Is this somebody famous?

[Phil Arnott]

Another picture here -



My picture is from a photographic plate which was used mainly 1880-1920. The guy in my picture has slightly more fat around his face otherwise very similar.

[Rod Fisher]

R. B. Marston and the Amateur Angler.

How did you estimate the heights?

By looking at them.

And are you one of those people who estimate the weight of fish in the same way?

I'm not sure what point you're making Phil.

I asked ChatGPT and this was its response:

[Phil Arnott]

The point is there's nothing to compare heights with as when judging the weight or size of fish, you have to weight them every so often or put them against an object of known size.

I was asked to give an independent opinion about a record claim by the BRFC using a photograph. I used the thickness of the guys finger to make an estimate which agreed with theirs.

There's nothing in the photo with which to make a reasonable comparison. Feature differences in the face would be more valid but they change with age to some extent as can be seen in the various photographs. An A.i. comparison of the faces would possibly give a better judgment.

By coincidence I just received this book on Saturday I was surprised to see the inscription at the top -

[Rod Fisher]

There's nothing in the photo with which to make a reasonable comparison. Feature differences in the face would be more valid but they change with age to some extent as can be seen in the various photographs. An A.i. comparison of the faces would possibly give a better judgment.

In every photograph of Marston (young or old) his soup strainer appears fuller/longer than that of the gentleman in your photo. We can also look outside the figure for context clues to support the hypothesis: is he doing an activity that one would expect to find Marston doing, using equipment Marston would have used, at a location one would reasonably expect to find Marston? In each case I would argue he isn't. Marston would be far more likely to be found fishing for trout, salmon, or pike. He had access to some of the finest fly fishing in the country. I don't think he'd be often found taking skimmer bream on the float on a lake. Fly fishing and spinning were much more acceptable pastimes for an angler of his class in the stratified environment of the Victorian and Edwardian era.

By coincidence I just received this book on Saturday I was surprised to see the inscription at the top -

Very nice.

[Phil Arnott]

He was president of the "Thames Angling Preservation Society" and went pike fishing with Alfred Jardine.

https://www.anglingheritage.org/p-27165 ... ciety.aspx

[AshbyCut]

My post from 18th October 2013 ...

viewtopic.php?p=136071&hilit=Bazeley#p136071

[Phil Arnott]

My post from 18th October 2013 ...

viewtopic.php?p=136071&hilit=Bazeley#p136071

JIm Bazley is a great angling hero of mine and I've collected all his publications, two of which are very rare. I was also fortunate to acquire a postcard he sent to a friend. I did see a cased dace of his for sale some time ago but the asking price of £2200 was more than I was prepared to pay.

[NiceRoach]

J.R. Hartley?

[Breadhead]

It's JHR Bazley, he wrote a book in 1932 with NL Weatherall called Coarse Fishing.

[Phil Arnott]

The book in the centre of the picture is the "The Art of Coarse Fishing" which came out in 1932 Bazley was the sole author, he died in 1935. The Weatherall version of the book came out in 1942/3.

Tho books in the picture are -

The Great Northern Railway Guide 1909 1st
Coarse Fishing in North East England “Twixt Humber and Tweed” 1913
Fishing Stunts (1919)
How to Fish (1st edition 1929)
Fine and Far Off (1932)
The Art of Coarse Fishing (1932)
Fun With a Fishing Rod (1933) Hard and soft backs
Where to fish in Yorkshire (1934)