[NJARC] Happy endings for the David Sarnoff Library

Thu Jan 14 21:45:02 EST 2010

Thanks Alex for the excellent status report and that link from 2007.  I had not seen that before and was riveted to the screen viewing all 30 minutes or so of it.

I have a question regarding the Morse telegraph key you show the interviewer.  That same model key, in fact, what appears to be an identical model appeared in the Smithsonian MAH for years before they "remodeled" the place recently and turned it into a church school show and tell exibit.     I have a good photo of it around here somewhere, but I am certain that key at MAH in DC was marked as THE VERY KEY used by Sarnoff at his post at Wanamakers in NY.   A year or so ago someone had a high quality reproduction of it on Ebay and I don't know whatever happened it to it however.   But it was clearer a newly made, fine repro.  The one in this video at the Library appears to be an original item.

Do you have any idea of why there may be two of those, or perhaps, did Smithsonian borrow this key for a time and returned it to the Library?  The last time I saw it in DC was about 10 years ago, maybe 15!

Also, is that item going to TCNJ?

Thanks again -- Pete W2PM

-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Magoun <amagoun at davidsarnoff.org>
To: NJARC <njarc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thu, Jan 14, 2010 3:18 pm
Subject: [NJARC] Happy endings for the David Sarnoff Library

Just remember 
eply = Poster
eply All = Everyone
_________________________________________________________
ecause inquiring minds want to know, here's what happened:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beyond John, Dave Sica began showing up in his unassuming way, first to
hotograph as much material as he could wrest from my grasp before it
isappeared into the Hagley's Hall of Records, and then to keep John sane
hile 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
n the road to and from Princeton, and the Library owes a huge debt to him
or his many digital, intellectual, and physical contributions.

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

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

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

Feeling nostalgic?  One of my board members just sent this link of a
0-minute tour for East Brunswick Public TV, way back in ought-seven, before
he 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

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