A Topical Trifecta

A year ago about this time, I posted a scan of a billhead from Marshall-Wells that involved my remake of a vintage travel poster. You can look at it here. I had intended to take it to the Western Heritage Artists Show and Sale to hang in my room, but the art and the artist (me) got involved in a bit of a birthday surprise. So, it hung on the wall during the show last year, and I got good reactions to the subject - which involved fishing. That meant that although the piece sold BEFORE I got it to the show, it was just one less piece of art that I had hanging on my wall that I could sell.

I am in a similar situation this year, however, this is at the framers right now, and I intend to hang it in the Lobby Show, that way more eyes will see it, and hopefully it will find a home. I had a LOT of fun with this one. The entire piece is out of my head with a little help from Google.

The reason I titled it A Topical Trifecta is because it involves three very popular topics for collectors, and I enjoy putting them together in one place. And yes, I have fly fished in Glacier National Park, and I didn't go through an entrance to get there and do that.

More Fly Paper

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go, and the drive is only ninety miles of Interstate. This is the first of three smaller pieces of Marshall-Wells billhead that is fishing related. Since I sold the larger piece before I had a chance to frame it, I decided to not reveal this one until today. It is mounted in my portfolio which is in my car. The Western Heritage Artists Show and Sale officially starts tomorrow evening, but I always goes a day early to set up and settle in. The gallery rooms are not open until 7:00 PM, but I'll have mine open all day tomorrow. If you are in Great Falls for Western Art Week, I'm offering you an invite!

Fly Fishing on the Yellowstone

Here's another billhead from Marshall-Wells in Duluth, Minnesota, to C. W. Rank & Company in Virginia City, Montana. This one is dated the 7th of February, 1905. Based on a poster I found on-line, I think I improved on it a great deal, and added the NP Railway logo to add a bit of authenticity to it. I wish I could tell you who the artist was, but sadly I cannot. Regardless, I think my Rainbow is just a bit better than his (or hers).

This one is headed to my framer before noon, because it is then headed to the Western Heritage Artists Footprints on the Trail show in less than two weeks. 

Fly Paper for the Fly Fisherman

Another piece off of the drawing table and headed to the Footprints on the Trail, Western Heritage Artists Show and Sale. Opening on the 16th of March, I intend to leave this one unframed for the show. This piece is dated the 16th of February, 1904, sent from Marshall-Wells Hardware Company in Duluth, Minnesota, to C. W. Rank and Company in Virginia City, Montana. I've not had a bit of trouble finding new homes for the four previous pieces of 'fly paper' I've completed, and I don't think I'll have a problem finding a new home for this one either.

The above image is of the top of the piece which I thought it best to include in this post, as well as the dimensions: It is eight and one half inches wide by fourteen inches tall, and would display nicely in a frame.

Firecracker Fishing

Another order for C. W. Rank & Company in Virginia City, Montana, this one dated June 15, 1903. "This Bill Due July 5th". Which meant that Passmore Paper expected C. W. Rank in Virginia City to pay up after the fireworks went up in smoke. Although Passmore Paper billed itself as "THE ONLY STRICTLY WHOLESALE PAPER AND STATIONERY HOUSE IN MONTANA", there was no paper line items on this billhead. It was all fireworks, but for the 5 packages of punk on the bottom line.

Firecracker labels are actually collectible. Until the turn of the century, most of the firecrackers and fireworks were made in China, but in the early 1900's, India began marketing fireworks as well. I looked at literally thousands of Chinese firecracker labels on the web. I found Cowboys and Indians of all kinds, but only one fish. I hooked this one. I've heard of dynamite fishing and blast fishing, but never firecracker fishing. Now I have. 

Fly Paper - Marshall-Wells

A little history lesson about the Marshall-Wells Hardware Company of Duluth, Minnesota.

Established in March of 1893 when Albert Morley Marshall acquired Aurthur B. Chapin's interest in Chapin-Wells Hardware. A wide variety of hardware was sold by the company, but my primary interest was piqued when I discovered the piece of billhead illustrated below, and I've displayed it as two pieces. The primary reason for picturing it in two pieces, the billheader, and the lower portion of the document itself is because of it's size. It measures 8 1/2 by 13 3/4's inches high - much too large to scan in one piece, and the detail would be extremely hard to see if I were to display it in it's entirety.

 

  
This piece was originally part of a ledger from the C. W. Rank & Company of Virginia, City, Montana. There were several other pieces of Marshall-Wells billhead in this ledger, but this one listed primarily fishing tackle, so therefore - that's the reason for my putting my rendition of four trout flies on this piece.

The ledger contained bills for the year 1904. The form was produced in 1903, printed in the upper left hand corner of the form itself: Form 9. 40M 2-9-03.  I find it a bit strange that there is also a printed reference on the right side which says: PLEASE MENTION DATE OF THIS INVOICE IF CLAIM IS MADE FOR SHORTAGE OR ERROR.

Above that is what I assume to be a date: 4-1. The reason I'm making that assumption is beside the words Your Order is the date 2-5.

I had to have a bit of help with the Brown Hackle Archer Q 6 HKS line item, and Joel DeJong who has a blog called Another Year on the Fly, pointed me in the right direction. He also has a web site, appropriately named Hex Fishing.  He suggested I could probably take liberties with the Brown Hackle Archer, so I did.

I also discovered a fishing tackle history site this morning called Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle. I have yet to explore it, but it appears to have just what I've been looking for in the way of advertising images.

Thank You For being Patrons

First off, I want to thank the entire staff at the Custer County Art & Heritage Center in Miles City, Montana, for asking me to participate in their recent exhibition. There were five artists in the portion of the show entitled Inside Out: A landscape exhibit, and myself with Old Paper New Art. The opening was held on Sunday, October 9th in the afternoon, with demonstrations and gallery talks. It was fabulous. I really couldn't have wished for a more splendid venue.

I didn't have a chance to do much demonstrating, although I did try to finish a Thank You for a piece of art I'd finished the week before, but I spent most of my time on the gallery talk, and answering questions as they were asked.

Kevin and Marie purchased "Have Duster, Will Travel", which I posted way back in November of 2010. It was a fun piece to do, but now I have to come up with an even better eye-catcher to hang on the wall.

Kathy purchased "Startup With a Coke", which I completed in June of 2009. A back story that was simply too good to be true, and both my wife and I will find it hard to replace it on our wall.

Bess purchased "Ming Trout Flies", which I completed in 2010. I did not post this piece when I completed it, primarily because I needed to get it to the framers before the Western Heritage Show. I've now sold every piece of (trout) fly paper I could put my hands on.

Dustin & Erin purchased "Five Feet In the Air", which I completed earlier this year. Here again, I don't know how long it will be before I see another piece of Brown Shoe Company paper, but I sure wish I could find some. Buster & Tige are still popular after all these years.

As is my rule, I will not put addresses on any of the mail art I put up here without prior approval. These four pieces will go in the mail in the AM.

Trout Flies ---- best

This piece of bill head was a very recent purchase.

In October, I posted a piece of bill head from a later iteration of this same business, only Mr. Parchen was in business with Mr. Paynter at this very same location five years earlier. It is also for goods purchased by J. H. McKnight & Company in Fort Shaw, Montana Territory. The previous piece was an order that included six dozen trout flies. This one is only for two dozen, but this time - Mr. McKnight expects THE BEST.

I threw an extra fly on this piece - just because. My wife tells me when she arranges flowers you always have to have an odd number, so I put five on this one instead of four.

Let the bidding begin.

Six Dozen Trout Flies

This piece of paper was more fun than I've had in a long time. As some of you may be aware, a couple of weeks ago I went paper shopping - locally. I came away from that little excursion with some pretty fine paper. One of those finds was a bill head for the Montana Candy Company, also known as Webster & Koontz. They were one of the first confectioners in Montana - and I should add here - Montana Territory, for when the paper was dated, Montana was not yet a state.

This piece is also very unique. It also is a piece of territorial paper, and it also was a billhead from the Parchen Drug Company of Helena. I'm certain that there are interior views of this business, and unlike Webster & Koontz, Parchen Drug did publish an address.

The note is of particular interest. It says: "We send the largest we have (the word at is crossed out) can (the word get is crossed out) be had in Town". Apparently J. H. McKnight & Company at Forth Shaw, M.T., had BIG fish in mind...

Fort Shaw was known as the "Queen of the Montana Posts". It sat near the Sun River, about twenty-five miles West of the present city of Great Falls, where the Sun River entered the Missouri. There was an Indian Trading Post there run by J. H. Mcknight, as well as a Saloon. Of course, there was also a regiment of soldiers garrisoned at the Fort. The fort was abandoned in 1890, and an Indian School at Fort Shaw became world famous in 1904. An all-Indian Girls Basketball Team from the school became World Champions at the St. Louis Exposition.

I really am torn about this piece. Part of me wants to keep it for I'll probably never see another piece of paper quite like this - a bill for six dozen trout flies, but - I know there will be other paper just as unique as this one is.

CHOCOLATE Fishes

Wow. Wait 'til you hook this one.

This is a letter to Mr. Lundeen of the Mercantile in Fort Peck, Montana, inquiring whether or not he was aware of just how expensive it was to ship FRESH Dolly Varden Trout - from Seattle to Fort Peck - in 1937.

Have you ever heard of Swedish Fish? Have you ever heard of Dolly Varden Chocolates? Consider yourself duly educated.

I of course, went looking for Dolly Varden using Google Images, and guess what I found? A 1928 GMC delivery van with Dolly Varden Chocolate advertising on the side of it. And I'm not talking about "When Words Fail"...

Here's the sales slogan: "Chocolate Creams for the Girl of Your Dreams".

Now you get mine: "Chocolate Fishes for the Girl of Your Wishes".

What do you think? Would you buy a box of Chocolate Fishes from me?

After contemplating this one overnight, I remembered a post that Chuck Pefley had done a few weeks back about a chocolate shop on Pioneer Square. Now I just revisited that post, and what do I find but a whole school of picture perfect Sardines!

I now direct you to the Chocolate Box for Poissons de Chocolat and other fine Chocolate goodies. I will no longer attempt to sell you Chocolate Fishes.