Having been a collector of airline ephemera for over forty years, it’s rare nowadays to come across something that I haven’t seen at a show, in an antique shop, or on eBay – but in December I did, and was able to purchase it at a reasonable price: a May 1951 “Northwest Airlines Fishing Guide” published in cooperation with the venerable Shakespeare Fishing Tackle Company of (at the time) Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Click here to view the full pamphlet in PDF form.
Northwest was eager to grow business in the early 1950s – and lacking any domestic warm-weather tourist destinations save Hawaii, played to its strength of Northern adventure – and appeal to the growing middle and executive classes to really “get away from it all” on a quiet lake or stream.
One wonders if fishing might make a comeback in post-pandemic times as an activity in nature that rewards not being in a large group and allows for self-contemplation and appreciation of the environment.
The brochure copy is certainly of its time, pitching exclusively to male stereotypes – but its selling points still remain evocative and effective!
The artwork by D. Owen is also very much of its time – outdoors magazines and catalogs provided steady work for many commercial illustrators, as the lithography process handled this kind of art better than color photography.
Wouldn’t these illustrations look amazing on the walls of a Mid-Century house? I’m ready to pack my bags for a North Woods trip already…
The Shakespeare company is part of a larger ownership group now, but it had a long history from the late 1800s. A corporate biography from the 1950s can be found at this link, and a more-recent document can be found here. I haven’t been able to uncover any information on the illustrator but would be happy to learn more.
