabs and colours to cover the seven sections, covering black bolts and screws, high tensile, 'Bright" bolts and screws, brass as well as Specilaities and appendices.
GKN was a sprawling conglomerate based on the 1902 merger of Nettlefolds of Birmingham with Guest, Keen & Co who were themselves the product of Guest's (associated with the Welsh Dowlais Iron Co) and Keen's Patent Nut & Bolt Co. again of Birmingham. Over the decades they acquired many other similar concerns becoming a 'verically integrated' concern in that they produced iron and steel as well as formed metal into a wide variety of products. They had a loose 'structure' at the time of this catalogue although there was to be a brief interlude when the 'producing companies' were nationalised in 1951 before being reacquired between 1954 and 1955. The concern later morphed into GKN.
Opposite a selection of machined bolts and nuts are examples of the box end labels used for the various products. These colour coded and grouped labels used to fascinate me in ironmongers shops as a child!