Glowbody Minnow (1920)

[JoeW]

Sold by Abbey & Imbrie, an old tacklehouse in New York in the 1920's. Basically, a wire frame, around a glass tube. Inside the glass tube was a strip of metal, painted with a substance that "glowed in the dark". Interestingly... this glowing material was a form of Radium and is mildly radioactive! Yep! It's the same stuff they painted the original "Luminous Dial" wristwatches with back in the early 1950's. That type of luminous dial was outlawed by the government in the later 1950's. Since then, there are cases of many of the watch employees (mostly women who worked with the radium paint daily) suffering an unusually large number of various forms of cancer and blood disorders. These workers have been called the "Radium Girls". It's the same reason why in the 1970's, people were encouraged to have their gold jewelry (especially wedding bands!) scanned for radioactivity-- the fear being that the jewelry might have been made from melted down old gold wristwatches that had had the luminous radium dials! Same stuff that made the Glowbody lure luminous back in the 1920's! Amazing the history of some old lures, eh! Hope you enjoyed! Best---- JoeW

And before you ask- yes, my example still glows in the dark! (Click on the pic for a larger view)

[fatworm]

Interesting and informative post! Does this one still "glow"? If so, can you post a pic. Would be interesting to see how much it glows...

[JoeW]

Pretty dim, but a ghostly greenish color. I would guess the radium "wears out" a little after 90 years? I tried, but just can't get a picture of it glowing. Best---- JoeW

[fatworm]

Pretty dim, but a ghostly greenish color. I would guess the radium "wears out" a little after 90 years? I tried, but just can't get a picture of it glowing. Best---- JoeW

I suppose you wouldn't be able to "recharge" that thing either. I bet NASA could make it glow again. :p

Well, we tried!;)

[fatworm]

Sold by Abbey & Imbrie, an old tacklehouse in New York in the 1920's.

Abbey is a woman's name. (Imbrie - I'm not so sure about) So, who ran the tackle house then? If history serves correct, women were not "eligible" to run stores back in that time. The 1920's, or the roaring 20's, did however bring change, so I'm interested to know if this was in fact the rise of women's legal rights?

Just another interesting thought that came to mind...

[JoeW]

Abbey & Imbrie is a name that takes tackle collectors all the way back to shortly after the Civil War. In 1875 L. H. Abbey and C. F. Imbrie merged with the Andrew Clerk & Company, to become Abbey & Imbrie. Andrew Clerk had been in the fishing tackle business since 1820, stayed on for a while and then retired. The A & I famous crossed fishhook Trademark was granted in 1877, and early products usually show this trademark. The gold fish that hung over their door for forty years was a very famous landmark for anglers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Abbey & Imbrie probably didn't manufacture anything. However, they contracted with some of the better manufacturers to have a full line of fishing products available for customers at their retail store in New York City, and through their mail order catalogs. The reels of Julius vom Hofe, A.F. Meisselbach and probably many other makers were stamped with their name. Lures were manufactured for A&I by Heddon, as well as several others. They had their first rods built by Hiram Leonard, but later rods were manufactured by several different makers. All of this high quality tackle was wholesaled to dealers throughout the east, as well as retailed directly to fishermen.

Abbey & Imbrie was purchased by Horrock's-Ibbotson in the 1930s. I had to look up this info myself! Thanks for the interesting question! Best---- JoeW

[lip ripper]

Yikes a radioactive lure! Don't eat the fish you catch with that. What a strange looking lure how bright do you think it glowed probably the best thing it had going for it. That is a cool story.

[tholmes]

Joe, I would bet that lure will keep glowing for some time yet. If I remember correctly, the half-life of radium is measured in centuries (around 1600 years, I think).

Don't carry that thing around in your pocket:eek:



Tom

[Razor]

So.... did you catch anything with it?

[JoeW]

As a matter of fact--- i did! I caught a glow-in-the-dark radioactive fish with it! :D No, just kidding! Those lures are too rare to think about fishing with! You wouldn't go spending an 1898 Silver Dollar to go buy a loaf a bread with, would you?
Some old lures are fairly common and worth only $5-10-- particularly if they're a little rough. They're the one's to fish with! This one, like all the other's I posted, are considerably rarer! Part of my mission as a collector is to preserve them so others can admire this part of our fishing heritage.
Plus, the way I cast- I'd hit a rock with it and break the glass case! LOL! :) Best---- JoeW

[WildernessWomen]

Thanks Joe, Very Cool History.