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Lot 2000
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Victor Talking Machine Co Lost Corporate Archives
Victor Talking Machine Co Lost Corporate Archives
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The first, “Meeting of the Corporators” of the newly formed Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden New Jersey was held on October 5, 1901. In attendance were Leon F. Douglass, Albert C. Middleton, and Charles K. Haddon (the incorporators). The items of business that day, chaired by Douglass, included the adoption of company bylaws, setting the place of business at 114 North Front Street in Camden, New Jersey, appointing Charles K. Haddon the agent of the company, adopting a consistent seal for the company, approving $2,500,000 of Capital Stock and $500,000 of Preferred Stock at $100 per share, and electing directors who included Leon F. Douglass, Albert C. Middleton, Charles K. Haddon, John T. Cross, and C. Roy Bair. The first order of business of the newly formed board was to accept the option of Eldridge R. Johnson (transfer of his patents to Victor Talking Machine Co.) in exchange for 24,990 shares of stock in the company plus $1,000 in cash. The board then elected officers making John T. Cross the first President of the Victor Talking Machine Company. Once details of Johnson’s stock were sorted out, Cross submitted his resignation and Eldridge R. Johnson was nominated and unanimously elected to fill the vacancy as president of the Victor Talking Machine Company. And so began what would, in a few short years, become the largest talking machine company in the world. These 13 legal size typed,” minutes of the first meeting”, are the earliest known documents of the Victor Talking Machine Company. This is the first of the 26 annual and special meetings archive of the Victor Talking Machine Company being offered in this lot. The 1901, 02, and 03 documents have singed edges from the April 24, 1904 fire which destroyed the factory. These early documents were stored in the company safe which saved them from total destruction, but the safe obviously became extremely hot. The October 25, 1904 annual meeting report recognizes the fire. Despite the loss, the company still made a profit that year. This archive was rescued from the trash bin by an employee who was told to clean out the vault after RCA had abandoned the Camden plant. Included are balance sheets for many of the years, hand-signed proxy and ballot forms from the stockholders, and a great 1926 list of every stockholder by name and their addresses. Printed stockholder annual reports are also included for most years. The archives are contained in 20 three ring binders in archival sleeves and have been arranged in order by year. The dates of the annual and special meetings in this archive are as follows: October 05, 1901 – First meeting of the Corporators October 28, 1902 – First Annual Report Oct. 27, 1903 Apr. 14, 1914 Oct. 25, 1904 Apr. 25, 1915 Oct. 31, 1905 Apr. 27, 1917 Oct. 30, 1906 Apr. 26, 1918 Feb 05, 1907 Nov. 05, 1920 Nov. 30, 1909 Apr. 22, 1921 Feb. 16, 1910 Apr. 27, 1922 Feb. 17, 1911 Apr. 29, 1922 Mar. 04, 1911 Oct. 23, 1922 Feb. 16, 1912 Apr. 25, 1924 Apr. 26, 1912 Apr. 24, 1925 Apr. 25, 1913 Apr. 23, 1926 The entire archive is being sold together as one lot.

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Donley Auctions

by Donley Auction Services
June 15, 2023 10:00 AM CDT
8512 S. Union Rd.
Union, IL, US 60180

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $49 $5
$50 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 + $1,000