Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeSunday, Apr. 19, 2009
Antique reel not used in U.S. fishing today
By Terry Maurer, What's it Worth
When I was younger, the opening of fishing season was a big deal in Washington. Nearly every lake opened on the same day and hundreds of thousands of anglers came out.
Today, many waters are available year-round and far fewer lakes open to fishing in late April. Even so, the biggest trout season of the year is beginning.
So, its only fitting we answer a reader's question about his old reels.
Q. I was given some wood fishing reels by my brother-in-law to add to my collection. I'm curious about them and how old they may be. -- D. in Finley
A. You sent in photos of two reels (one is pictured here). One is marked "Made in England" and the other is not marked at all. However, there's no doubt that it, too, is English.
Made of walnut and brass, these are the so-called "Nottingham" reels, which were used in the British Isles for several centuries. The first models mounted on the fishing rod sideways, where later versions have a metal foot like modern fly fishing reels.
Nearly all American fishing tackle in the earliest days -- before the Revolutionary War -- was either imported from England or based on English designs.
By the 1840s and 1850s, American manufacturers moved to all metal reels, more complicated mechanisms in a variety of styles and sizes. The Brits held on to this reel idea a lot longer.
Probably from the 1920s or 1930s, reels like this still occasionally can be seen on trout streams across the pond today.
The only place to see them in the U.S. is in antiques shops and shows.
They range in value from $75 to $200, depending on condition, size and design of the mechanism.
Q. We picked up this book on San Francisco's big earthquake for a friend. Can you tell us something about it and possible value? -- Mary in Richland
A. The earthquake that struck northern Italy earlier this month reminds us of the terrible power of Mother Nature.
The U.S. has suffered its share of quake disasters -- none more dramatic than the one which, along with the fires that followed, destroyed most of San Francisco in the early 20th century.
It was at 5:13 a.m., a Wednesday morning, April 18, 1906, that 42 seconds of shaking brought down hundreds of buildings. With an estimated 3,000 deaths and property damage at nearly $4 billion in 2009 dollars, it still is the worst natural disaster in California history.
Today, such calamities are quickly followed with media coverage, TV specials, movies and books. In 1906, long before radio and TV, newspapers, magazines and books alone served to inform the public. Your book is typical of the volumes that would come out in the wake of natural disasters.
The 1889 Johnstown Flood, the 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas, and the 1912 sinking of the Titanic all saw books on the disaster rolling off presses within a few weeks.
The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire is one of the most commonly seen books by today's collectors. The author, Pennsylvania native Charles Morris, was one of the more prolific and versatile writers of his day. He went to San Francisco immediately after the earthquake to interview survivors and observe the mayhem. His book, rushed into print a few weeks later, has coverage of the San Francisco disaster and many illustrations and photographs.
It also has a lot of "filler" copy. To make the book seem substantive, the editors include chapters about many other earthquakes and natural disasters. The famous Ruins of Pompeii and 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius receive more than adequate coverage for a book about the San Francisco earthquake.
Even so, this book is considered by historians to be the first really accurate volume about the quake and fire. The University of Illinois Press has recently published a new edition and calls Morris' work, "A gripping record which combines dramatic eyewitness accounts and firsthand observations with scientific fact and grim detail, contrasting romantic tales of heroism and escape with the stark realism of devastation, death, and loss."
This book has a weak and loose spine and that certainly detracts from the value. In even excellent condition, these editions aren't worth very much. A fair retail price for this book would be $10 to $15.
w Terry Maurer, a Tri-Cities personal property appraiser and antique dealer, is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America. You may submit your antiques and collectible questions to What's It Worth by e-mail to whatsitworth@clearwire.net.
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