Clarence Ferguson

[Victrolacollector]

Clarence Ferguson was a dealer that sold Edison records. I am just wondering more about this man, all that I know is that he was supposedly selling records up until his death. Did he have old N.O.S. diamond stylus etc.? Did he repair machines?

[larryh]

When I was about 18 I had an Edison and if I recall right I had written to RCA Victor to see if they knew anyone who worked on Edisons.. I got his name and mentioned I thought my reproducer needed repair.. I got a letter and envelope with the usual business printing on them about Edison Repairs ect. I sent him the reproducer thinking it would come back playing well. Instead it came back worse and I found he had simply put some string in replacement for the cork gaskets it had when it left. I wasn't very happy with it. I think its possible that he might have been getting senile at that point and really didn't quite know what he was doing, but he still actively promoted his repair business. His records most likely are still being sold. I got some a few times from a party on ebay but I found that they almost all had terrible surface noise for being New.. I read that they were stored near water in some shed's on his property and so it most likely effected the surfaces negatively. He must have been an interesting character to have met when he was in his prime..

Larry

[gramophone78]

If you had done a forum search using his name, you would have found this and other threads regarding him.. . You can also contact the Donley's. They bought all of his remaining stock before he died including machines, parts, ephemera and records. According to them....it was truck loads of stuff.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =3&t=12891

[EarlH]

This is kind of funny as I ran across this letter in an Amberola 30 I bought a long time ago, it was in with the records and somewhere around here I have his response. Anyway, it's kind of interesting. Tom Fretty used to buy stuff Mr. Ferguson when I was a kid. A friend of my Dad's that did work for Tom on band organs and player pianos got all bent out of shape over a wall telephone. I don't remember the details about the phone anymore, but to get Bud settled down, Tom bought a NOS oak horn bell for his Triumph from Clarence. I remember the packing crate thing as it looked like a funnel shaped peach crate of sorts, and the horn was really nice of course. Bud died about 35 years ago now, and Tom died last year. I have no idea where any of Bud's collection is anymore, but that horn was sure nice. Clarence sure must have had a lot of stuff at one time.

[edisonphonoworks]

https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/19825 This is an interview with Mr. Ferguson. Also Tony Wellman did a article on Ferguson "in The Groove" a few years ago, as told by Larry Donley, and a few other collectors. There is a big argument among collectors, as to Mr. Ferguson's age and when he started. Some say he was born in 1907, and he said that he started with the Edison Phonograph in 1907. He died in 1971. I actually figure he was probably born about 1889-1890 and worked with the phonograph in 1907, remember people worked younger those days, lets say he was 17 or 18 years old when he started with the phonographs. He supposedly worked at the West Orange plant, He owned some actual Gold Moulded molds, and Blue Amberol molds and wax masters from The Edison company, you can see them at Wild West Town. Also on display is a few brown wax moulds, if they are original, or ones that Ferguson made, is up to debate. He stated that he worked making cylinders, and knew how to make the master molds. I would have loved to have taken all of those molds out of the case and examined them, further; however I respected all that record making equipment, they may be the only Blue Amberol moulds outside of The Henry Ford, or E.N.H.P. He had a dealership in Chicago and then later lived in Wisconsin There is plenty of letters from the early 1920's for his Chicago address that he was certainly a licensed Edison dealer, and the Edison company in later years sent everyone to him for parts, records or information on the phonographs. I remember when I was little Larry Donley showing me some NOS Blue Amberols, and I saw first hand the NOS Diamond Discs. It took over 18 semi loads to move the items from Ferguson home in Meril Wisconsin. Also helping with this, and not talked about much is Evert Killion, who also had part of the collection. I understand that a few years ago, the NOS collection of Diamond Discs was sold form Wild West Town.

[phonogfp]

There is a big argument among collectors, as to Mr. Ferguson's age and when he started. Some say he was born in 1907, and he said that he started with the Edison Phonograph in 1907. He died in 1971. I actually figure he was probably born about 1889-1890 and worked with the phonograph in 1907, remember people worked younger those days, lets say he was 17 or 18 years old when he started with the phonographs.

According to The Edison Phonograph Company and Related Opinions of Clarence A. Ferguson, self published by Leo Kimmett in 1972, the question was asked:

"Mr. Ferguson, when did you start working for the Edison Company?"

"I started with the Edison Machine in 1907."

"About how old were you then?"

"I was just a young kid then; about fourteen years old."

The interview (26 pages in published form) was conducted in September 1968. According to Mr. Kimmett's booklet, Mr. Ferguson died on November 23, 1971.

George P.

[FloridaClay]

https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/19825 This is an interview with Mr. Ferguson.

Listening makes you yearn for a more astute interviewer who would have delved more deeply into Ferguson's own history and first hand experience, but nonetheless what a treasure.

Clay

[edisonphonoworks]

Fourteen Wow, that is very interesting he would be born around 1893! I know you are all thinking modern, with "child Labor" but I know as a fourteen year old I would have love to work at the Edison Phonograph Works. By the way my Grandmother was Esther Ferguson, but probably not a relation.

[edisonplayer]

My late friend Jerry Donnell bought from Mr.Ferguson years ago.I have a few Edison cylinders that I got from Jerry that came from him.I have several Royal Purple Amberols that I got from Jerry.He got them from Clarence.edisonplayer

[Victrolacollector]

This is kind of funny as I ran across this letter in an Amberola 30 I bought a long time ago, it was in with the records and somewhere around here I have his response. Anyway, it's kind of interesting. Tom Fretty used to buy stuff Mr. Ferguson when I was a kid. A friend of my Dad's that did work for Tom on band organs and player pianos got all bent out of shape over a wall telephone. I don't remember the details about the phone anymore, but to get Bud settled down, Tom bought a NOS oak horn bell for his Triumph from Clarence. I remember the packing crate thing as it looked like a funnel shaped peach crate of sorts, and the horn was really nice of course. Bud died about 35 years ago now, and Tom died last year. I have no idea where any of Bud's collection is anymore, but that horn was sure nice. Clarence sure must have had a lot of stuff at one time.

That letter was written in 1947, so when did Edison finally go out of business? I am wondering where all of the repair parts went? Did Ferguson end up with these parts?