Fishhook
Label Text
George Washington first ordered "A Fishing Case for the Pocket - properly furnished with Line &ca" from London in 1762, but as hooks were lost and lines broken in pursuit of a catch, he likely replaced its contents. Among the surviving fishhooks associated with Washington's tackle box are several stamped "IS" on the flatted shank, the mark of London fishhook and needle makers Charles Iverson & Henry Stone, who were in business from 1790-1817. Washington may have purchased these hooks from a retailer who catered to the needs of gentleman anglers.
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Datec. 1790-1817
Maker
Iverson & Stone
(English, 1790 - 1817)
Geography
Made -
England
Medium/TechniqueIron alloy, japanning
DimensionsOverall (H x W x D): 2 7/8 in. x 1 in. x 1/8 in. (7.32 cm x 2.54 cm x 0.33 cm)
Credit LineGift of Camille E. Bryan, 1958
Object numberW-2201/U
DescriptionFish hook with flatted shank spade end and single barb at point; maker's mark "IS" is stamped on reverse of flatted shank.Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 205.
Commander Donald B. Leach, "George Washington: Waterman and Fisherman, 1760-1799," Yearbook: The Historical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia 28 (2001-2002): 10-11.
"Washington's Fishing Tackle," Forest and Stream (1 December 1906): 869.
F. L. Brockett, The Lodge of Washington: A History of the Alexandria Washington Lodge, No. 22, A. F. and A. M. of Alexandria, VA, 1783-1876 (Alexandria, Virginia: G. H. Ramey & Son, 1899), 156.
Markings"IS" stamped on reverse of spade end
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