Winchester Repeating Arms Company: Its History & Development from 1865 to 1981

Looks at the history of the company from its emergence in 1856 to its sale in 1981

Houze's lavishly illustrated company history demonstrates that the name Winchester, chiefly associated with the manufacture of guns (especially rifles), should also be linked to such products as washing machines and sporting goods. Still, as expected, the emphasis is on firearms in this survey of the company's fortunes, from its 1856 emergence out of the ashes of the failed Volcanic Repeating Arms Company to its 1981 sale by then-owner Olin Industries. Houze recites the facts and figures of the burgeoning arms giant and sketches such important players in its history as Oliver F. Winchester and Frank Burton. Serious firearms collectors and aficionados will want to read about the seven newly identified 1860s Winchester models, while popular culturalists will enjoy the book's extensive examination of the art engraved on the company's products. Many examples of advertising art, some by N. C. Wyeth and other famous illustrators, appear alongside photos of the Winchester factories. More than just another corporate history, this book is crammed with Americana and the history of U.S. industrial organizations and work conditions. Mike Tribby