Brunswick was founded by John Moses Brunswick who was an immigrated from Switzerland at the age of 15. In 1845 he opened J.M. Brunswick Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.
His company objective was initially to make carriages but soon after opening his machine shop he found that making billiard tables would produce a great deal of profit, specially since at the time the best billiard tables where imported from England.
After 29 years of commercial success the Brunswick company merged with competitor Great Western Billiard Manufactory owned by Julius Balke and became J.M. Brunswick & Balke Company.
The company has gone on to manufacture all sorts of things and still exists today! Making it the oldest and largest manufacturer of recreation and leisure-time products in the United States.
Even though Brunswick and Balke Co. stopped producing pool/billiard tables they gracefully left in our history works-of-art which are now sought after by antique collectors all over the world. The tables are intricate and elaborate. Recognized as status symbols both then and now. There was no detail spared when producing the tables this greatly enhanced Brunswick’s reputation for fine craftsmanship.
As you can imagine these tables are very rare but when you take a tour at Golden West Billiards you can ask to see first hand one of this handsomely inlaid tables. The Novelty, inlaid with many different colors, made up from California laurel (a hardwood tree native to coastal forests of California), Burl Ash (a wood prized for it’s beauty and rarity), French Walnut (a european wood known for its gold coloring), Birds-Eye Maple (called that because of the figures in the wood), Mahogany (recognized for its reddish brown color), Rosewood (gives of a strong sweet smell for years after its cut), Tulipwood (this high-quality wood is very lovely and dense), and Ebony (a black hardwood which looks beautiful when polished).
It is supplied with the finest of Vermont Slate bed at 11/8″ thick, the slates make for a great playing table. The table is fitted with Tensite J9 rails which are still considered to be superior to rubber cushions on the market today. It’s covered with a beautiful blue-green Simonis Cloth. The table has chalk cups under the head of the foot rail. The two outside rail bolts are covered chased bronze rosettes. It truly is a sight to see!
