Shakespeare Miller Autocrat Photos Added

[BAP-62]

Need a little info. What was the first year the Miller Autocrat was made and shown in the catalog?
Thanks

[wrong99]

It's listed as "new" in my 1935 catalog.
Mark

[BAP-62]

Thanks, Mark. Do you know where I can get a 1935 catalog?

[wrong99]

No, but you're always welcome to copies of mine. I see the Library has copies, along with some Autocrat info.
Mark

[Robyn Summerlin]

Brian & Mark, even though the Shakespeare manufacturing list in the club library shows the reel was first made in Feb. 1935, both the 4/0 and 6/0 reels are offered in the 1934 catalog, described as "new and revolutionary." Ed Pritchard at one time had a couple of even larger Autocrats, probably one-of-a-kind special order reels. Because of their unique one-piece tubular construction and adjustable drag controlled by the crank, unlike anything else offered by Shakespeare at the time, I have wondered if the reel might have been manufactured somewhere other than Kalamazoo. Over the years I've been unable to find very little info about the reel, other than catalog descriptions, from any source.

[BAP-62]

Thanks for the copies Mark. The photo shows the knob to activate the clicker and shows the foot below the frame not part of the frame. I know that companies would sometimes use the same photo for many years, but you would think that the first year should match this reel.
No clicker and foot part of the frame. I'm trying to find out how long the reel was made with the foot part of the frame. I've only seen 2 reels like that.
Robin; Does the photo in the 34 catalog match the reel I show here?

[john elder]

I've never seen one in a color other than silver/gray...might that reel have been anodized green at some later time or am i just too sheltered??

[wrong99]

It almost looks enameled rather than anodized? Hard to tell.
Mark

[BAP-62]

The color is original. I have a 4/0 and 6/0 in green with the foot part of the frame. If I'm not wrong Ed Pritchard had one for sale a while back, but the foot was not part of the frame, it was bolted on. Looks anodized to me.

[BAP-62]

Robyn, do they have a photo of the reel in the 34 catalog?

[BAP-62]

Here is a link that shows the early reel ( no clicker on head plate ) in green with the way you mainly see the reel. It has a separate foot.
http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/ ... -autocrat/

[Midway Tommy D]

Here's the photo of the 2 from Ed's site There's been quite a bit of discussion on the Autocrat.search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=miller+autocrat and here's one Paul posted awhile back.

[Teal]

1934 catalog page introducing the Shakespeare Miller Autocrat ... It was not pictured in the 1933 Shakespeare Catalog Supplement (issued half way through the catalog year in the 1930s) so it's safe to assume this was it's true introduction, unless it was made available late in 1933 to the trade -- I have the Sporting Goods Dealers from that year but I don't remember a notice about it. Most likely designed and prototyped over the previous two years.



-- Dr. Todd

[Paul M]

I love the green finish! A few months ago, I sold the one I previously posted (referenced above by Tom). I got more than I paid but the buyer thought he had won the lottery. He didn't... but it was still a very nice reel.

Paul M

[reeltackle]

The green Shakespeare Miller Autocrat reels are original and the finish is some type of anodizing. The way they tend to fade out is reminiscent of the gold finish on the early Kovalovsky reels. I remember Oscar calling that finish an Alumilite (sp) finish. Perhaps Shakespeare used a similar method to anodize their reels.

I have seen several green reels and also a couple of red reel, I believe they may have been sold as port and starboard reels, a pretty cool concept. The green and red reels have the Shakespeare medallions on the front like the silver reels only they are fixed and not raised to turn to activate a click when you twist them like the silver reels. I believe that the green and red reels were the earliest versions of the Miller Autocrat reel.

First; the brochure (shown below) which touts them as "NEW" not only states that they were anodized but, from the illustrations, they appear to be anodized.

Second; the picture on the brochure appears to show a reel that does not have a raised medallion that would functioned as a click. This would also make sense figuring that the click button may have been a later improvement. The click is also not mentioned in the early brochure.

Third; the reel pictured in the "NEW" brochure has the counterbalanced handle with the notched wheel style drag like the green reels do, they do not have the micro-adjust drag and the micro-adjust drag is not mentioned at all indicating that it may have also been a later improvement. In the early brochure's description of how to adjust the drag, it is clear that they are talking about the drag with the wheel under the handle. On another note, some of the silver reel I have seen came with both handles.

Whoever has the earliest catalog please check for a mention of a click and the Micro-adjust drag, this may help solve the question.

I have owned two 10/0 size Shakespeare Miller reels and one 14/0 Shakespeare Miller reel, notice the Autocrat is missing. I say this because the "Autocrat" is missing on the name label of these reels. Why ....... ??

The story I got from Fred Kerr (long time Shakespeare rep and past ORCA president) on the large reels is that the President of Shakespeare wanted to go shark fishing and had two reels specially made for that task. This doesn't explain the three reels but I can see them making one or two extra reels while they were at it. Fred was given the 14/0 reel by the president of Shakespeare. An interesting point is that the 14/0 reel is the exact same size as the two 10/0 size reels, go figure............. I kept the 14/0 reel just because it says it is bigger.

In the brochure, it appears that the man on the cover photo (Ralph W. Miller?) is using a reel that appears to have the large (10/0 14/0) Shakespeare Miller body but with a straight counterbalanced handle, not the micro-adjust style handle that may have been introduced later and is found on the three known larger reels. Another indication that the straight handle predates the micro-adjust handle. Also, this may mean that there is another big reel out there waiting for some lucky collector to find it!

There was a Ralph Miller who fished in Miami who I also believe built rods including the rods for the Knowles Tuna Reel. There was also a Ralph Miller who built the Leaping Lena lures in Miami. Will have to see if he is the same guy..............

Here are some photos of the 14/0 Shakespeare Miller reel









Here are scans of the fold out brochure that came with the early reels.









Here is an instruction and care sheet for the Miller Autocrat reel. This may be a later piece because it seems that it is explaining how to use the Micro-adjust drag rather that the earlier drag. The paper does not mention the Micro-adjust drag by name but it does talk about a "knurled wheel on the side of the crank". Any thought on this???

[john elder]

Ed, Phil Beguhl had a big (14/0, i assume) Shakes "miller" at Bakersfield about 5 years ago. Is that the same as the one you have or might that be a second one? It was for sale, but not sure if he still has it or not.

note: i called it a "miller" based on your comments...do not recall wwhat it said one the faceplate.

Note#2: it is clear that i do, in fact, lead a sheltered life!

[BAP-62]

Dr. Todd, I can't tell from the photo if the foot is part of the frame. Can anyone with a 1934 catalog tell if they show the foot as part of the frame.
Ed, your 6th photo shows the foot as part of the frame. I have seen the same paper work with the later reels that have a separate foot.
By the 1935 catalog they show the clicker know and a separate foot.
I'm trying to find out how long the reels were made like the green 4/0 I posted, with the foot part of the frame. Also how common or rare are the reels with the foot part of the frame.

[Eric J]

Wm. Shakespeare, Jr's personal 6-0 Miller Autocrat with his January 1936 patent crank handle.

[Midway Tommy D]

I think I just heard a couple of moans & groans & saw some drool! Nice! Thanks for posting!

[BAP-62]

Very nice reel Eric. No question as to how rare that reel is.

[reeltackle]

Very cool Eric! I've never seen a black Miller Autocrat before, thank you for sharing. Your reel has the micro-adjust drag and the click button on the front, perhaps a later model?

I have never seen another anodized reel with the micro-adjust drag and the clicker, has anyone else? So now we have silver, green, red and black. Has anyone seen any other colors?

John, either Phil sold the other big reel to me or I sold it to him ..... can't quite remember, but if you ask Phil I'm sure he will. I do remember that that reel was marked 10/0 but was the same size as my 14/0.

[Eric J]

Mr. Shakespeare used to fish down in the Keys with Ernest Hemingway. I've never cleaned it, so it probably still has their fingerprints all over it!
I thought the 6-0 was humongous. I can't imagine how big a 14-0 is!
These were probably used for sailfish, right?