DONATED: 1890's National Press clipping collections

[MicaMonster]

DONATED TO THE EDISON PAPERS PROJECT @ RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

For your consideration is my entire collection of newspaper clippings by National Press Intelligence. They were a newspaper clipping service that scanned newspapers for articles that their subscribers requested. I have an entire file on Thomas Edison, the majority of the newspaper clippings from the year 1890. Any article discussing Edison was clipped, and attached to a National Press Intelligence card, with date and newspaper name (for the most part!). There are some from 1908/1909/1920's, but very few. One sub folder is all from a Paris, France clipping service: Le Courrier de La Presse, circa 1890. Included in that file are articles in French, German, Spanish, and other European languages.

This collection is invaluable, and requires someone to act as curator to preserve the clippings. The majority are folded, and the paper incredibly brittle and fragile. The articles are absolutely wonderful, with many insights that you will never find in textbooks. I had considered binding them in laminated pages, but I do not know if that is the wisest thing to do, without consulting a paper conservator. I will not separate the collection. I must emphasize the need for these to be preserved. This need is beyond my situation and time limitations. I am accepting offers, but what is more important is that these find a person that will PRESERVE them. I am currently unconvinced that any museum organization (the majority of them being under-funded) would do these justice. The phonograph collecting community itself is full of people that take the preservation of Edison history to heart, and do so because they feel that it is their duty, otherwise history is lost. Privately held collections at times receive better care than institutionalized ones. This is my hope. Please contact me via private message or email to discuss.

Here is a list of each folder, and its contents. There are hundreds of articles in the collection, each organized in envelopes:

-LE COURIER DE LA PRESSE, Paris, all articles dated 1890.
-EDISON DOLL
-PHONOGRAPHS 1890, 1905, 1908
-GENERAL EDISON CLIPPINGS / PHONOGRAPH 1920'S
-FILE ON USE OF PHONOGRAPH BY PREACHER IN LYNN, MA IN 1900
-EDISON AND ELECTRIC 1890
-ARTICLE ON EASTERN TALKING MACHINE COMPANY BOSTON
-IRON ORE SEPERATION "EDISON'S LAST SCHEME" 1890
-EDISON COMMENTS ON THE ELECTRIC CHAIR: KEMMLER'S EXECUTION
-ELECTRIC LIGHTING
-ELECTRIC ADVERTISING
-TELEVISION- EDISON'S "FAR SIGHT" MACHINE, 1890
-50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ATLANTIC CABLE AND 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF WIRING MANHATTAN
-PHONOGRAPHS
-GENERAL ARTICLES, EDISON SPEAKS, SEEING THROUGH TELEPHONE, ETC
-ELECTRIC, ELECTRIC LIGHT 1890
-EDISON COMPANY IN CONTEMPT, ACTOR USES PHONOGRAPH TO REHEARSE, ETC
-PHONOGRAPHS
-PHONOGRAPHS SENT TO SPECIAL PEOPLE (MIKADO, ETC)
-PHONOGRAPH AND OTHER INVENTIONS (MAN CAN SIGN A CHECK FROM 100 MILES AWAY!)
-MORE GREAT CLIPPINGS, ONE FROM 1908: "EDISON STOLE MY PHONOGRAPH IDEA-SAYS FRENCHMAN" Erratic foreigner is ordered to leave West Orange by the Chief of Police.
-INCOMPLETE CLIPPINGS

Everything from artists complaints, patent infringement, public opinion, and lots of good old 1890's journalism. Collection fits in a shoebox. Will provide you with days and days of researching enjoyment. It was once suggested to me that these be scanned on a computer, and organized into categories to be openly available to anyone on the internet to view and enjoy. I just don't have the time to do this.

[rgordon939]

Email sent.

Rich Gordon

[MicaMonster]

DONATED TO THE EDISON PAPERS PROJECT AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY!

[alang]

Well done. I hope they will be made available online for research.

Andreas

[need4art]

Cannot think of too many other better homes.
Abe

[Lucius1958]

Well done. I hope they will be made available online for research.

Andreas

Ditto!

[MicaMonster]

Paul Israel at the 'Project said that they would be scanned, and then donated to the Edison Historic Site for safe keeping. So I suspect they will make a debut on the web.

[alang]

Paul Israel at the 'Project said that they would be scanned, and then donated to the Edison Historic Site for safe keeping. So I suspect they will make a debut on the web.

Awesome!

[Cody K]

Congratulations on finding a very suitable home for what sounds to be an important and unique collection. How terrific that these articles will be archivally preserved and available to interested researchers of the period!

A year or two ago I came across an irreplaceable scrapbook of newspaper articles regarding the early years of sound films. I was very pleased to have it accepted to the archives of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and more than happy to donate it. The intrinsic historical value of such collections as tools for understanding the heritage of the 20th century can make their monetary value, though considerable, seem insignificant.