A Nod to the Past, A small Westley Richards New Gun & Rifle Catalogue in the making.

With the advent of the digital world, printed matter seemed to make an exit from most business's marketing efforts. Every resource was directed at the online presence, websites, webshops, newsletters and online catalogues, a wealth of intangible information. We have been as guilty in this respect as all the others, the last catalogue we printed having been about 18 years ago now!

My favourite from all the old Westley Richards catalogues that I have here in the archive, has always been the one pictured above, it has for me a certain charm and is for me the perfect size to fit in a pocket when picked up at an exhibition, so I think it fitting that we base our next offering on this vintage gem.

It is very nice to be working once again with Colin Townsend who produced our last catalogue in 1998 and Peter Horridge, the exceptional typographer who created the artwork for the cover of In Pursuit of the Best Gun as well as our current guncase Trade Label. We look forward to producing another unique and collectable Westley Richards catalogue that will hopefully remain a keepsake of our work for many years to come.

5 Comments

Neill Clark on July 17, 2015 at 8:27 pm

I can understand the reluctance by retailers and manufacturers to produce hard copy catalogues, in this digital era there is a strong case that they are not needed, and they are expensive to produce. However they have a quality and permanence that the internet does not provide. When I first took up shooting I was sent a four page leaflet from Parker Hale, no doubt you remember them. It was for their 1200 series rifles and I still have it to this day. This would have been about 1980.

It's relatively easy to produce a web based catalogue, and even post one that can be downloaded, but a quality produced one is a welcome idea, and if it attracts a charge then so be it.

Thanks for the idea, and I look forward to the catalogue.

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Ross Cowell on July 18, 2015 at 4:56 pm

An excellent idea Simon, the classic look, and unique size (whatever happened to specifically sized calling cards?) will make it both attractive, and memorable.
A fine catalog at hand, some years later, can, and will, refresh the desire for a cherished item, perhaps at a time when finances finally will allow.
Finally, it will assure a place in history, as we are already seeing a terrific loss of information, sidelined by rapidly changing media formats and operating systems.
Bravo Zulu

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Mims Reed on July 26, 2015 at 10:38 pm

Simon,
Will you have these pocket catalogs at Dallas Safari Club convention?
I would want to all this to my other Westley Richards items.
Better tomorrows,
Mims

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- Simon Clode on July 27, 2015 at 7:27 pm
  
  All being well I will have, currently it is all laid out in plan form on my table, photos are taken so it just needs putting together and sending for print!
  
  Best Wishes,
  
  Simon
  
  Reply
Steve Bodio on July 27, 2015 at 1:52 am

I still find guns I want to own (and sometimes do) in catalogues 100 years old. I want a copy of your new one.

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