The long-awaited companion to the widely acclaimed Directory of American Miltary Goods Dealers & Makers, 1785-1915 (Combined Edition), this Volume 2 is entirely new and none of the information is duplicated from the previous edition. Completing what has now become a forty-year effort to record the names of artisans and firms who manufactured, imported or dealt in military goods, Volume 2 not only more than doubles the data presented earlier, but expands the date range to 1740 through 1950. This mass of fresh information is partly due to the astounding number of period documents, most importantly newspaper advertisements, that can now be searched online. Because they have already been catalogued extensively by other researchers, firearms manufacturers and dealers are not the primary concern of this book. However, they are included when the information discovered breaks new ground. This is especially true of firms found in the Bannerman Papers, which revealed a number of dealers who were previously unknown to us. So whether your interest is swords, buckles, drums, uniforms, buttons, hats, insignia or any other type of military item, you are sure to find this book an indispensible tool in understanding the careers of the various dealers and makers that you encounter.