Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2020
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2020
Generally lost to time with only the most astute hockey historians and collectors knowledgeable on the subject, the sticks used by the early stars of the game at the turn of the century for the most part were produced by Montreal’s McNiece and Orchard Company. A member of the fabled Montreal Crystals in the late-1880s, company patriarch Ozie McNiece furnished the sticks the club used to defeat the Montreal Victorias for the 1887 ACHA championship. This extremely rare 1915 McNiece and Orchard catalog is the first from the historic company that we have ever handled. At 6” x 9”, the 32-page booklet with gilt cover feature’s their wares including “Extra Special” hockey sticks, with a photo of the 1912-13 Quebec Bulldogs, with text stating, “This club uses our goods”. The company further mentions that their sticks were used by Stanley Cup championship clubs including the 1898 Victorias, 1900 Shamrocks, 1906 Wanderers and others, with players using their models to include George Vezina, Sprague Cleghorn, Newsy Lalonde, Frank McGee, Lester Patrick, Percy Leseuer, Clint Benedict and many others.
McNiece and Orchard is known to Original Six collectors, with McNiece later acting as a supplier to the Montreal Canadiens, having a relationship with the club for decades. The company was also the first to produce the modern paddle-style goal stick, in 1914. Players such as Eddie Shore can be seen in period photos furnishing their sticks, with the image of the circa 1914 Montreal Wanderers used for the listing showing Sprague Cleghorn, his brother Odie, Ernie Russell and Walter Miller all using McNiece and Orchard sticks. The catalog is fully intact, with the center spread detached but intact. There is some wear to the covers and toning to the interior pages, with rusting to the staples and a small area eaten away by rodents along the top left (this small area of loss continues throughout the catalog pages).
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