History in the Raw (The bare facts of history that you don't get to read very often)

   I wrote this piece in 2002 on the behest of a fellow who was doing a book on Diamond Disc Records. The book had very limited sales and was read very little.  Therefore I thought I would pu...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-diamond-discs-director-of-artists.html

There was a massive celebration in New York City to honor the 100th anniversary of Washington's inauguration there on April 30, 1789. This medal was cast as many others were at that time. What i...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2014/03/george-washington-medal-from-new-yorks.html

This book was written from the direct conversation with John Brown in 1857 and in his last days. The book was endorsed by Brown's widow and son. The author James Redpath, was a fiery abolitionis...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2014/03/john-brownwritten-by-james-redpath-in.html

Here are a few examples of Civil War tokens. Mostly made between 1863-64. All of them by private groups. The Civil War Token was based on the size of the one cent piece, which was hard to find a...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2014/03/civil-war-tokens-1863-1864.html

The first one cent coins made in the USA were huge. They contained near a cent's worth of copper. Also based on the Penny which comes from England. The nations early coins tried to look like oth...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2014/03/our-first-one-cent-coins-were-larger.html

This most unusual coin from 1797 was made by the government of Spain in Mexico. Mexico was under the control of Spain and also the Spanish were using the Silver found in the areas around Mexico ...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-most-unusual-spanish-mill-dollar.html

The world has changed a lot in the half century since I was sitting with my mother watching the funeral of JFK. I have said pretty much everything I remember of those days. But one more thing to...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/12/november-25-1963.html

Now just when we have thought we had heard it all, there are new theories on the assassination. There was even a theory out not long ago saying Jackie did it with a pistol. Well, of course I thi...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2011/06/john-f-kennedy-assassination-my-own.html

There is very scant information on this record label. I can say it is very rare and was issued not for a long time.  It's existence is not known by many in the record collecting world. The recor...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-victor-talking-machine-companies.html

Here is a nice example of a 19th century whale oil lamp. It has 3 burners and shades that I guess would have glass or some kind of material on those shades. I have had it a while and of cour...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-whale-oil-lamp-from-19th-century-it.html

Oh how I remember that election. It was fraught with confusion, anger, and the press not sure who was the winner. That election was confused. What had happened that year was horrific from the De...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/09/remembering-election-of-1968one-of.html

I have always been comfortable with an older style of desk. I am not really into plastics or Formica. I enjoy real wood and well made and designed furniture. My desk is an old secretary desk. In...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-have-always-been-blast-from-past-just.html

It is always interesting to see where a series comes from. In the field of recorded sound the first red seal records were called so. The short lived Gramophone Red Seal records recorded in Russi...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/09/victor-talking-machines-first-celebrity.html

I remember the towers so well. I lived with them for nearly 30 years. I had been in them more times than I could ever tell. I worked in them in the late 1980's. But every now and then when guest...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/09/remembering-my-last-trip-to-world-trade.html

The USS Akron was one of the two monster airships built for the United States Navy.  Starting in 1931 with the Akron and followed by the Macon in 1933, which would crash in 1935. The Akron woul...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/09/airship-mail-1932-letter-sent-across.html

The Columbia Phonograph Company had a rather shaky beginning when it came to the flat disc record. First off, they did not have any patents to support the making of disc records when they starte...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/columbia-phonograph-company-record.html

Leonard Garfield Spencer Feb 12,1867- Dec 15, 1914.. Len Spencer as he was known was the son of the inventor of the Spencer method of writing. He grew up in Washington DC. That area in the...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/len-spencer1867-1914-one-of-greatest.html

Between the years 1948 and 1952 there was a massive restoration of the White House. In many ways of thinking it was more a total destruction of the building (save the walls) than a restoratio...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/report-of-commission-on-renovation-of.html

Here is a rather rare and unusual document from February of 1681. It is a document of indenture. Basically becoming a slave for a period of years. This document is long and detailed and I could ...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/indentured-servant-document-from-1681.html

Now many in the record collecting world are quite familiar with the famous and to a degree infamous Marconi Velvet Tone Record. Which was introduced by Columbia in 1907. It was a very well made ...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-very-rare-sleeve-for-marconi-velvet.html

In mid September 1901. The 25th President of the United States died from the effects of an assassins bullet. As soon as the funeral was into swing there were memorial books on the planning board...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-sales-book-for-mckinley.html

In 1910 the German branch of the Gramophone Company made a series of unique recordings at the Aviary of Karl Reich in Bremen. This was a very adventurous jump in the field of acoustic recording....

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-first-commercial-recordings-of.html

August the second is a day in the minds of those who are into opera, invention, and the American Presidency. For on that date in three consecutive years died one from each of these categories. I...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/08/august-2-1921-1922-1923-three-major.html

I have lived long enough now to say that I remember the saying that "computers are the future for man". Of course, that was being said in the late 1950's and 1960's. I never saw a real computer ...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-computers-have-changed-in-my.html

Captain Turner was in charge of the Lusitania in May of 1915. This was his misfortune. Although he was prudent and well admired captain. He was railroaded by the none other than Winston Churc...

http://edisoneffect.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-railroading-of-captain-turner-of.html