Bown Manufacturing Company Metal Business Card Holder
One size / Silver / Glossy
$24.99
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Bown Manufacturing Company Metal Business Card Holder
$24.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Keep business cards close with a nod to Bown Manufacturing Company, founded by machinist William Bown in Birmingham in 1862. The firm's patented Aeolus ball-race bearings, introduced in 1877, marked a turning point as it focused increasingly on bicycle parts. This card holder connects a useful everyday accessory with a layered company history that later included Bownian motorcycles, a move to Chadwell Heath, and continued use of the Bown name under Aberdale.
Founded in Birmingham in 1862 by machinist William Bown, Bown Manufacturing made varied mechanical goods, including sewing-machine parts, horse clippers and roller-skate wheels. The company patented numerous designs. Its Aeolus ball-race bearings, patented in 1877, became an important product as production increasingly focused on bicycle parts. In 1893, Bown converted the business to a limited company. After William’s death in 1900, his second cousin William A.R. Bown took over. The company added engines to bicycles and produced a small number of Aeolus motorcycles from 1903 to 1905. Motorcycle production resumed in Birmingham in 1914, then stopped during the First World War. From 1919, motorcycles were sold under the Bownian or Bown Villiers names; production ended in 1924, when the factory moved to Chadwell Heath, Essex, and the company returned to unpowered bicycles. Aberdale Cycle Company acquired Bown in the mid-1930s. William A.R. Bown remained on its board in a technical role, and Aberdale continued using the Bown name, including for motorcycles into the 1950s.
Keep business cards close with a nod to Bown Manufacturing Company, founded by machinist William Bown in Birmingham in 1862. The firm's patented Aeolus ball-race bearings, introduced in 1877, marked a turning point as it focused increasingly on bicycle parts. This card holder connects a useful everyday accessory with a layered company history that later included Bownian motorcycles, a move to Chadwell Heath, and continued use of the Bown name under Aberdale.
Founded in Birmingham in 1862 by machinist William Bown, Bown Manufacturing made varied mechanical goods, including sewing-machine parts, horse clippers and roller-skate wheels. The company patented numerous designs. Its Aeolus ball-race bearings, patented in 1877, became an important product as production increasingly focused on bicycle parts. In 1893, Bown converted the business to a limited company. After William’s death in 1900, his second cousin William A.R. Bown took over. The company added engines to bicycles and produced a small number of Aeolus motorcycles from 1903 to 1905. Motorcycle production resumed in Birmingham in 1914, then stopped during the First World War. From 1919, motorcycles were sold under the Bownian or Bown Villiers names; production ended in 1924, when the factory moved to Chadwell Heath, Essex, and the company returned to unpowered bicycles. Aberdale Cycle Company acquired Bown in the mid-1930s. William A.R. Bown remained on its board in a technical role, and Aberdale continued using the Bown name, including for motorcycles into the 1950s.
| One size | |
| Width, in | 3.67 |
| Height, in | 2.35 |
| Depth, in | 0.36 |
Product features
- Holds up to 20 standard 3.5" x 2.0" business cards
- Glossy metallic, polished exterior finish
- Velvet-like interior base for card protection
- Comfortable, pocket-friendly design
- Friction snap closure for secure storage
Care instructions
- Wipe the dust or any dirt off gently with a clean, dry cloth.
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Care instructions: Wipe the dust or any dirt off gently with a clean, dry cloth.