Oliver Briggs Table
- Thread starter nataddrho
- Start date
Paul_#_
Well-known member
Oliver L. Briggs Company started building pool tables in 1870.
It became Oliver L. Briggs & Son Company in 1901.
It went out of business sometime after 1929 (it advertised in Boston Globe then).
See some Briggs tables at The Billiard Restoration Service Company in Kansas at https://www.billiardrestoration.com/ (Derrick Tiers).
I have used the Boston Directories to piece together history of Oliver L. Briggs Company and the Oliver L. Briggs & Son Company. I need someone to stop at the Boston Public Library to consult the Boston Directories to find out when the company went out of business.
I have four O.L. Briggs & Son one-piece cues that I would like to know the period in which they could have been made.
AZBilliards has info on Briggs tables.
The photo at this link is like your metal-plate photo:
Some confusion between Brunswick and Briggs tables:
A list of pool manufacturers pre-1920:
Some photos of old pool tables. They look older than yours:
Here are photos of expensive Briggs cues that have butterfly veneers (not like mine!):
My post seeking help to find when Briggs went out of business:
It became Oliver L. Briggs & Son Company in 1901.
It went out of business sometime after 1929 (it advertised in Boston Globe then).
See some Briggs tables at The Billiard Restoration Service Company in Kansas at https://www.billiardrestoration.com/ (Derrick Tiers).
I have used the Boston Directories to piece together history of Oliver L. Briggs Company and the Oliver L. Briggs & Son Company. I need someone to stop at the Boston Public Library to consult the Boston Directories to find out when the company went out of business.
I have four O.L. Briggs & Son one-piece cues that I would like to know the period in which they could have been made.
AZBilliards has info on Briggs tables.
The photo at this link is like your metal-plate photo:
Help with info on this table
Hi All - I inherited an old table and am a bit confused about the manufacturer. Name plate says Oliver Briggs & Son, while the slate (3 piece) has J. Magann & Co. Pics attached of Briggs plate on the end rail, Magann slate, cushion, end frame, side frame, (pic of legs in next post) Any help...
forums.azbilliards.com
Some confusion between Brunswick and Briggs tables:
Anniversary Knock Off
Can folks tell me the different variations of Brunswick Anniversary tables? I've got one I'm about to put some work into but some things are standing out as odd. Oliver L. Briggs & Sons Electric Cushion Fast K-66 One piece side rail, no center pocket casting 2 stretchers between the pedestals...
forums.azbilliards.com
A list of pool manufacturers pre-1920:
American Cue Makers Prior To 1920 (in progress)
Briggs, Oliver & Son - Boston Address: 970 Washington St. Known production era: 1897-1910+/- Hampel, Fritz/Frank - Chicago Address: 264 Larabee Known production era: 1886-1930+/- Axel F. Hjort - Chicago Address: Brunswick factory Known production era: 1880-1925 +/- Jost family (Harry...
forums.azbilliards.com
Some photos of old pool tables. They look older than yours:
i just aquired antique table and need advice
my table is very old and the nameplate is missing.i want to get new cushions but the profile is different to what is available. do i have to cut them down? also i think i have the old #3 irons that need to be recovered and i would like to find the original fisherman knot style net pockets i have...
forums.azbilliards.com
Help Identifying Old Brunswick
This old brunswick is located at our local American Legion. We are going to recover it and as long as I can remember when I use to live here the tables slate side pockets were "FILED best I can explain it" at an inward shape so when a ball rolls down the rail it sucks into the pocket like a golf...
forums.azbilliards.com
subrail angle?????
Hello Everyone, I am changing out my Tour edition Rubber for Brunswick Super Speed on the antique "whatever it is" table. The table has played short on banks since all the work I did and I am looking to correct this. When I say playing short I mean to shoot the three rail kick to the corner...
forums.azbilliards.com
Here are photos of expensive Briggs cues that have butterfly veneers (not like mine!):
Conversion of an old early 1900 Oliver Briggs or Brunswick Butterfly Cue
I found this cue about six months ago in a small billiard shop in town this butt was in a 5 gallon bucket under all kinda of junk. By the way that is my favorite place to look :D So I bought the cue along with another great deal a Willie Hoppe one piece cue, Which buy the way all of you Toeboy...
forums.azbilliards.com
My post seeking help to find when Briggs went out of business:
💥💥 Need help at Boston Library for historical billiard facts 💥💥
I need help researching when a manufacturer of pool tables and cues was in business. Those facts will show unequivocally the period the company’s pool tables and cues were made. O.L. Briggs was a competitor to Brunswick in, at least, the late 1800s and early 1900s. I don’t know, however, when...
forums.azbilliards.com
Paul_#_
Well-known member
With Boston Public Library’s Malana's help, we discovered that the Oliver L. Briggs company was in business between 1870 and 1962.
It was originally the Oliver L. Briggs company and changed to the Oliver L. Briggs & Son company in 1901. My cue sticks with O.L.Briggs & Son engraved on them, therefore, are between 64 and 125 years old.
Briggs' Boston address was 6 over Boylston Street between 1870 and 1888 whereupon it moved to 970 Washington. A 1929 advertisement had its address at Washington Street and Avery Street. Its address in 1962 was 128 Washington Street.
Proof of the business age determined by presuming the following: i) Briggs was a Boston company; ii) Briggs stayed in Boston; and iii) the business was entered into The Boston Directory.
The Boston Directory entries:
1869 Briggs, Oliver L. & Co. (A.H. Briggs), booksellers and stationers, 573 Wash. House at Dorchester
1870 Briggs Oliver L. & Co. billiard tables and walnut goods, 6 over Boylston market, h. School, near Harvard, ward 16
1962 Oliver L. Briggs & Son, 128 Washington, 4th fl; Oliver L. Briggs & Son (Harold E. Donovan) billiard table mfrs 128 Wash
1963 No entry
Find The Boston Directory cited above at this link.
It was originally the Oliver L. Briggs company and changed to the Oliver L. Briggs & Son company in 1901. My cue sticks with O.L.Briggs & Son engraved on them, therefore, are between 64 and 125 years old.
Briggs' Boston address was 6 over Boylston Street between 1870 and 1888 whereupon it moved to 970 Washington. A 1929 advertisement had its address at Washington Street and Avery Street. Its address in 1962 was 128 Washington Street.
Proof of the business age determined by presuming the following: i) Briggs was a Boston company; ii) Briggs stayed in Boston; and iii) the business was entered into The Boston Directory.
The Boston Directory entries:
1869 Briggs, Oliver L. & Co. (A.H. Briggs), booksellers and stationers, 573 Wash. House at Dorchester
1870 Briggs Oliver L. & Co. billiard tables and walnut goods, 6 over Boylston market, h. School, near Harvard, ward 16
1962 Oliver L. Briggs & Son, 128 Washington, 4th fl; Oliver L. Briggs & Son (Harold E. Donovan) billiard table mfrs 128 Wash
1963 No entry
Find The Boston Directory cited above at this link.
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