Frederick Anstiss

1864 - 1936

Frederick William Anstiss (1864 - 1936) was born in Chelsea, the son of a London police constable. The 1891 census reveals Anstiss living with his widowed mother, his profession a boot closer (a process in the shoe industry where the upper of a boot is sewn to the sole. He was a member of the Gresham Angling Society and the Junior Flyfishers' during the early 1890's, as was a well-established fish taxidermist, Edgar Hesse. It seems highly likely that Anstiss was trained by Hesse, or at least was greatly influenced by him. These men would have met regularly at angling society gatherings and no doubt Anstiss would have been impressed by Hesse's fish taxidermy; there are similarities in fish cases produced by the two men. The method used to form hanging rings on cases by Anstiss and Hesse was unique, differing from that used by other taxidermists. The hangers were not formed into circles as were those produced by almost all other fish taxidermists, but instead were made into a U-shape and hidden within the backboard. However, Anstiss appears to have been influenced in his case decoration by Cooper, using fans of reeds, and his groundwork is almost identical to that used by Cooper in the 1870s, using red sand and crushed oyster shell. The colouring of the reeds and grasses used by Anstiss is curious, being a blueish green at times. Anstiss also painted the vent of his fish red, just as Cooper did.
The first reference to Anstiss ... show more

Frederick William Anstiss (1864 - 1936) was born in Chelsea, the son of a London police constable. The 1891 census reveals Anstiss living with his widowed mother, his profession a boot closer (a process in the shoe industry where the upper of a boot is sewn to the sole. He was a member of the Gresham Angling Society and the Junior Flyfishers' during the early 1890's, as was a well-established fish taxidermist, Edgar Hesse. It seems highly likely that Anstiss was trained by Hesse, or at least was greatly influenced by him. These men would have met regularly at angling society gatherings and no doubt Anstiss would have been impressed by Hesse's fish taxidermy; there are similarities in fish cases produced by the two men. The method used to form hanging rings on cases by Anstiss and Hesse was unique, differing from that used by other taxidermists. The hangers were not formed into circles as were those produced by almost all other fish taxidermists, but instead were made into a U-shape and hidden within the backboard. However, Anstiss appears to have been influenced in his case decoration by Cooper, using fans of reeds, and his groundwork is almost identical to that used by Cooper in the 1870s, using red sand and crushed oyster shell. The colouring of the reeds and grasses used by Anstiss is curious, being a blueish green at times. Anstiss also painted the vent of his fish red, just as Cooper did.
The first reference to Anstiss

being a fish taxidermist appeared in 'The Fishing Gazette' in January 1893, unfortunately for Anstiss ths was for all the wrong reasons. FW Anstiss had taken a stand at the 1892 Fisheries Exhibition held at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster, but nine months later 'The Fishing Gazette' reported he had failed to pay the £3.3s.8d rent for his stand.
When Anstiss advertised in 'The Fishing Gazette' for the first time in January 1894, it was in direct competition with his mentor, Edgar Hesse, who was advertising in the 'Gazette' at the same time. By 1895 Anstiss was advertising that he was a taxidermist, specialising in fish mounts, a fishing rod maker, and supplier of fishing tackle. This was quite a progression in just four years, from being employed in boot-making to having his own taxidermy business and fishing tackle shop, working from 35 First Street, Walton Street, Chelsea.
In April 1896, Anstiss moved to larger premises at 23 First Street, Chelsea, where he expanded his business still further. The 1901 census gives Anstiss's occupation as a taxidermist, specifically a fish taxidermist. Most other taxidermists would take in birds and animals to be mounted, but Anstiss didn't.
It was around this time that Anstiss paid particular attention to the eyes used in his fish mounts. Edgar Hesse had designed and manufactured an artificial eye that was a serious attempt to imitate life. Fish mounts by Anstiss in the 1890s are fitted with eyes very similar to those manufactured by Hesse. The eyes Anstiss used in the early twentieth century are unique in so far as that no other taxidermist used anything like them. All other taxidermists, apart from Hesse, used glass eyes with a round pupil, but Anstiss, like Hesse, used an eye with an oval pupil in all his fish mounts. These eyes do not appear to have been commercially available, so it is possible that Anstiss manufactured his own, or at least adapted those available from dealers.
From 1903 until 1914 Anstiss continued to produce his highly distinctive cases of fish. Anstiss was the first English fish taxidermist to pay special attention to the painting of his fish mounts, in particular outlining each scale, and his treatment of the fins had a subtlety that had not been seen previously and has rarely been seen since. Hardy Brothers attempted to improve the painting of their fish, it was not until 1933, when W.B. Griggs took over Coopers, that there was the same attention paid to the painting of fish mounts.
Frederick William Anstiss died on 16th February, 1936, at his home, Crown Villas, Beckington, Nr. Bath, Somerset, aged 71 years.
Adapted from Barry Williams book, The Domesday Book of English Fish Taxidermists.