1920s The Archers Company

[Wade Phillips]

Tox Collector - This photograph shows some of the 1920s documents from The Archers Company that I have.

The Chevy Chase brochure is dated 1927 and is 18 numbered pages. Does it look like yours? This one fits the description of the one mentioned on page 44 in Lake & Wright.

We should probably create a list of everything we that have from The Archers Company.

I have many of The Archers Company 1920s bows, arrows and other items. Hope to build a nice display with some of the nicer items. It has been on my list of to do's, but is still incomplete...

 

[Tox Collector]

Wade - nice display and great collection!  While I have a number of the catalogs and supplements including "Ye Archers Sport of Chevy Chase", I don't have the pamphlets/leaflets in the upper left hand part of your display including the one partially laying on the bow.  Can you describe what they are, i.e., catalogs, etc.?  My copy of "Ye Archers Sport of Chevy Chase" does look like the one you have.  I do have "Fine Bows and Arrows" and "The Sport of Archery" along with "Artillery".  However, I don't have any of the instructions for making and using bows, etc.  Also, I don't have any tackle [maybe one bow].

If you put a list of publications by The Archers
Company [as we talked about in a prior thread], their publication of Elmer's rendition of Maurice Thompson's "The Witchery of Archery" [1928] and "Archery Aims" should probably be included.  Did The Archers Company underwrite any other archery publications to your knowledge?

I will try to compile a list of the catalogs, handbooks and supplements that I have [they are currently spread out in a number of places].  Give me a little time.

I have always thought that The Archers Company catalogs contained a wealth of information.  Some of the photos of prominent archers are outstanding.

By the way, there is an individual, who is a member of The Archery Collectors Guild, who lives either in Pinehurst or close to the town and apparently has a collection of The Archers Company publications, bows, etc.  Have you thought about joining the Guild?  

It is primarily made up of members from Great Britain, and it would be nice to include more American collectors in the organization.  It is still a small organization of approximately 40 some members, but they publish a great newsletter three times a year with interesting articles on member collections and other interesting archery topics, etc.

Tox Collector

[Tom Phillips]

Wade,
 Is that the Archers Company T/D bow & tube quiver in photo you got from me sometime ago ?

[Wade Phillips]

Tom - Yes it is The Archers Company T/D bow & tube quiver that I got from you several years ago. This temporary display is in the top of a coffee table. For a brief period, I had a second T/D bow identical to this one with the identical decal. Over the years, I have only seen three bows exactly like this one. I have several other very nice examples of The Archers Company bows, but all are one-piece.  

A few years ago I was pleasantly surprised when I was finally able to locate the patent for this bow. On May 27, 1928, Phillip  Rounsevelle applied for an Archery Bow patent, and on April 16, 1929 the patent was granted for two claims, which cover the sleeve T/D feature of this bow.

During this next year, I hope to build a large display that will include many of the more unique items of The Archers Company.

[Liquid Amber]

I've the usual assortment of stuff from them, nothing in addition to what you guys have, but do have a pretty good history of both Phillip and Miss Billie.  

You find stuff on Miss Billie under two names; Rounsevelle and Whitney  Anyone know what caused their divorce?  

“Miss Billie” Rounsevelle (age 19) in the fall of 1925, strikes down a small buck with her 40 pound ELB in southern Louisiana and hubby Phillip showcases Miss Billie’s deed in the December 1927 Ye Sylvan Archer.  

For years I’d been convinced Miss Billie was the first woman in modern time to take big game with the bow but have found one report of another lady doing it prior to Miss Billie.  She may be the first to take a deer in Louisiana with bow in modern times, at least I cannot find a report anyone doing it before her.

[Wade Phillips]

This is a first draft listing mostly…

1924, 1925 & 1926 items of The Archers Company that I did not see recorded in  “A Bibliography of Archery” on Pages 44 and 45. Page and position number are listed for those items already recorded...

Items are listed roughly in chronological order.

Unfortunately, the italics did not show up for the titles as it appears in Word.

-----------------

-  The Bow Book, Complete Instructions for Making Hard-Hitting Long Bows and Cloth Yard Arrows, The Archers Company of Indian Hill, 2617 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, 1924.
Double sided illustrated cover, 13 single sided pages, illustrated, 14” x 8-1/2”. Cover printed in green on tan card stock.

-  Genuine Hardshooting Long Bows and Cloth Yard Arrows, The Archers Company of Indian Hill, Main Office New Orleans; Branch Office, Chicago, undated.
Single sheet folded once to form 4 pages, illustrated, 9” x 6”. Printed in green on white paper.

-  Instructions for Making Lemonwood Hunting or Target Bows, The Archers Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1925.
Single sheet folded once to form 4 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 6”. Printed in black on white paper.

44-1 -  Instructions for Making Hunting or Target Bows, The Archers Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1925.
Single sheet folded to form 8 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 3-3/4”. Printed in black on tan card stock.

44-2 -  Instructions for Making Up Archers Company Arrow Sets, The Archers Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1925.
Single sheet folded once to form 4 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 6”. Printed in black on white paper.

-  Instructions for Making Hunting or Target Bows, The Archers Company, Glendale, California, undated.
Single sheet folded to form 8 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 3-3/4”. Printed in black on tan card stock. Same as above with paper sticker on front page announcing To Our California Customers… Jack A. Hoefer Representative.

-  English Yeoman Archery Sets. The Archers Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, undated.
Single sheet folded to form 6 page catalog, 9” x 4”. Printed in color on white paper.

-  Archers Handbook, by Phillip Rounsevelle, The Archers Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1925
20 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 3-3/4”. Paper sticker on bottom 1/4 front page announcing move to Pinehurst, North Carolina on July 1st. Printed in color on white paper. Same as item on page 249-3, except sticker on front page.

-  Instructions for setting up The Archers Company Target Arrow Sets. Pinehurst, North Carolina, 1925, 1926.
Single sheet fold to form 8 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 3-3/4”. Printed in color on white paper.

-  Instructions for Completing The Target Arrow Sets, The Archers Company, Pinehurst, North Carolina, undated.
Single sheet folded to form 6 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 3-3/4”. Printed in brown on tan paper.

-  Instructions for the Making and Care of Hunting or Target Bows, The Archers Company, Pinehurst, North Carolina, 1926.
Single sheet folded to form 12 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2” x 3-3/4”. Printed in green on tan paper.

[Tox Collector]

Cliff, I didn't know that they were divorced.  I made the assumption that she was widowed -- I assumed wrong!

Wade - Thanks for listing these items -- nice job!

It seems that material from The Archers Company is getting more and more scarce.  I have never seen any of the instructions for making bows and arrows.  You have a real treasure trove.

Incidentally, their logo print of robin hood or some archer shooting through the trees at a running deer [see the the cover of The Witchery of Archery, 3rd. edition] looks very similar to the one used by Robin Hood Archery Company of Montclair, NJ and the separate print produced by H. L. Bailey.  

If you look at the Robin Hood Archery Catalog - 40th Anniversary Edition - you can see the name H. L. Bailey on the cover print.  Any thoughts on the similarity or any insight on where The Archers Company obtained their logo?  I wonder if it was the basis for the print produced by H. L. Bailey.  

Just some things that I have wondered about.

[Wade Phillips]

For his second publication, "Genuine Hardshooting Long Bows and Cloth Yard Arrows", Rounsevelle "borrowed" Pope's 1923 "Hunting With the Bow & Arrow" Frontispiece, drawn by Remington Schuyler ...

Will Crawford drew the Pinehusrt logo of The Archers Company that we have all come to know so well. Crawford also drew that same Bowman used as the logo, but surrounded by his merry men in the forest (shown below)...

Crawford skillfully incorporated his name into this scene, look to the far left edge just below a horizontal line from our Bowman's toe pointing toward the left edge... See it? Guess it is a little cut off, will try to load a clearer photo so you can pick it up better...

I am also familiar with Baily's work. He was another good artist of the time. His Robin Hood was very similar but noticeably different.  

     


An enlarged view of Will Crawford's signature along the edge. Above scan omitted part of the signature...

 

[Tox Collector]

I do recall Will Crawford -- he was also the illustrator for the "Book of the Longbow" [anthology] by Elmer and Smart.  He was an excellent illustrator and probably was involved with some other archery material as well.

I do like the Pinehurst logo -- it is special!

While different, there are some similarities between the two -- interesting.  Did you know that Bailey's work was published as an individual print -- you may have a copy.  As I recall, Bailey worked in an advertising firm in NYC and had an artistic bent.  He was certainly well known for his interest in and activities involving crossbows.

[Wade Phillips]

Yes, Will Crawford was also the illustrator for Elmer and Smart's wonderful "Book of the Longbow". Without Crawford's illustrations the book simply would not be the same.

I believe I remember seeing Bailey's work as an individual print. I have a few prints, but I do not collect prints.

For many years I have intended to re-print the literature of two companies... The Archers Company and California By-Products.

Both are great archery companies from the 1920s and both printed some literature that is well known, but printed many other items that are known only to a few collectors.

My idea is to have each company's literature in a single book. These two books would be invaluable references for the serious collectors of vintage archery tackle and archery historians.

There would be very limited interest in such references, perhaps 50 copies might even be too many to expect to sell. I'm not thinking of this as project to generate revenue, but rather as a project to bring the information together as a service to a small group of individuals.

Generally, I don't care much for reprinted material, but in this case for a single reference manual, it may have some real merit.

What are your thoughts on such a reference for these two companies?

[Tox Collector]

Wade - Great idea -- there may be more of a demand than what you think.  These items are becoming incredibly difficult to find today.  They capture an important period in American archery.  

Besides the first and second editions of the California By-Products two handbooks [1925 & 1926], do you have other advertising material from the company?  Their handbooks are neat items.  

Running through my mind is a picture of a handbook on archery from another company from California with red on the cover that replicated to a large extent the California By-Products handbook.  Do you recall any such handbook [my mind may be playing tricks on me].

In any event, both companies produced great products, and it would be great for the archery community to have this literature available to it.

[Wade Phillips]

Tox Collector –

Started another thread about California By-Products Company so everyone does not confuse the two companies...

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=002745

[Cody Roiter]

Cool Wade... I have one of there Selfnock footed target arrows.. Said The Archers Company in gold... It's a nice old arrow.... I will try and get pics later.......

Cody

[Cody Roiter]

Wade here is the arrow I was asking you about... As of the year I have no clue... Also this arrow has a footing.. as seen in this photo,
 

The next photo is of the name and the logo.. sorry for the poor photo..
 

Next photo of is the feathers and of the self nock..  

Also the nock has an over lay of what looks like horn ?
 

>>>>-------->
    Cody

[JavelinaHink]

Cody....nice arrow....    

Hink....  

[Wade Phillips]

Cody - Nice 1920s target arrow. The Archers Company branded their name into many of their arrows like yours.

The arrow has a sleeve nock. That is a parallel hole completely through the nock so it slides over the wood.

I believe the material the nock is made of is type of Bakelite, which is sort of a pre-plastic material.

Here are some of The Archers Company Sleeve Nocks from the 1920s with one of their Handspun Flax Bowstrings and its card...

 

[TonyW]

Hard to believe that we are almost a century away from the Roaring Twenties.