[Phono-L] Dr. Philip Peterson

[bob johnson]

George - Thanks for this very interesting bit of history.  I always enjoy 
hearing about the early guys in our hobby.  Bob Johnson
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <gpaul2000 at aol.com>
To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Dr. Philip Peterson


>
> Jay,
>
> The fact that you invoked the word "infamous" suggests that you know 
> something of the man... It's a tragic story (and I'm unaware of many 
> details that others can supply), but the story is basically this: Dr. 
> Philip Peterson was a professor at Stanford University, and during the 
> late 1960s and 1970s contributed some first-class research to the field of 
> antique phonographs and records. Most of his contributions - at least 
> those of which I'm aware - were published in the Antique Phonograph 
> Collectors Society Newsletter/Journal. This organization and its 
> publication ceased existence around 1977.
>
> I started visiting the Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, New 
> Jersey in 1978. My interest was research, and the staff there at the time 
> were most accommodating. I made advance arrangements, and upon arrival, 
> was shown to the underground vaults. A pile of notebooks had been usually 
> been gathered for me, and I had basically free rein of the place. I 
> remember a moment during my first visit when it occurred to me that the 
> handwriting I was reading in the notebooks looked somewhat familiar. As a 
> staffer passed by, I asked who had made the notations I was reading. The 
> answer was "Oh - that's the 'Old Man.'" I was taken aback. Who was I to be 
> leafing through these historic documents without protective gloves, and 
> without supervision? I spent many hours in the vaults wading through 
> literally mountains of information, rare white wax cylinders,20and 
> experimental records (such as a glass based cylinder). Any documents I 
> wanted copied were cheerfully done for I believe 10 cents each. Each time 
> I left the Site, I shook hands with the staffers and thanked them for 
> their help. And it occurred to me every time I walked out unsearched that 
> security was pretty lax. Unfortunately, it also occurred to Dr. Philip 
> Peterson - - and not-so-coincidentally Dr. Peterson began holding mail 
> auctions of outstanding Edison ephemera - - most of it consisting of rare 
> and early documents...
>
> Around 1985, the Site sent out a mass appeal to collectors. They were 
> missing documents, many of which matched the descriptions offered by Dr. 
> Peterson in his mail auctions. Anyone who knew the whereabouts of these 
> artifacts was encouraged to contact the Site or the FBI. Dr. Peterson was 
> convicted of stealing a multitude of artifacts from the Site, and 
> ultimately served some time in prison. He passed away not long after he 
> was released, but I don't know when that occurred. Meanwhile, some VERY 
> honest collectors returned some of the stolen property to the Site - - and 
> swallowed the substantial loss they incurred. I'm afraid that's the only 
> bright spot in the whole sad story. Many of the documents were never 
> recovered, and Dr. Peterson was found to have destroyed a number of 
> documents by cutting Edison's signature from them and selling only the 
> signature - - an untraceable crime.
>
> So, a man who could have been remembered
> today as the excellent researcher he was, and a contributor to our hobby, 
> instead stole from the Site, cheated collectors by selling them stolen 
> property, and permanently erased a portion of Edison history through the 
> destruction of documents in an unsuccessful effort to cover his tracks. 
> Tragedy upon tragedy.
>
> Needless to say, security at the Site has dramatically improved.
>
> George Paul
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jay Horenstein <jay.horenstein at gmail.com>
> To: phono-l at oldcrank.org
> Sent: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 4:53 pm
> Subject: [Phono-L] Dr. Philip Peterson
>
>
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> I don’t mean to stir up any trouble, but I’m curious as to who this 
> infamous
> Dr. Philip Peterson is?
>
>
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