Mulholland Brothers
Encyclopedia
Mulholland Brothers is a manufacturer of luggage
, briefcase
s and sporting goods. Located along the San Francisco Bay
, Mulholland Brothers deals in leather
and sturdy stitching.
to California
from Ireland
in the 1870s. In his native country, Hugh had been a harness
maker and nurseryman. In the San Francisco Bay Area, he established his own nursery of bonsai
trees and continued to craft leather harnesses for close friends.
Hugh's great-grandson Jack Holland began leather craft and saddle
-making in 1949 in the family tradition. Jay, Jack’s son, was working as a cowboy
on a ranch in California, and his other son Guy was in school studying psychology
when their father approached them with the idea of designing and producing their own leather goods. The family agreed that there was a lack of true quality leather sporting goods. They wanted to resurrect the meticulous craftsmanship and style of the classic American leather-making tradition, and in 1984 the father and two sons started selling leather goods under the name Mulholland Brothers.
Their love for the outdoors and strong belief in free enterprise bonded father and sons and supported them through the many challenges they would face. The brothers laced their first fishing rod case by hand in the basement of their home and sold this item to a few select stores in San Francisco. However, Jay and Guy didn't purchase their first sewing machine
until 1985. All of their early products were entirely constructed by hand.
In 1986, the brothers moved into their first formal facility: an old blacksmith
shop in Northern California
. The extra room allowed them to expand their product line to include shooting bags, fly wallets and gun cases. To replicate the century-old styles they loved, the founders researched old catalogues from that reflects the current style of the collection. They studied Progressive Era designs and stitching patterns and searched for machines that could replicate those looks and product design. Often the founders had to retrofit antique stitching machines to create the styles they wanted.
The founding brothers moved to their present location in San Francisco in 1995 and continued to build a collection inspired by Hugh Mulholland's entrepreneurial instincts and the founder's love of the outdoors.
and tumbled crocodile. Mulholland continues to garner a top-tier customer base with products that appeal to the well-heeled consumer looking for classically styled luggage products.
Luggage
Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers which hold a traveller's articles during transit.Luggage is more or less the same concept as "baggage", but is normally used in relation to the personal luggage of a specific person or persons Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers...
, briefcase
Briefcase
A briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and other documents and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name...
s and sporting goods. Located along the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, Mulholland Brothers deals in leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
and sturdy stitching.
History
Leather is a tradition in the Mulholland family. Hugh Mulholland, great-grandfather of the founders, immigrated with his brother William MulhollandWilliam Mulholland
William Mulholland was the head of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, in Los Angeles. He was responsible for building the water aqueducts and dams that allowed the city to grow into one of the largest in the world. His methods of obtaining water for the city led to disputes collectively...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the 1870s. In his native country, Hugh had been a harness
Harness
A harness is a looped restraint or support. It can also be referred to as an "hitcharness", especially by the Jordanian Armed Forces. Specifically, it may refer to one of the following harness types:* Bondage harness* Child harness* Climbing harness...
maker and nurseryman. In the San Francisco Bay Area, he established his own nursery of bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
trees and continued to craft leather harnesses for close friends.
Hugh's great-grandson Jack Holland began leather craft and saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
-making in 1949 in the family tradition. Jay, Jack’s son, was working as a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
on a ranch in California, and his other son Guy was in school studying psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
when their father approached them with the idea of designing and producing their own leather goods. The family agreed that there was a lack of true quality leather sporting goods. They wanted to resurrect the meticulous craftsmanship and style of the classic American leather-making tradition, and in 1984 the father and two sons started selling leather goods under the name Mulholland Brothers.
Their love for the outdoors and strong belief in free enterprise bonded father and sons and supported them through the many challenges they would face. The brothers laced their first fishing rod case by hand in the basement of their home and sold this item to a few select stores in San Francisco. However, Jay and Guy didn't purchase their first sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
until 1985. All of their early products were entirely constructed by hand.
In 1986, the brothers moved into their first formal facility: an old blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. The extra room allowed them to expand their product line to include shooting bags, fly wallets and gun cases. To replicate the century-old styles they loved, the founders researched old catalogues from that reflects the current style of the collection. They studied Progressive Era designs and stitching patterns and searched for machines that could replicate those looks and product design. Often the founders had to retrofit antique stitching machines to create the styles they wanted.
The founding brothers moved to their present location in San Francisco in 1995 and continued to build a collection inspired by Hugh Mulholland's entrepreneurial instincts and the founder's love of the outdoors.
Today
For many years Mulholland manufactured exclusively in their own San Francisco workrooms. Today, they continue to make some products in San Francisco and have also have expanded their production facilities to include Italy, Uruguay, China, and Mexico. They have announced new product lines that go beyond the original concepts, including lines made with Ballistic Nylon and other non-leather materials, as well as luxury collections of bags made with American alligatorAmerican Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
and tumbled crocodile. Mulholland continues to garner a top-tier customer base with products that appeal to the well-heeled consumer looking for classically styled luggage products.