William J. Cassard (1851-1926) of New York City was elected to The Lambs on December 17, 1888. In 1893 he was president of the New York Camera Club. He was also a member of the Linnaean Society of New York in 1894.
William J. Cassard was an expert hunter, angler and photographer from New York City. He was on the executive board of the St. Lawrence Angler’s Association, and held other important positions in various photography clubs. Above all he was a collector, and an organized one at that. Mary Orvis Marbury writes about his collections:
“Mr. Cassard is the happy owner of undoubtedly the finest collection in the United States of everything in the shape of modern fishing implements. All are arranged and kept with the most perfect system. A beautiful chest or long box of cedar, lined with softest plush, holds his fly-books. Each book is filled with flies, and has a memorandum of contents, so that a glance tells one where to find anything wanted. These books contain flies of every description, for Mr. Cassard aims to make his collection as complete as possible, and no one is better informed than he regarding the endless varieties. His snuggery is a fascinating place to any one loving hunting or fishing. One corner is devoted to pictures of flies and fish, and shelves filled with angling-books; another is occupied by rods of every description ; a third to a case of reels; the fourth to guns; a side of the room to a cabinet holding photographs of the many happy hunting and fishing grounds, for Mr. Cassard is an expert photographer as well as angler. His exquisite taste and intelligence regarding all these possessions make the hours fly by like moments, when in the midst of his treasures.”