Seeking Info

February 9 2008

A young gentleman Pablo from Spain is asking for help
with his research and I quote;

I'm a Master Thesis researcher in Graphic Design by the Central University
of Barcelona about "Advertising in Pioneer Tire Companies. The early years".
This full illustrated Thesis have capitals about the use of character
trademarks (like Mr. Dunlop, Bibendum Michelin, John Bull or Stepney bulldog
tires) and I have few 1920s examples that show the North British Rubber Co.
Using a Lion as a mascot and trademark logo.

Below are the three copies sent to me by Pablo
and we thank him for taking the time and trouble to help us

Top Line reads
Made in four patterns of unequal quality

To continue Pablo says ;
I only want to confirm if you know the Lion was ever used or appeared only
in few campaigns, and also if you have scan images of papers, ads or other
signs with the use of the lion

If anyone can help can they please contact the Editor editornbrinklies@aol.com who will pass the information onto Pablo in Barcelona Spain

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January 9 2008
This is an interesting story of a lady in Canada trying to solve some recent history for her family and friends--it involves a gentleman from Canada visiting Scotland in 1951 and being presented with a ball which the recipient, a QC, believed was an old golf ball--below you will find the correspondence and some of the findings--However as at today the proof is not yet final---but its a good and interesting read

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Hello -

While searching for information on the North British Rubber Company, I happened upon your website and wonder if you might have any insight into the authenticity of this article.A friend of mine has the ball pictured, which was owned originally by her great uncle. The clipping is from a newsletter of the golf club to which he belonged in Canada, written on the occasion of his being made a Life Member.

I don't know whether your archives would have anything about Mr. Gordon and whether he might have presented someone with such a rare gift, but it seems worth an inquiry. I'm sure Mr. Rutledge believed the ball was as described, but whether he had been given accurate information, we don't know.

If you can be of any help, I will greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,

Mary Danforth
|

This is in the records of the Ashburn Golf club in Canada

and below is the comments from the Mr Routledge

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The Editor replied to Mary as follows

Just a note to say that we are still working on your query--The old Board minutes of 1950 have been located but are now being examined--we are 90% sure the Mr Gordon was the Managing Director of North British Rubber Company at that time but are not 100% sure--Hoping to prove it soon but probably after the holidays

May I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Sincerely
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The Editor then asked for help and sent a note as follows

Editor to Dick Bell, Jim Finlay Martin Hale and Sandy Kay

I received this from Mary, the lady in Canada as a follow up to my original reply
where I indicated that I thought Mr Gordon was MD at NBR in 1950 but not totally confirmed and I would come back to her . I am hoping that the old Board minutes of the late forties early fifties will solve the problem
Editor
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Mary Replied ---Thank you so much for all you are doing on this - I hope I haven't asked too much of your organization. After sending pictures of the ball to a number of collectors and auctioneers with an interest in golf memorabilia, I've been told by every one of them that this is not a golf ball, but a "fives" ball -- of little or no value. So, either Mr. Rutledge was misinformed at the time he was given the ball or he was given incorrect information about it after he got home. I am told that he was a very proper, honest gentleman, so it's unlikely that he made up the story as a joke and then let it be printed in his golf club newsletter. Nor would he have sent the clipping to his great niece for her family "archives". I would still be interested in the part of the story that pertains to Mr. Gordon, so if it's not too much trouble, I'll look forward to hearing the results of your research.
Mary
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Mary then came back with a note as follows

Dear David,

Thank you so much for all you are doing on this - I hope I haven't asked too much of your organization. After sending pictures of the ball to a number of collectors and auctioneers with an interest in golf memorabilia, I've been told by every one of them that this is not a golf ball, but a "fives" ball -- of little or no value. So, either Mr. Rutledge was misinformed at the time he was given the ball or he was given incorrect information about it after he got home. I am told that he was a very proper, honest gentleman, so it's unlikely that he made up the story as a joke and then let it be printed in his golf club newsletter. Nor would he have sent the clipping to his great niece for her family "archives". I would still be interested in the part of the story that pertains to Mr. Gordon, so if it's not too much trouble, I'll look forward to hearing the results of your research.

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Then the editor received an e-mail today from Dick Bell as follows

Gents,
I asked our librarian to investigate the Odd Ball and Fives and here is what she came up with. Sounds creadible and appears its not an early golf ball, but maybe made by NBR for Edinburgh University Fives Club.
Richard

Kathleen Rainwater the Gates company's librarian was asked by Richard Bell to dig to see what she could find and this was her reply:

Richard
I found a few pictures of featherie golf balls – and all of them appear to have a different construction than the ball given to Mr. Rutledge.

http://www.greatvaluegolf.co.uk/golf_equipment_golf_balls_guide_one.aspx

http://www.portalgolf.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=18

A further interesting bit of information supplied by Kathleen was :

This featherie is currently for sale on Ebay: to see please click

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VERY-RARE-Genuine-Victorian-Feather-Golf-Ball-C1840s_
W0QQitemZ110211431196QQihZ001QQcategoryZ38327QQcmdZViewItem

The ‘featherie’ referred to being on sale on eBay is available for $4950…

Kathleen continued

I could only find one image of a fives ball - it has a similar construction to the ball you are inquiring about.

http://etonfives.co.uk/images/ball.jpg

The Edinburgh University Fives Club describes the game as:

“Like squash, fives is played in a four-sided court with the general idea
being to hit the ball above the bar across the front wall so that the opposition cannot return it before the second bounce. A fives ball is slightly larger than
a golf ball, leather covered and hard.
Unlike a squash ball, it loses little pace off the walls and floor and bounces
high and fast. The court is slightly smaller than a squash court and has a stone, rather than wooden, floor. “ http://hometown.aol.co.uk/edinburghfives/what_is.html

The Wessex Fives club describes the game of fives as : “A version of handball
is a sport in which players compete by hitting a ball with their hands against a wall. It is played in every country in the world. The British version is called Fives and is run by the Fives Federation which oversees the running of one, three and four wall Fives in this country.
There are over 100 Fives playing centres in schools and sports centres across Britain . http://www.freewebs.com/wessexfives/

Please wait for the next instalment--Editor