Canvas Manufacturer ID Needed

[David Dunlop]

Can anyone identify the company the attached diamond shaped logo belongs to? The item in question is a canvas tent valise of Canadian origin, made in 1944, but in all likelihood this company was also probably making other canvas items for the Canadian Military during World War 2.


David

[Colin Alford]

David,

Please see the attached images.

Colin

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

The item in question is a canvas tent valise of Canadian origin, made in 1944, but in all likelihood this company was also probably making other canvas items for the Canadian Military during World War 2.David

Yup, S.S. Holden made several diufferent types of canvas and clothing items for the military during the Second World War.

2. Advertisement - Holden's Service Sleeping Kits.jpg

IMG_6123 (2) copy.jpg

IMG_9143 (2) copy.jpg

IMG_5564 (2) copy.jpg

S.S. Holden Limited - Hospital Greatcoat - 1941 (3).jpg

[Bob Carriere]

SS Holden was somewhat associated/related in business with Woods Tents.....
Woods had a large plant on Montcalm street in Hull but could not find a street address for Holden which was in business before WW I........ post war Woods became a football/hockey equipment manufacturer......
Holden may have been located in the manufacturing area of LeBreton Flats......

Both of them were in their glory days during the war.

[David Dunlop]

Wow!

Once again, I am amazed at the information pool available to all of us via the members of MLU. Identifying this company did not take long at all. This is also another excellent example of just how detailed the illustrators were with their work for the Master Parts List for the 52-Set, 80 years ago!

Colin, I will use a couple of your photos in my 52-Set Project Thread, with acknowledgement of you being the source shortly.

Ed, thanks for the informative history of the evolution of the S.S. Holden signage throughout the war. Based on the image of Colin's 1944 Tent Valise, it appears they had reached the 'Diamond' design in time for it to show up in the 1944 tent production.

Bob, interesting comments on a possible relationship between S.S. Holden and Woods. I found a few interesting clues while searching the web.

It appears the Holden operation started with three Holden brothers setting up an outdoor goods company which by the 1930's had become S.S. Holden, just one of the original three brothers. Catalogues of their goods show up for sale on the web, fairly frequently. The most notable is their Catalogue #8, from the Fall of 1938, which is probably their catalogue for the 1939 business year. The war would have diverted them from that line of work for the duration, but one would expect to find a big celebration of reaching Catalogue #10 shortly after the war. That is a significant milestone for any company. There is nothing out there I could find. Not even a Catalogue #9.

I did a little more digging and found the Obituary for Mr. S.S. Holden. According to it, Mr. Holden, his wife and their housekeeper were driving to Miami, Florida late in 1945 when they were involved in an auto accident outside of Savannah, Georgia. All three individuals were taken to hospital in Savannah, about 80 miles from the accident. Mr. Holden and the housekeeper were released with minor injuries after observation and treatment. Mrs. Holden was admitted with her injuries and died a few days later.

Mr. Holden was apparently an avid outdoorsman, and was very active in conservation work of all kinds. In July of 1946, less than a year from the passing of his wife, S.S. Holden was in Alberta, Canada working on a wildlife conservation project when he suddenly collapsed and died of a heart attack.

If, as Bob mentioned, there was some form of working relationship between the S.S. Holden Company and Woods, after S. S. Holden died, his company may have been taken over in some way by Woods.


David

[Colin Alford]

David,

In my second image above, I can see a very faded marking centred above the makers mark. I can see (in three rows) TENT ___ELESS VALISE.

I pulled the tent out of the valise to refresh my memory of any markings on the tent. The below images are of the maker and applied unit markings on the tent.

Colin

[David Dunlop]

Wow!

I was not even looking in that area on the valise, Colin. Seems to possibly be a one line space between WIRELESS and VALISE.

Interesting also that the entire kit is typical khaki canvas. There was a production run of tents from Manitoba Tent & Awning in 1944 in that strange orange toned canvas...for some reason.

Has the wooden pin bag and wooden mallet survived with your tent as well, Colin?

David