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Al Foss
Cleveland, Ohio

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Al Foss & True Temper Paperwork

Shown here are some of the paper items from our collection of Al Foss and True Temper.


Click on the thumbnail pictures below to see a larger image
Al Foss Letterhead
Al Foss wrote in this 1919 letter: We do not claim to be the inventors of the "pig", but we do claim to be the only ones to make the pig skin really wiggle, and we will defend our rights against the army of pirates, who lack the gray matter necessary to originate anything themselves, and must be content to steal the ideas of others or fall by the wayside.

He goes on to rightly say these lures will be made long after you and I are through with earthly cares...
Al Foss Letterhead
Al Foss & True Temper Envelopes
1919 Al Foss envelope and 1941 American Fork & Hoe Company envelope
Al Foss & True Temper Envelopes
Al Foss Factory Correspondence
This document is a 1938 letter from American Fork & Hoe to South Bend Bait Company which accompanied a check for royalty payments for AlFoss Supper Lures. Though it is misspelled in the letter, the credit was really for Al Foss Super Lures.
Al Foss factory correspondence
Dealer Promotional Material
Though it is beyond the scope of this web page, True Temper manufactured a broad line of fishing tackle, including rods and reels, as well as fishing lures. This colorful piece was part of a letter from the Sales Manager of American Fork & Hoe to their tackle dealers. Hundreds of your lady customers are wondering what they can give their BOY for Christmas. They want something new, something that will be different and will welcome suggestions....Suggest to Mother, Wife or Sweetheart that she give him a True Temper Fishing Rod.
Al Foss Dealer Promotional Material
Al Foss Box Box Catalogs
Most of the Al Foss and True Temper boxes included a pocket catalog which illustrated the company line of fishing lures. Some of the many catalog variations are shown in this collage. A few of the ones with the more interesting graphics are shown separately.
Al Foss Box Catalogs
The first Al Foss box catalog paper
The first Al Foss box catalog displayed the same images of the Skidder and Little Egypt that appeared on the intro lure boxes. It also illustrated the fist jar of Foss' PORK RIND BAIT.
The first Al Foss box catalog paper
Al himself, bring'ing' home the bacon
This 1918 box catalog features a picture of Al Foss and the caption Al himself, bring'ing' home the bacon
Al himself, bring'ing' home the bacon
You need pigs to make pork rind
You've got to have a lot of pigs to make a lot of pork rinds and there are a lot of pigs on the cover of this 1919 box catalog.
Al Foss Pork Rind Minnows - Manufactured by Al Foss
Al Foss box catalog paper for Frog Wiggler
This colorful image was used for the cover of the pocket catalog that introduced the Frog Wiggler in 1926.
Al Foss box catalog paper for Frog Wiggler
How To Catch Fish With The Sunny Bucktail
This colorful little box catalog is not so easy to find, as the lure that goes with it has never been seen. It dates to approximately 1928.
How To Catch Fish With The Sunny Bucktail
Al Foss box catalog paper for The Shiek
The 1936 Al Foss box catalog paper introduced The Shiek and had a picture of its designer Merlin Mitchell of Orlando, Florida. "The Shiek is the daddy of them all," says Merlin Mitchell of Orlando, Florida. "Have found it will catch two fish for every one taken on anything else."
Al Foss box catalox paper for The Shiek
Company product catalogs
American Fork & Hoe Company produced annual product catalogs that illustrated their complete of fishing tackle. These catalogs are an invaluable research resource for Al Foss collectors.
Company product catalogs

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