Shakespeare Company records

Collection

Identifier: 00071

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Shakespeare Company records consist of a history of the company, financial records, legal records, advertising and marketing records, catalogues and price lists, equipment specifications, Sport Fishing Institute materials, correspondence, and photographs. The photographs in the collection include images of fishing, fishing and golf equipment, and advertisements. There are also images of employees as well as C. W. Davis, Henry Shakespeare, and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Smith.

Dates

Creation: 1913 - 1973

Creator

Shakespeare Company (Kalamazoo, Mich.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use note

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Historical Note

The discovery of the level-wind fishing reel, which allowed line to be rewound without the use of the thumb, was patented by William Shakespeare Jr. in 1896 and led to the formation of the William Shakespeare Company in 1906, later changed to the Shakespeare Company in 1915. Since 1896 the Shakespeare Company has patented many other fishing equipment items and has diversified into such areas as archery, golf, firearms, ski equipment, boat motors, taxidermy, leather items, and automotive equipment.

In 1946 the glass fiber rod production was moved to Columbia, South Carolina, incorporating the Columbia Products Company, and the corporate headquarters followed in 1970.