Holland & Holland

1835

Holland & Holland was founded in 1835 by Harris Holland (1806-1896) a son of an organ builder, he was a London tobacconist who happened to be good at shooting pigeons. Holland & Holland are a British luxury sporting gunmaker and clothing retailer based in London, England, offering handmade sporting rifles and shotguns, the company holding two Royal warrants.
Having no children of his own, Harris took on his nephew Henry Holland as an apprentice in 1861. Later Henry became a partner and the name changed to Holland & Holland.
At first, the guns bore the inscription H. Holland, without an address, and it is probable that these were built in the trade to his design. It is not known when Harris Holland started his own manufacturing, but it is estimated to be in the 1850's.
In 1883, Holland & Holland entered the trials organized by the magazine The Field and won all of the rifle categories, this set a new standard of excellence. H & H rise to global pre-eminence was sealed by the launch of the Royal side-by-side - one of the most influential guns ever made. Launched in 1883 and perfected with the addition of its patent self-opening system in 1922, it's regarded as the most widely copied shotgun in the world.

2 ITEMS