Fish
Needle Case (photograph courtesy of Bunny's Place)
Patent
Design Details
Needle Case Type: |
Figural |
Patent/Registered to: |
William Avery - Redditch |
Patent/Design Representation #: |
Mechanical Patent: #1322 (Fig. 41 & 42) |
Patent/Design Registration Date: |
May 16, 1871 |
Location of Patent/Design Registration: |
British Library – Business and Intellectual Property Centre - London |
Reference #: |
Patent 1871-1322 |
Dimensions: |
8 x 1.4 x 2 |
Material: |
Brass |
Name Variations: |
Unmarked |
Other Variations: |
None |
Additional Photographs
Interior (photograph courtesy of Bunny's Place)
Another example (photographs courtesy of Robert Bleasdale)
Close up of the head (photograph courtesy of Robert Bleasdale)
A special thank you goes to Robert Bleasdale for sharing photographs of this item with us. Twice each year his company, Bleasdale Ltd. in Warwick, UK, has a sewing tool auction, once in the
summer and again in the winter, where many wonderful needle work tools are sold, several which were purchased by the author of this website. Be sure and check out their website
at Bleasdale Ltd.
Facts
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a fish is “a cold-blooded animal that lives in water, breathes with gills, and usually has
fins and scales.” There are over 32,000 different species of fish in the world and they are found in almost all aquatic environments:
lakes, streams, rivers, oceans and in captivity, aquariums. Fish are a major food source for humans and are either caught in the wild
or farmed in ponds or cages by commercial fishermen. Fishing is also a popular recreational activity. Today the fish shape has
become the symbol of Christianity.
History
Fishing gained popularity during the Victorian period since middle class people had more leisure time. In addition, during the summer
months the wealthy liked to get out of the city and spend time at their country estates where hunting and fishing were regular activities.
As a result, fishing gear improved significantly during this period with the creation of fancy flies for fly fishing and specialized fishing
reels. Many of these items got their start in Redditch since most needle manufactures also produced fishing hooks. The
chromolithographic drawing below shows two Victorian men and a woman fishing.
Miscellaneous
Fish and chips is the signature dish of Great Britain. Atlantic cod or haddock is battered and deep-fried, then served with slices
or pieces of fried potatoes often wrapped in newspaper. It became popular with the working class during the second half of the 19th
century for two reasons, one being the development of trawler fishing which allowed professional fisherman to drag a net through the water
with a boat to capture fish. Secondly, the arrival of the railroad during the Victorian Era provided a way to transport fish from coastal
towns to the major industrial cities. Deep-fried fish was originally brought to Britain in the 16th century by Jewish refugees from Spain
and Portugal and the first recorded fish and chip shop in London was opened by a Jewish immigrant in the early to mid-1860’s.
