Old-Timey Sportsmen

old-timey sportsmen

a collection of images
hunting, fishing & outdoor life
Erik Jacobsen

About the collection
Published by OLOLO Press
P.O. Box 547
Larkspur, California, 94977
Copyright © 2016 by OLOLO Press
All rights reserved under international copyright conventions
No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
means, digital, electronic or mechanical, including by any informational storage and retrieval
system, without the written permission of OLOLO Publications.
All images: The Photo Postcard Collection of Erik Jacobsen & Jakob Dulisse
In 2001, I attended a fan fair in Los Angeles featuring vintage television
and movie stars signing autographs for long lines of nostalgic fans.
Off the main room there was a paper ephemera show in progress, with
old newspapers, posters and postcards for sale. As I browsed through a
box of old picture postcards I came across a section devoted to fishing
and fishermen. As a lifelong angler and collecting enthusiast, the century
old images and the accompanying messages intrigued and fascinated me.
I was hooked then and there.
In subsequent years, the collection has benefited greatly from the
assistance and keen eye of my oldest son Jakob Dulisse, who has combed
the internet relentlessly for new and exciting material.
Design: Erik Jacobsen & Lindsey Brady
Essays: Erik Jacobsen
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING–IN–PUBLICATION DATA
Jacobsen, Erik
Old-timey Sportsmen - A Collection of Images: Hunting, Fishing & Outdoor Life
Printed and bound in Berkeley, California

Recipient:
Mrs. Lena Gruber
2007 S. Washington St.
Peoria, Illinois
Plaquemine La.
Dear Mother,
I wish you would show this picture to
Skinny Tibbets and Joe Shirley and ask
them how they would like to hunt in
these swamps.
Good Bye,
Paul
Image 844
Recipient:
Eugene D. Field,
200 Beacon Dr.
Hartford, Connecticut
Cody, Wyoming, Oct. 7, 1912
The country and people here are great
and the Rockies are grandure itself. I
can hardly wait for the guides to pack
the horses for the long trail westward.
Already I am dreaming of elk and
sheep and anticipating the smoke of
the camp fire.
E H Morse
Image 852
Image 925

The Photo Picture Postcard
This gallery of uniquely American historical photos takes us
back to a time, a century ago, when these wonderful images
were captured and preserved for posterity on photo picture
postcards.
In the first years of the 20th century, newly mobile American
travelers, hunters and fishermen headed out by horseback, buggy,
car and boat. Their destination? The Great Outdoors!
Whether in the photo studio or with their new “Brownie”
cameras, successful sportsmen posed proudly with their catch,
sending their pictures home through the U.S. mail via photo
postcards, then called “postals.” Separated by vast distances in
those days before the advent of the telephone, friends and family
were naturally excited to send or receive a card with a message
and photo sent from afar.
When George Eastman produced his first Brownie camera in
1900, no one could have foreseen the incredible popularity and
success the new product would quickly achieve. Eastman’s vision
was to put photography into the hands of the common man...
and that he did!
Although the controlled environment of the photo studio
remained an important element in portraiture (and is well
represented in this collection), the amateur photographer had
suddenly been set free.
And when on March 1st, 1907, it became legal for the first time
in the United States to write a note on the back of a picture
postcard, floodgates opened, and an estimated 650 million were
sent in the U.S. by the year’s end!
By the 20’s, however, the golden age of the photo postcard was
slowly drawing to a close.
Please enjoy browsing this archive of unique photographic
images, each bearing witness to exciting and memorable moments
in the lives of these early American outdoorsmen and women.
Older cameras were bulky, unwieldy and difficult to use. When
people got their hands on the light and versatile Brownie, a new
era was born- that of the “snapshot” and the “shutterbug.”
Image 1017
This is Kodak Kate, featured on Kodak’s advertising promotional postcards.
8 9

History of Fishing & Hunting
Throughout history, people have loved fish and devised ever most
efficient and ingenious methods of catching them. The oldest
fish hooks date back at least 10,000 years and probably existed long
before. Fishermen with pole and line were depicted in ancient Egypt
and China. Macedonia produced artificial flies in Roman times. The
name “fly” fishing, derives from an earlier time when people used live
flies for bait.
The history of sport fishing could be said to have
officially started in the western world with the 1496
British publication of The Treatyse of Fysshynge With
Angle, written primarily for the English upper class,
whose members traditionally angled for trout and
salmon in inland waters. The subject of the book
deals with rods, lines and artificial fly patterns.
Some of the fly patterns described are still in use
today.
Until the 16th century, people fished using a stick with line attached
to the end! During the 17th century, when Izaak Walton wrote The
Compleat Angler, someone put guides on a rod, which allowed a running
line for the first time. Starting as a wooden spool with a center pin,
the fly fishing reel slowly came into development. Casting was born
when the reel was combined with the new use of guides and a long
split bamboo rod.
Early fly line was made of horsehair- a single strand from the tail of a
stallion was approximately 4lb test, and could be plaited together for
added strength. Later, gut line, silk and linen were also used.
Although developed in the 17th century, the first fully modern version
of the fly fishing reel was designed in 1874 by Charles Orvis. By
then, the open-faced bait-casting reel had been invented in the 1820s
and slowly grew in popularity. William Shakespeare of Kalamazoo,
Michigan, came up with his level wind bait-casting model in 1896.
The spinning reel was the last to come into common use.
One hundred years ago, the people in these photos may have used
quaint, old-fashioned equipment, but whether in pond, creek, river or
lake, fresh water or salt, these fishermen and women caught fish. Like
their modern counterparts today- with or without the satisfaction of
success- they had a happy, exciting and memorable time doing it!
Our ancient ancestors have been hunting for meat, skins, feathers
and bone since long before the evolutionary arrival of Homo
sapiens. Through the ages, our forbears constantly honed their skills in
the arts of stalking, tracking and trapping, while further developing
evermore practical and sophisticated tools and tactics.
From the simple beginnings of throwing rocks and sticks, sharpened
spears and chipped stone points for both hunting and defense evolved.
The “atlatl” or throwing stick was the first truly effective mechanical
breakthrough. This simple device added leverage that increased the
propulsion of a missile, resulting in considerable more distance, force
and accuracy than simply throwing by hand. Then, approximately
15,000 years ago, the bow and arrow appeared.
At about this same time in history, humans gained a valuable new ally
in their hunting endeavors as the domesticated wolf slowly morphed
into “man’s best friend.”
These innovations paled in comparison to a new masterpiece in
technological development- a metal tube and substance, which upon
ignition, explosively propelled stones or pellets from its end with
unimaginable effectiveness. The new device, then called a “hand
canon” made its European debut in the 14th century. This was the
birth of the modern firearm.
Over the next centuries, these first simple barrel
loaded, smooth bore guns underwent a dizzying
evolution and refinement. First, came the
harquebus, blunderbuss, and then the musket. The
carrying power and accuracy of the projectile was
increased by the invention of rifling in the 16th
century. The next century saw development of
flintlock ignition, the breechloader, double barreled shotguns and
the elongated bullet. The 1800s brought the introduction of the
percussion cap, metallic cartridges, bolt action rifle and lever action
loading.
Firearms, which had started primarily as weapons, gradually became
more widely used by hunters. The “fowling piece,” or shotgun, and
the rifle became standard equipment for the market gunner and
“sportsman” alike by the latter 19th century.
With agricultural developments and animal domestication, mankind’s
reliance on hunting for sustenance has gradually evolved into the
modern sport we know today- complete with Teddy Roosevelt’s
doctrine of “Fair chase” bag limits, off limits, and closed seasons.
For the camaraderie and challenge, for the days in
the open and the meat on the table, today’s modern
hunters still enjoy and share in this oldest of human
endeavors.
10 11

Image 1316
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Image 1153
Image 189
Image 702
“Annie Gerry,” written on card back
14 15

Image 996
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Image 553
Image 69

(Left image)
Grandma,
I am sending you folks one of my postals. They are not very good.
Papa said I didn’t smile like that. I am going home Chris. + stay a
week,
Margareta
Image 554
Image 470
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Image 885
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Image 1520
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(Right image)
Postmark: Longbeach, California, Aug. 29, 1915
Recipient:
Miss Vic Kuhule
Arcanum, Ohio
Dear Girls,
If you can see my face - you will recognize it - my mouth
almost covers it. It has been pretty hot here the past few days.
We leave here Sept 10 for San Diego.
All O.K.
Anna
Image 313
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28 29

TALL TALES
YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!
Heard that one before? Given a few beers, almost any red-blooded
American hunter or fisherman can and will expound at great
length their triumphant successes and conversely, relate heartbreaking
stories of that near miss, that terrible loss or that blown opportunity.
Sometimes when they’re told and retold, the antagonists in these yarns
can attain near mythological proportions! Whether tragic or heroic, all
story-telling sportsmen seem to possess a flair for subtle exaggeration.
Others not so much! Some might say we come by this talent naturally
as American folklore is filled with bigger than life characters achieving
the seemingly impossible. Think Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill! Why let
the truth get in the way of a good story?
Image 162
Image 235
30 31

(Left image)
Postmark: Shenandoah, Iowa, May 26, 1910
Recipient:
Mr J.C. Blosser,
Patterson, Iowa
Hello Old Pal,
We are having some nice weather now. Can see the comet plain
tonight. They have some good ball games here now. The Minx
league plays here most all this week.
Guy
(Did you have to plant over? This picture was not taken up
our way)
Image 632
Image 536
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Image 764
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Image 204
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Image 58
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Image 438 Image 174
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38 39

Florida
With its warm weather, palm trees and beautiful beaches,
Florida was a magnet for tourists. Swimming, boating,
hunting and fishing were popular. Even if you came away
empty handed from your sporting endeavors; you could still
send home an exciting studio shot battling alligators or posing
with big stuffed fish.
(Left image)
Dear Hue:
How’s this for a catch - a real honest to goodness shark - This is
just a young one - They say this kind are real vicious when they
get older - We took him down to a studio downtown - The tree
and starfish are part of the studio.
Faye
Image 150
Image 183
40 41

Image 248 Image 686 Image 1531
42 43

Image 1077
“Last Mountain Lion in Wisconsin,” written on card back
Image 573 Image 1471
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Image 1056 Image 768
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Image 25
Image 2
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(Left image)
Postmark: Okoboji, Iowa, July 11, 1911
Recipient:
Mr F.E. Leak
Greenville, Ill
Say, Fred. How would you like to be with this bunch for a few
days during this beastly weather? All well and enjoying life full
up to the brim.
Yours,
Lewis
Image 648
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Image 539
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Image 136
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(Left image)
Postmark: Lakeview, Ohio, July 14, 1911
Recipient:
Edward Fraser
R. R. # 5 Dayton, Ohio
Dear Grandpa
We are all well, and we are catching a lots of fish,
Carl
Image 27
Image 142
“Eleanor Therris,” written on card back
56 57

Rabbit Round-up
Any gardener can relate to how frustrating bugs and critters can be
when they invade your garden. For Midwestern farmers, the rabbit was
public enemy #1.
Once a year, townsmen and farmers would unite for a “rabbit roundup.”
Fanning out across the surrounding fields on horseback, with their dogs,
they flushed out the rabbits and finished them off!
These photographs record some successful moments in “rabbit roundup”
history.
Image 1065
Image 621
58 59

(Right image)
Postmark: Threeforks, Washington Nov. 2, 1912
Image 1012
Recipient:
Mrs. J. W. Mullen
Barryton, Michigan
Dear Friends,
Will try and write letter some day. Did you get my card at
Ionia. My Bro’s wife has spent the summer with us. We all
went to California, had fine trip, good time at Edith’s at Los
Angeles, Jennies at San Jose stopped in Oregon, Seattle and
Tacoma. Then went to Arrowrock Idaho where Harold is
doing stenography work for the government. Had fine time.
Lovingly,
Lida Sorite
60 61
Image 375

Image 696
Image 152
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Image 1109
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Image 1695
St Louis MO,
July 29/07
Being (a)s we got all the photos all O.K. I would like to know whether you and
all your folks got a photo. If not let me know. With best regards and a sweet kiss
from Ewi. Love, your friend,
Little Ewein
64 65

Image 1357
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Image 430
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68 69

(Left image)
This is the picture, Lee was telling you about in his letter. He
had such a proud look on his face I thought I would have to
take a picture of him and that wonderful fish. It was a very
pretty fish one of a new kind they stocked our creek and lake
with them two years ago and Lee’s was the first of the kind
caught in the creek last summer I tell you he was a proud kid.
You can see it on his face.
Image 276
Image 995
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Image 596
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72 73

Camp & Cabin
Camping was in the blood of these early 20th century folks. Only recently,
miners, hunters, trappers and settlers had headed out west into the wilderness.
After the turn of the century, new roads penetrated far afield, allowing people,
especially those with automobiles, access to areas that had remained untouched and
unspoiled.
Some tented and some built cabins, but all certainly enjoyed the outings, the
camaraderie, the great hunting and fishing, and after a long day, relaxing and talking
around the evening campfire.
Image 480 Image 1413
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Image 255 Image 254
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Image 765 Image 1345
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(Right image)
Recipient:
Mr G. M. Baller,
520 Main St., Marinette WI
Well Dear, this is our humble hom(e) This card I maid myself
don’t you think it purty good. So we was going to make toast
night and it ? me it ? work.
By By Haney
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Image 446
Image 653
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(Left image)
Postmark: Kittery Point, Maine, Sept.
Recipient:
Mrs. Oscar Dreibbiss
Phoenixville, PA, Route 1
9-5-1911
Dear Mrs D,
Thought I would send you a picture of the fish they catch up
here in Maine. This is on the lawn of the hotel and hotel is
situated right on N.H. Harbor. It is beautiful here. We leave
tomorrow for Newport R.I. for month or so. Hope you are
all well.
Sincerely,
May V. McCarthy
Image 1073
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(Left image)
Postmark: Westport Kansas City, Missouri, April 13, 1913
Recipient:
Mrs. Mary McCartney
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Dear Friend, If it isn’t to late, please count me in on the
postal shower, and accept love and wishes for many happy
returns of your birthday - we often think of you and hope
you are well. If you should ever come our way be sure to stop.
Lovingly - Edith A. Wrem
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