[NJARC] Happy endings for the David Sarnoff Library

[Alex Magoun]

Because inquiring minds want to know, here's what happened:

 

American Interfile loaded, moved, and unloaded 1,950 boxes of archival
collections to the Hagley Library in Wilmington, Delaware.

 

Bohren's Movers helped pack, loaded, moved, and unloaded 144 boxes, plus the
electron microscope, posters, and display cases, at The College of New
Jersey's old library, next to the room that is being renovated for the
museum.

 

A hearty NJARC crew packed, loaded, moved, and unloaded over 200 boxes of
RCA Broadcast equipment manuals to InfoAge, along with paintings of Marconi
and Sarnoff, the duplicate set of Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of
America schematics that complements InfoAge's holdings, and some others
equipment.

 

The New Jersey State Museum received a Camden-made RCA Victor 630TS for its
collection.

 

The Camden County Historical Society is in the process of receiving three
Camden-made home instruments from the 1930s and 1940s, once its crew picks
them up from InfoAge, where the NJARC crew above moved them.

 

None of this would have been possible without John Tyminski, who came in
last summer to copy some RCA Victor service notes and realized that I needed
a kick in the pants and a lot more help than I was willing to admit.  He not
only scanned to PDF almost the entire RCA Victor Service Data and Service
Notes for 1923-1952, he helped organize the moves, recruited family,
friends, and club members to make the moves happen, and packed and labeled
enough lab notebooks, tubes, and gewgaws to last two or three lifetimes.  I
have the impression that in his spare time he flushed and rebuilt the sewer
and electrical systems at InfoAge's H Block while restoring his own
storm-damaged workshop.  If John doesn't become the mayor of Bordentown's
renaissance, that town is beyond saving.  The man's a keeper, and David
Sarnoff and all of RCA's staff should be smiling warmly wherever they are
for his role in preserving their legacies.

 

Beyond John, Dave Sica began showing up in his unassuming way, first to
photograph as much material as he could wrest from my grasp before it
disappeared into the Hagley's Hall of Records, and then to keep John sane
while doing his own enormous bit of packing, labeling, and cataloging boxes.
"Showing up" is a crude way of recognizing that Dave endured many long hours
on the road to and from Princeton, and the Library owes a huge debt to him
for his many digital, intellectual, and physical contributions.

 

Among others Phil Vourtsis dropped by from Myrtle Beach, Nick Domenico from
way down South Jersey way, Steve Goulart from InfoAge, John Ruccolo, Darren
Hoffman, Bob Masterson, Vin Lobosco put in mass quantities of time,
calories, and thought into this enormous process. 

 

Beyond the NJARC, I want to thank Radwa Ali, Chris Evans, Erica Pierson, and
Maurice Schechter, for their help in cataloging and boxing the corporate lab
notebooks and the artifacts, and for organizing the Library's AV collections
and digitizing much of them.

 

Researchers, history lovers, and students ready to be inspired join me in
thanking all of you for your labors and devotion.  In the months to come
I'll be working with TCNJ to re-stage the Library's exhibits and lay the
groundwork for more educationally ambitious displays, and I look forward to
seeing you all there as well as at coming meetings (except February, when I
return to Shanghai for the lunar new yearJ)

 

Feeling nostalgic?  One of my board members just sent this link of a
30-minute tour for East Brunswick Public TV, way back in ought-seven, before
the Flood: http://www.gardenstatelegacy.com/On_The_History_Trail.html.

 

Best,

 

Alex

 

Alexander B. Magoun, Ph.D.

Executive Director

David Sarnoff Library

39 Humbert Street

Princeton, NJ 08542-3312

 

h 609 497-2423

c 609 240-1320

amagoun at davidsarnoff.org

www.davidsarnoff.org