William Read & Sons (also seen as Wm. Read & Sons) was a sporting goods company that was established in Boston, MA in 1826. They were mainly known to sell outdoor items such as hunting/fishing equipment, rifles and the like. From the turn of the 20th century, until about 1920, they also sold a line of baseball, football, basketball and similar items. By the end of the 1910’s, they had changed their name to Read and went back to selling outdoor items. Although the run of baseball items was brief, they sold very high quality items that are intriguing in their design and function. Based on my research, I’m unable to determine if they were producing their own products or buying from another company. The wording in the catalogs suggests they were producing their own baseball gloves, etc. but they did share similarities to other companies designs as well. Pictured in this galley are items in my collection. I'm always looking to add to this group so if you have something, please contact me.
