The Robert E. Kohrman Angling Collection

Dr. Robert E. Kohrman, dean emeritus of the College of Science and Technology at Central Michigan University and professor emeritus of organic chemistry, is a strong supporter of the Clarke Historical Library. He has an ardent interest in fly fishing and donated his personal collection to the Clarke, including his angling book collection in 2021 and his angling periodicals and catalogues in 2022.  Dr. Kohrman also endowed the collection to fund its continued growth.

Almost fifty years ago, he discovered the Clarke contained a large collection of angling books obtained with the support of Reed Draper, a Saginaw automobile dealer.  Dr. Kohrman saw a need to develop a collection of angling books that would complement the Reed Draper Collection and provide a historical perspective on American angling, including the waters of the Great Lakes region. 

Former Clarke Librarian Bill Miles and former Clarke Director John Cumming supported Dr. Kohrman’s interest in angling books. He attended many statewide book shows with John Cumming and later many statewide angling shows with Frank Boles, former Clarke Director. Dr. Kohrman acquired his first angling book when Bill Miles encouraged him to read works by the famous Michigan sporting author, Charles Lanman. Ultimately, in the late 1970s, Dr. Kohrman bought a copy of Lanman's Adventures in the Wilds of North America from a book dealer.

Dr. Kohrman’s focus on sporting periodicals came a bit later. Initially, he was fascinated by the history of the Michigan grayling, a species overfished by sportsmen starting around 1873 until the fish was eradicated in the Lower Peninsula in the early 20th century. He was intrigued with learning more about how and when this fish disappeared from Michigan waters. The history of the grayling in Michigan was not easily found in any book but rather was detailed in many newspapers and sporting periodicals of the 19th century.  Consequently, he traveled across the country to libraries that held rare periodicals to examine their content. He discovered these serials occasionally came up for auction or direct sale. When he was able to purchase almost 40 volumes in one auction, he was on his way to building an extensive collection of sporting periodicals.  

Notable books and periodicals in the Kohrman Angling Collection

One of the most notable books in Dr. Kohrman’s angling collection is The Log of the North Shore Club: Paddle and Portage on the Hundred Trout Rivers of Lake Superior (Alexander, 1911). The copy he donated to the Clarke is extraordinary because it contains three long inscriptions by the author. In addition, every person in a photograph found within the book is identified in ink by the author. This book is the definitive guide on angling in Lake Superior waters when large brook trout today called "coasters" were more commonly found in the lake and its tributaries.

Henry William Herbert (1807-1858), one of the country's first sporting authors, wrote Frank Forester's Fish and Fishing of the United States and British Provinces of North America (1849) under his pen name of Frank Forester. It is among the first angling books published in America. The Kohrman collection has two different copies of this book, one of which is a first edition (1849) in full green leather with gilt edges. Another copy is a third revised edition (1851) with an inscription by the author bearing the name of his home “The Cedars" in New Jersey. Herbert died by suicide in 1858, and very few copies of his signed works are known to exist.

Dr. Kohrman’s favorite angling location is the north shore of Lake Superior where he has fished for fifty years. The rugged shoreline affords the opportunity to get lost on wilderness streams, hike over rocky terrain, or drift in a boat in rarely placid Lake Superior waters. The Forest (1903), by Michigan author Stewart Edward White, provides an outstanding description of the waters to be found in this area. 

The Robert E. Kohrman Collection of 19th century sporting periodicals is one of the finest in the country, some of which are almost complete sets. The sets of American Field (1874-present) and Forest and Stream (1873-1930) are found in very few American libraries. The collection’s copies of The American Angler (1881-1900) and American Sportsman (1871-1877) are likely the very best quality and most comprehensive of these periodicals found in any library in America.

The collection includes important Michigan periodicals like the first few volumes of the Michigan Sportsman (1914-1923), the only such copies known and which are continued by the Clarke's existing holdings of the same title. This journal is very significant, describing early efforts in Michigan conservation. The collection also comprises the most comprehensive set known of the Transactions of the Michigan Sportsmen's Association (1878-1888), a rare publication of the state's first conservation organization.

Collecting rare books and periodicals

Dr. Kohrman compares collecting rare books to the thrill of the chase or solving a puzzle to find the missing pieces. He enjoys traveling across the country to libraries and bookstores, meeting people, learning history, and discovering delightful authors who wrote these books. He especially enjoys reading books that take one away from present-day problems and transport one into the reveries associated with a stream in a bucolic environment.

A memorable story of how Dr. Kohrman found items for his collection occurred when he bought a very rare periodical volume online. It was in beautiful shape with leather labels on blue cloth and pages in almost unused condition. He has never seen a better copy before or since and appeared to be part of a large set of the same title. He wrote a letter to the seller asking if there were more volumes with the same title but for different years. Several months passed. Finally, the seller replied that when they went back to the source, they found eleven more volumes of the same periodical. He was fortunate, and persistence paid off.

For someone just starting to collect rare books, Dr. Kohrman advises them to collect what they enjoy and learn the subject matter. They should obtain key reference books and learn the vocabulary of the trade. He suggests they explore websites for book sales, learn how to access rare books online, look at books in libraries, and visit used or rare bookstores. He encourages them to meet book dealers and fellow collectors. Finally, it is worthwhile to start small and take the time to read wonderful books.

Some of these materials are available online. However, it is essential that a serious researcher also understands the importance of consulting the original text. An online version is only as good as the original from which it is derived. Particularly with online periodicals, Dr. Kohrman has found that online volumes might have missing or incomplete information, such as missing covers and advertisements, and optical character recognition (OCR) conversion technology is less than perfect in translating original text.

Advice to students

Dr. Kohrman urges CMU students to become familiar with how to access library materials online. Staff in the CMU Libraries can help students learn how to become more efficient in their research and access material from their home computers. 

The Clarke Historical Library’s angling collections offer many opportunities in numerous disciplines. The Clarke holds over one hundred different editions of The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton. This work was first published in 1653 and has been reprinted many times since then. Students in English literature or philosophy might appreciate the many editions of this work.

CMU students interested in the history of conservation would find the angling collection has much to offer. In the late 19th century, there was an increasing interest among the American people in recreation, health, and conservation issues. Periodicals focused on such topics as species extinction and the creation of national parks grew exponentially during this era, many of which can be found in the Kohrman angling collection.

Dr. Kohrman believes it is important for every CMU undergraduate student to conduct a research project prior to graduation. He envisions library research projects in which the Clarke Historical Library would be the "laboratory" for students to access secondary and primary sources. Students required to write an undergraduate thesis might benefit from accessing the angling and other collections in the Clarke.