Johann Peterlongo 1826-1898

By Larry B. Schuknecht

    Johann Peterlongo was born in 1826 and by 1854 at the age of 28 he had established his own business of gun making and sales of not only sporting items but also local Tyrolean products aimed at the international tourist trade. The 1857 edition of the book A Handbook for Travelers in Southern Germany contained the following paragraph- “At the shop of Johann Peterlongo, in the street called Neustadt , opposite the Hotel d’Autriche, many ingenious articles of tyrolean manufacture, carvings in wood, in Chamois-horn, &c., may be found, which are not elsewhere easy to procure, and will serve as characteristic souveniers of Tyrol.”

    Johann apparently was one who believed in the power of advertising as the following ad’s will attest to. The earliest Ad I have found so far was 1861, a lengthy ad only seven years after he started his business.

Above-an Advertisement from the Dec. 6, 1861 edition of the Grätzer Zeitung
Above-an Advertisement from 1866
Above-an Advertisement from the July 1868 edition of Über Land und Meer showing a Austrian style Scheibenbusch with the backward facing lock
Above-an Advertisement from the 1866 edition of the Augsburger Neueste Nachrichten
An advertisement from the July 18, 1869 edition of the Illustrirte Zeitung
An advertisement from the Sept. 4, 1869 edition of the Illustrirte Zeitung showing that Peterlongo made Target and Hunting rifles using the werndl action.
Above-an advertisement from the Oct. 1871 edition of Der Practishe Landwirth
Above-an advertisement from 1872
Above-an advertisement from the 1904 edition of Mitteilungen Des Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpen Vereins
An advertisement from the 1908 edition of Taschenbuch Für Sudwestafrika
Richard Mahrholdt (1878-1949)

When Johann passed away in 1898 Richard Mahrholdt (1878-1949) took over the business and ran it as the “Tiroler Waffenfabrik Peterlongo, Richard Mahrholdt & Sohn” until 1918. After 1918 and until his death he owned the Company. His son Herbert Mahrholdt and later his grandson Erwin also were involved with and ran the Company when Richard could no longer do so. The Company closed in the 1970’s after approximetely 115 years in business.

An Advertisement from 1952

Below are several views of a Drilling made by Franz Jaeger of Suhl, Germany and sold by Peterlongo.

The following images of a Peterlongo gun are courtesy of and © Joh. Springer’s Erben Handels GmbH, Wien.

The following images are courtesy of James D. Julia Auctions.

The following images are courtesy- 

© Joh. Springer’s Erben Handels GmbH, Wien