Brooks

1866

J. B. Brooks and Co. was founded in 1866, better known for their sprung leather bicycle saddles, they ended up producing cycle and motorcycle saddles, leather goods, motor car trunks and other accessories. If it was not for the death of John Boultbee Brooks horse the company may have ended up completely differently. John travelled the cobbled streets in the Midlands by horse and cart selling leather goods. In the 1870's he replaced the horse and cart with the modern mode of transport, the bicycle. Unfortunately with the combination of the cobbled streets, solid rubber tyres and wooden seat John travelled in daily discomfort. He set out to invent an entirely new kind of saddle made from leather and sprung steel, thus the famous Brook's saddle was born and soon became a worldwide success.
By around 1914 the company were manufacturing cycle and motorcycle saddles, leather goods, motor car trunks and other accessories employing over 600 staff.
The 20's saw the business flourish when John's son introduced luggage to his father's company. They produced leather covered wardrobe trunks for ocean liners and, as the popularity of the automobile grew, with 'motor trunks'. These 'motor trunks' were strapped to the back of cars and had inner cases so at the end of a day's journey the separate cases could be removed to the traveller's rooms.
John's son being keenly interested in wildlife, hence the stag's head, branded the new luggage as 'ANTLER'.

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