After lunch the group attending the first-ever Tom Swift convention traveled to the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum. This was greatly expanded since the time when I first saw it in 1990, possibly in another location.
A most Tom Swift fans know, the career of Glenn Hammond Curtiss has parallels to the fictional career of Tom Swift. Curtiss was a motorcycle racing and aviation pioneer who did many of his experiments in Hammondsport, New York, or on the adjacent Keuka Lake. Hence, this town and lake are thought to be the inspiration for Shopton and Lake Carlopa.
The Curtiss-Tom Swift connection was first written up in detail by Dr. John T. Dizer, Jr. and published as "Shopton: Home of the Swifts" in Dime Novel Round-Up #449 (Feb 1970). It was reprinted in a "Leo Edwards" fan magazine called the Tutter Bugle (Oct 1973) and in his book Tom Swift & Company (McFarland, 1982).
In the article Jack Dizer looked at all of the location references in the Tom Swift and Tom Swift Jr. series and trying to fix the location of Shopton and Lake Carlopa based on these descriptions. He included references to distances to major cities and even consulted some old railroad timetables.
The Curtiss Aviation Museum has examples of the motorcycles and aircraft that were either the versions he worked on or were similar vintage examples or recreations. When looking at some of these motorcycles and motorized bicycles it is easy to imagine one that would be similar to the machine that Tom purchased from his eccentric friend, Mr. Wakefield Damon.
There was even a store window mock up with a motorcycle in the window which resembles a photo of a 1915-vintage bookstore window with a motorcycle surrounded by Tom Swift and other Grosset & Dunlap series books. I don't know if the museum folks knew of the rare vintage photo that was published in an internal trade magazine called Grosset & Dunlap's Business Promoter but it was at least a happy coincidence. Of course the museum display did not have piles of vintage books. There was one Tom Swift book in another display.
Curtiss was contacted by people who wanted light weight yet powerful gasoline engines for use in lighter-than-air dirigibles and heavier-than-air airplanes. Although the museum could not hold a dirigible, they had one display of the portion of the gondola with a Curtiss-type engine.
Curtiss joined an aviation experimental group headed by Alexander Graham Bell. With them Curtiss built a few biplanes which forged new methods for aerial control that did not use the Wright Brothers' patented wing warping system. Most aircraft today uses a variation of Curtiss' method rather than that of the Orville and Wilbur Wright.
He took one of these planes to an air show in Rheems, France, which resembles the air show that is described in Tom Swift and His Sky Racer (Grosset & Dunlap, 1911).
Curtiss also experimented with aircraft which could land on and take off from the surface of a lake. These became some of the first seaplanes. Much later there was Tom Swift and His Flying Boat (Grosset & Dunlap, 1923).
One of the more interesting Tom Swift inventions was his House on Wheels (1929). Today we would consider this to be a motor home or recreational vehicle. There were some examples of custom vehicles like this which could have served as an inspiration to the story. Curtiss had an "Aerocar" which was a streamlined trailer with all of the comforts of home. One of these was on display in the museum.
We were given a chance to view the restoration workshop during our tour. We had a dinner catered in the museum. Afterward we had our keynote presentation by Jack Dizer called "How Tom Swift Invented Everything" which reprised a talk he first gave to a science group several years ago. This was accompanied by several dozen interesting slides.
After his presentation, Jack was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize his five decades of research and writing about series books like Tom Swift. The plaque was laser engraved on wood and represented both the natural materials that Tom Sr. would have used on some of his early inventions as well as a CO2 laser that Tom Jr. could have invented.
The next morning the group reassembled at the museum again to see my presentation called "Tom Swift on the Silver Screen" which recounted details about the history of attempts to put Tom Swift on film or television. The earliest of these goes back to 1914. The most extensive project was in the 1960s when Twentieth Century Fox was trying to make a film based on the first series. I gave a brief version of this topic about 10 years ago at the Popular Culture Association conference. However, so much new material has been uncovered over the years that it was time to revisit it.
After the presentation, attendees were given a wooden keychain fob to commemorate the convention which was laser engraved in the same manner as Jack's plaque.
Since it was Sunday, several people wanted to get on the road so we each went our separate ways. Kim and I drove around Hammondsport to take in the antique stores and otherwise enjoy the area. That evening we went to Avoca, NY, to spend the night at the Caboose Motel before we started to head back to Newark, NJ.
George Dombi and Stephen Disney did a great job organizing this Tom Swift convention on a short timeline. The people who attended all had a good time and I'm sure everyone learned something.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Hammondsport Convention -- part 1
The first-ever Tom Swift convention was held in Hammondsport, New York, this past July. The three-day event was organized by George Dombi and Stephen Disney and was considered a success by all who attended.
It began with the group meeting at the Microtel in Bath, NY. After checking in, we went as a group to a nearby diner and became acquainted since many had not met in person before. After dinner we went back to the Microtel for the first convention activities.
George rented a suite and this was used for some presentations on Friday evening. Bill Gowen of Chicago spoke about how his collecting of Tom Swift began and some of the people he met along the way and how things are different today, both in terms of what can be found and prices, of course.
He described taking out ads in antique magazines to buy virtually any Tom Swift that came to hand. He also drove many miles to visit bookstores, book barns, and individuals' homes to find books. Early on it was very difficult to find Tom Swift Sr. books in jacket and few people had built sets before Yellowback Library became a major exchange medium.
Jim Towey from Connecticut showed examples of his efforts to reprint scarce series books and dust jackets. He described how he selected titles to publish, obtained rights, and some of the difficulties in getting them published in small quantities in an acceptable format. He showed the variety of bindings he has tried over the years, noting which ones were more successful than others.
On Saturday morning we had something of a show-and-tell session from the collectors who brought something interesting from home. Neil Morrison brought some scarce items, including the radio audition recording which contained two episodes of a Tom Swift radio show. Only episodes one and seven were recorded on a trial basis and placed on this disc. Neil told something of the story about how he was told about the item and obtained it. Aside from a similar disc that the Stratemeyer Syndicate had that is now at NYPL, this is the only known copy of a Tom Swift record. The scripts for these two episodes, along with summaries of the other installments are part of the Stratemeyer Syndicate Records Collection at NYPL.
Since most of us were traveling by plane, we could not bring anything especially large to show. We brought another apparently unique item. Neil and I each have pairs of "Tom Swift"-brand children's shoes. They are of a different design so there may be several types which were produced but few survive. It seems as if there should be others out there but thus far these two pair are the only ones of which I am aware.
However, instead of bringing our pair (I thought Neil might bring his), I decided to bring a related find which probably is unique in terms of extant copies -- a Tom Swift Shoes-branded Brannock device for measuring children's feet. It has a red and silver metal plate riveted to it with the Tom Swift Shoes logo.
Although Tom Swift Shoes appeared on the market in 1954 and for several years afterward, they do not seem to be connected with either series of books based on the shoe ads found in newspapers from the time.
After our show-and-tell we ate lunch at a restaurant called Chat-a-Whyle in the downtown area. Since it is near Hammondsport and Keuka Lake (Shopton and Lake Carlopa for Tom Swift fans), there were several images on the walls and etched in the glass to commemorate some of his achievements on land, water, and in the air. It proved to be a very appropriate place for us to meet and eat.
We all enjoyed our meal and several of us wore Tom Swift shirts which Neil has offered from time to time over the years.
Our next stop for the day was the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum for a tour and our keynote presentation.
To be continued ....
It began with the group meeting at the Microtel in Bath, NY. After checking in, we went as a group to a nearby diner and became acquainted since many had not met in person before. After dinner we went back to the Microtel for the first convention activities.George rented a suite and this was used for some presentations on Friday evening. Bill Gowen of Chicago spoke about how his collecting of Tom Swift began and some of the people he met along the way and how things are different today, both in terms of what can be found and prices, of course.
He described taking out ads in antique magazines to buy virtually any Tom Swift that came to hand. He also drove many miles to visit bookstores, book barns, and individuals' homes to find books. Early on it was very difficult to find Tom Swift Sr. books in jacket and few people had built sets before Yellowback Library became a major exchange medium.Jim Towey from Connecticut showed examples of his efforts to reprint scarce series books and dust jackets. He described how he selected titles to publish, obtained rights, and some of the difficulties in getting them published in small quantities in an acceptable format. He showed the variety of bindings he has tried over the years, noting which ones were more successful than others.On Saturday morning we had something of a show-and-tell session from the collectors who brought something interesting from home. Neil Morrison brought some scarce items, including the radio audition recording which contained two episodes of a Tom Swift radio show. Only episodes one and seven were recorded on a trial basis and placed on this disc. Neil told something of the story about how he was told about the item and obtained it. Aside from a similar disc that the Stratemeyer Syndicate had that is now at NYPL, this is the only known copy of a Tom Swift record. The scripts for these two episodes, along with summaries of the other installments are part of the Stratemeyer Syndicate Records Collection at NYPL.Since most of us were traveling by plane, we could not bring anything especially large to show. We brought another apparently unique item. Neil and I each have pairs of "Tom Swift"-brand children's shoes. They are of a different design so there may be several types which were produced but few survive. It seems as if there should be others out there but thus far these two pair are the only ones of which I am aware. However, instead of bringing our pair (I thought Neil might bring his), I decided to bring a related find which probably is unique in terms of extant copies -- a Tom Swift Shoes-branded Brannock device for measuring children's feet. It has a red and silver metal plate riveted to it with the Tom Swift Shoes logo. Although Tom Swift Shoes appeared on the market in 1954 and for several years afterward, they do not seem to be connected with either series of books based on the shoe ads found in newspapers from the time.After our show-and-tell we ate lunch at a restaurant called Chat-a-Whyle in the downtown area. Since it is near Hammondsport and Keuka Lake (Shopton and Lake Carlopa for Tom Swift fans), there were several images on the walls and etched in the glass to commemorate some of his achievements on land, water, and in the air. It proved to be a very appropriate place for us to meet and eat.
We all enjoyed our meal and several of us wore Tom Swift shirts which Neil has offered from time to time over the years.
Our next stop for the day was the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum for a tour and our keynote presentation.
To be continued ....
Image Galleries for the 2009 Tom Swift Convention in Hammondsport, NY, may be seen at these links:
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tom Swift Convention #1
When Earl Swift wrote an article about Tom Swift for American Heritage of Invention and Technology called "The Perfect Inventor," there were two tiny errors. One caption identified the Whitman Better Little Books as "dime novels" and the other was the statement that collectors "line their bookshelves with Tom Swifts and exchange volumes and trivia at occasional Tom Swift conventions." However, to that point and even to today there has not been a convention devoted to Tom Swift.
There have been other series book conferences and conventions, of course. Nancy Drew has had several major conferences. The La Crosse, WI, and Corning, NY, series book conventions were legendary for the guests which included several series book authors. The 1994 Series Book Collectors in Earthquake Land in Los Angeles, CA was another good one. Smaller regional gatherings of collectors have also been held.
The Society of Phantom Friends holds annual gatherings for enthusiasts of all girls' series books. The Horatio Alger Society also has annual conventions, usually in May.
The Popular Culture Association has an annual conference, usually in the Wednesday through Saturday before Easter. The Mar 31-Apr 3, 2010 conference will be held in St. Louis. I have been participating in that conference annually since 1992 and presented papers each year except for 1993 and 1994.
But no Tom Swift convention. Realizing that 2010 would be the 100th anniversary, I mentioned my intent to host a Tom Swift 100th Anniversary convention in my home town of San Diego, CA, to a Tom Swift Yahoo Group (Tom-Swift).
The idea was welcomed and some were enthusiastic enough that they said "why wait?" and begun plans for a smaller convention in Hammondsport, NY, from Friday July 24 through Sunday July 26.
Why Hammondsport? That was the home town for Glenn Hammond Curtiss, the motorcycle and aviation pioneer who is considered by many to be an inspiration for Tom Swift. Many of the things he did are similar to those described in the early stories. He did many of his experiments in Hammondsport on Keuka Lake. These are therefore models for Shopton, NY, and Lake Carlopa of the stories.
At least part of the event will be held at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport.
We expect a small gathering at this year's event, perhaps a dozen of the most enthusiastic Tom Swift fans. If someone reading this wants to attend, there should still be some room.
In the coming week before the convention, I'll write a bit more about it and of course I will have some photos and summaries of the convention afterward.
There have been other series book conferences and conventions, of course. Nancy Drew has had several major conferences. The La Crosse, WI, and Corning, NY, series book conventions were legendary for the guests which included several series book authors. The 1994 Series Book Collectors in Earthquake Land in Los Angeles, CA was another good one. Smaller regional gatherings of collectors have also been held.
The Society of Phantom Friends holds annual gatherings for enthusiasts of all girls' series books. The Horatio Alger Society also has annual conventions, usually in May.
The Popular Culture Association has an annual conference, usually in the Wednesday through Saturday before Easter. The Mar 31-Apr 3, 2010 conference will be held in St. Louis. I have been participating in that conference annually since 1992 and presented papers each year except for 1993 and 1994.
But no Tom Swift convention. Realizing that 2010 would be the 100th anniversary, I mentioned my intent to host a Tom Swift 100th Anniversary convention in my home town of San Diego, CA, to a Tom Swift Yahoo Group (Tom-Swift).
The idea was welcomed and some were enthusiastic enough that they said "why wait?" and begun plans for a smaller convention in Hammondsport, NY, from Friday July 24 through Sunday July 26.
Why Hammondsport? That was the home town for Glenn Hammond Curtiss, the motorcycle and aviation pioneer who is considered by many to be an inspiration for Tom Swift. Many of the things he did are similar to those described in the early stories. He did many of his experiments in Hammondsport on Keuka Lake. These are therefore models for Shopton, NY, and Lake Carlopa of the stories.
At least part of the event will be held at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport.
We expect a small gathering at this year's event, perhaps a dozen of the most enthusiastic Tom Swift fans. If someone reading this wants to attend, there should still be some room.
In the coming week before the convention, I'll write a bit more about it and of course I will have some photos and summaries of the convention afterward.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tom Swift series begins
The Tom Swift series is a group of juvenile adventure stories by "Victor Appleton" which featured a young inventor. Many of the inventions described were vehicles, both in a literal and literary context, to take Tom and his friends to distant lands in search of adventure.
The series began in 1910 with five volumes:
1. Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle
2. Tom Swift and His Motor Boat
3. Tom Swift and His Airship
4. Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat
5. Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
In the first adventure Tom buys a second-hand motorcycle from his eccentric new friend, Mr. Wakefield Damon. Mr. Damon has a verbal tick of "blessing" just about every part of his anatomy or objects around him when he is excited. In some of the books Mr. Damon is said to live in Waterfield, NY, while others use Waterford, NY.
Tom improves the motorcycle slightly and has an adventure related to patent thieves who have stolen a model of one of his father's, Barton Swift's, inventions.
In Motor Boat, Tom wins a boat in an auction and has adventures on Lake Carlopa. Here, too, he does not invent the boat but simply makes a few improvements.
In the third volume, a man who was saved from a burning balloon at the end of the second book, Mr. John Sharp, revealed that he had plans to build an airship of a novel design. This used characteristics of a dirigible as well as an aeroplane. Tom and Mr. Sharp build the airship and name it the Red Cloud after the color of the aluminum gas envelope. They go on a long trip down the Atlantic coast and are pursued because the local Shopton bank has been robbed and their novel departure seems suspicious.
Although the submarine boat is called Tom's in the title, it was actually the invention of his father Barton. The boat uses a unique propulsion system with charged electrical plates.
Tom's first real invention appears in Electric Runabout. The main invention here is an alkaline-based battery-motor system with gears. He seems to build the car but it is not the primary emphasis of the story. Incidentally, 1910 is also the year when Edward Stratemeyer got his own first automobile, a 1910 Cadillac touring car, and wrote his Automobile Boys of Lakeport.
The series began in 1910 with five volumes:
1. Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle
2. Tom Swift and His Motor Boat
3. Tom Swift and His Airship
4. Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat
5. Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
In the first adventure Tom buys a second-hand motorcycle from his eccentric new friend, Mr. Wakefield Damon. Mr. Damon has a verbal tick of "blessing" just about every part of his anatomy or objects around him when he is excited. In some of the books Mr. Damon is said to live in Waterfield, NY, while others use Waterford, NY.
Tom improves the motorcycle slightly and has an adventure related to patent thieves who have stolen a model of one of his father's, Barton Swift's, inventions.
In Motor Boat, Tom wins a boat in an auction and has adventures on Lake Carlopa. Here, too, he does not invent the boat but simply makes a few improvements.
In the third volume, a man who was saved from a burning balloon at the end of the second book, Mr. John Sharp, revealed that he had plans to build an airship of a novel design. This used characteristics of a dirigible as well as an aeroplane. Tom and Mr. Sharp build the airship and name it the Red Cloud after the color of the aluminum gas envelope. They go on a long trip down the Atlantic coast and are pursued because the local Shopton bank has been robbed and their novel departure seems suspicious.Although the submarine boat is called Tom's in the title, it was actually the invention of his father Barton. The boat uses a unique propulsion system with charged electrical plates.
Tom's first real invention appears in Electric Runabout. The main invention here is an alkaline-based battery-motor system with gears. He seems to build the car but it is not the primary emphasis of the story. Incidentally, 1910 is also the year when Edward Stratemeyer got his own first automobile, a 1910 Cadillac touring car, and wrote his Automobile Boys of Lakeport.
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