Most fishermen are familiar with Shakepeare reels. Some time ago, one of the truly great researchers in our hobby, my friend Jerry Martin (recently inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame at age 90), came up with what is believed to be the earliest advertisement found to date for the Shakespeare Company. It is from the June 1898 issue of Recreation Magazine.
First, let me say that if anyone out there has an earlier ad, we’d love to see it. Rumors abound but proof is in the hand. This advertisement is for the Shakespeare Style C reel which is William Shakespeare Jr’s first levelwind reel and his first commercial effort. He patented the reel in October of 1897.
Also presented here is a write-up on this same reel that appeared in the May 1900 issue of The American Sportsman. Close observation will show that several changes to the reel had taken place between the time the two illustrations were made. I have also included a photo (courtesy: Jim Schottenham) of an actual Style C which appears to more closely resemble the 1900 ad. The reel in the photo has #492 as its serial number.
If you ever have an opportunity to disassemble one of these reels you will find one of the cleverest arrangements I’ve encountered to facilitate the line guide’s movement back and forth on the two separate worm gears. Close observation will show that the spiral worm gears are rotating in opposite directions and therefore each drives the line guide in only one direction. When the line guide reaches the end of a worm gear a sliding pawl is pushed over to engage the other worm gear while disengaging from the first.
As clever as this is, a far better arrangement was being invented in Kalamazoo in 1906 by Walter Marhoff. One of William Shakespeare’s strong points as a businessman was the ability to recognize a better idea and acquire it for his company (Witness the purchase of the Kalamazoo Tackle Company by William Shakespeare in the fall of 1905 from Jay Rhodes in order to acquire the patent for what we know today as “see-thru” hook hardware). By May of 1908, William Shakespeare had already acquired the Marhoff reel Company and used the Marhoff levelwind mechanism for the next 70 years!
Wow, that is some exemplary sales text in that ad. Even though this is probably the first ad for the reel, Shakespeare is already declaring that it has “often been called a perfect baitcasting reel.” And it comes in an “elegant” chamois-lined leather case. The reel is “hand-made, of the best materials that money can buy, and made regardless of cost.” But the kicker, the “handsomest and costliest artistic booklet ever issued by any reel maker,” could be yours for simply writing to the company. THIS is how you write an ad! Do any of these “artistic illustrated booklets” survive? What a treat to see some photos of that booklet, as well as the orange leather case. Wonderful article, Bill.
Bill is the “King” of old ads. All of the rest of us are just pretending.