FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
Sources, not guesswork.
The collection draws on family material, original publications, patent records, and collector research. These are the starting points behind this edition.
Original records
- Outdoor Life, April 1939, page 82 ↗
A contemporary advertisement for Lauby’s product range. Printed page 82 is PDF page 84.
- Golfdom, March 1938, page 71 ↗
Announcement of the Chicago Sports Equipment Exposition. It documents the event, not a list of Lauby staff or attendees.
- US 1,996,477 · Artificial fish lure ↗
Filed September 15, 1933; granted April 2, 1935.
- US 2,187,475 · Artificial bait ↗
Filed August 27, 1938; granted January 16, 1940.
- US 2,215,908 · Artificial bait ↗
Filed August 27, 1938; granted September 24, 1940.
- US 2,341,926 · Lathe chuck ↗
Filed March 22, 1943; granted February 15, 1944.
- US 2,392,677 · Collapsible artificial bait ↗
Filed May 15, 1944; granted January 8, 1946.
Collector & family history
Chris Slusar’s “Lauby Bait Company,” in the summer 2009 issue of Splash, pages 8–9, is an important published account. Interview recollections and later collector descriptions are kept distinct from contemporary documents.
Photographs and existing identifications come from the family project and its collection files. Dates, photographers, and provenance are stated where known; missing information remains open.
What we are still learning
- The company’s precise founding and ownership chronology.
- The complete color catalog advertised in 1939.
- Production dates, original color names, and measurements for individual examples.
- Whether the later collapsible design reached commercial production.
Collector research
Chris Slusar, “Lauby Bait Company,” Splash, vol. 33, no. 3, Summer 2009, pp. 8–9.
A retrospective drawing on interviews with Anton’s children. Consult the original article for the author’s full account and photographs.
Using this archive
Each collection page includes a permanent record identifier and suggested citation. Please cite the individual record and the date you consulted it. Cite the original publication when your claim comes directly from that publication.
Download the collection records as JSON
Links and citations do not grant permission to reproduce third-party photographs or publications. Use the contact page for image-use questions.
Further reading located in the NFLCC index
The following entries are confirmed in the NFLCC Article Index. The full articles have not been reviewed for this edition; no historical claims here rely on their unseen contents.
- Charles & Annette Sanders, “Lauby Bait Company,” December 1999, Magazine, vol. 9, no. 2.
- Chris Slusar, “Lauby Family Reunion,” March 2005, Gazette, vol. 30, no. 104.
An accessible original Lauby catalog has not yet been located in this research pass. Catalog illustrations, color names and measurements will not be reconstructed and presented as original documentation.