IDENTIFICATION 0F BOWMAN PRODUCTS
This website is intended to be of support to enthusiasts interested in the products of Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins and his son Max. With hundreds of products made between 1917 and 1982, it cannot be expected to list every item. The draft pages of the Bowman book mentioned below already number over 500. Much help can be gained by joining the Circle and meeting fellow enthusists. If the matter is urgent, you are welcome to contact the editor at colinlaker@btinternet.com for futher help.
BOWMAN BOOK
A Bowman book is being researched and written in co-operation with relatives of Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins, by Colin Laker, editor of the 'Bowman News' and 'S.T.E.A.M' journals. It is part biographical and will include every product made under Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins direction and also the items designed and manufactured at Ridlington by his son Max Bowman Jenkins. The wartime and early Dereham days of his cousin and fellow director Captain Bernard Arthur Smart D.S.O and Bar have already been documented, as has the two men's association with "Jentique" furniture.
LUTON BOWMAN
Some visitors to this site may have seen references to "Bowman Models Ltd" of Luton who were trading from around late 1945 until their collapse in 1949. They were in no way associated with Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins or his Dereham employees and their products should not be seen as an extension to the Derham built range. The models are collectable in their own right and are best celebrated as items from "Piece Parts and Assemblies Ltd. After Mr F. J. Bryant rejoined the firm following service in the RAF, the design and quality of their products improved considerably.
GETTING THINGS RIGHT
The Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins built "Hobbies" and "Hobbies-Bowman" craft were built and assembled by GBJ's own staff. Unfortunately some commentators have perpetuated the myth that his staff only assembled the engines while Hobbies machined the hulls. This is completely untrue. All machining of the hulls was undertaken by GBJ's skilled wood machinists. This is verified by GBJ's son Paul, who remembers seeing the work taking place first hand. Hobbies role was to provide workshop facilities and a plentiful supply of seasoned timber. In fact it was the machining of wood which was the firm's forté, spanning the early pre 1920 years to the late 1960's.
There has also been some published 'Bowman' data which is not completely sound. The innacuracies seem to clone themselves and spread like a virus on the internet, in magazines and various publications. Unfortunately they end up treated as fact. Dates and products have at times become muddled to the point that the information is meaningless. Perhaps it would help visitors to this site if we refer to GBJ as Mr Geoffrey Jenkins and put much less emphasis on Bowman and more on Jenkins. Below is a 'chronological sequence' of Jenkins business names:
1917
Mr Jenkins initially made simple wooden toys
Mr Jenkins formed The Woodcraft Patents Co
Mr Jenkins commences making items for Hobbies Dereham Ltd (from 1922)*
Mr Jenkins is associated with Worboys and Smart
Mr Jenkins formed Bowman Models
Mr Jenkins formed Jenkins Productions Ltd
Mr & Mrs Jenkins created the name Jentique
Mr Jenkins formed Bowman Dereham NFK
Mr Jenkins formed Bowman Jenkins
1959
On his father's death Max continued trading with the Bowman Jenkins name until 1982
NOTE - The trading name 'Bowman Models' was not created until 1926. However, the first Bowman badged item (E101 stationary engine) did not appear until the autumn of 1927.The first Bowman locomotives were exhibited at the British Industries Fair held at the White City between February 20th - 2nd March 1928 and sales commenced some time later during that year. Regarding Hobbies and their Jenkins built boats, the Hobbies-Bowman name did not appear until the spring of 1930. Prior to this, they were marketed as a Hobbies product. So as not to confuse at this stage, the locations of GBJ's premises from 1917-59 have not been included, nor have those after his untimely death. *These were initially built at GBJ's S.W. London works.
MUSICAL BOXES
'Bowman Models' stationary steam engines and locomotives were sold when new in either wooden or cardboard boxes. At this stage it would be wrong to attribute dates to when these were used or not used. The carboard ones however were introduced much earlier than many enthusists thought. Unfortunately some collectors have been encouraged to swap particular models between different boxes to get things right. Often this may serve to do just the opposite. If a model turns up in a wooden or cardboard box, one would be advised to leave well alone. We are only custodians of the models in our care for future generations. It would be a pity to eventually hand on our models in a muddled state. The same is also true regarding the practice of instruction and label swapping.
Another practice which has unfortunately happened concerns GBJ's locomotives. Some collectors were informed that GBJ made changes to his locomotives as an economy measure, due to the prevailing economic situation of the 1930's. This is not true. GBJ's attitude was always one of continual improvement, together with giving his customers the best possible deal whatever the economic climate. In fact during this period, he packaged some of his other products in velvet lined cases resplendent with gold leaf logos. The problem which exists is that some collectors thought that the connecting rods of the locos were of smooth profile in later engines as an economy measure and of fluted profile in earlier versions. Consequently there has been much connecting rod swapping to get things right. Unfortunately this action was not based on fact and was the wrong way round.The problem has been further compounded with a spate of box swapping. The smooth connecting rods were the earlier version as for the locomotive demonstrated at the 1928 British Industries Fair and the improved fluted ones the latter. There were other reasons why this occurred but the explanations are too involved for this web page.
1929 catalogue entry showing smooth connecting rods
1930 catalogue entry showing improved fluted connecting rods
265 Tank loco with improved fluted connecting rods
Note the felt oil pad to rear of piston.These were fitted to the 234, 265 and 300 locos.
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