Thought it'd be interesting to post any strange or unusual collections anyone might find, of Ray Bradbury's works or materials. Or like this one...just some old interesting things you'd probably find in the" Ray Bradbury Library" ...(ishould there ever be one built)....

Here's one...

Click on, or type into finder: http://library.tamu.edu/cushing/collectn/lit/science/sci-fi/manuscript/RayBradbury.html

That is one amazing list, when, or where is this collection located. It sounds amazing.

uncle:

I recon anyone can view the materials, if they are in the area, and obtain the proper library-use pass.

Click on the following for location and links: http://lib-adv4.tamu.edu/cushing/cushing/contact.htm

Thank you Nard, with that info I will check into Interlibrary Loan. They may have a planetary scanner with the ariel software.
Ariel is a wonderful program for transmiting scanned articles or chapters of educational material from University to University through ILL over the net. Its one of the quickest ways to gather data. I appreciate the reference.

There is a big Bradbury collection at a University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The largest collection anywhere outside of Ray's own is Donn Albright's private collection. According to the new "Illustrated Life," Donn is maintaining an archives. Uncle, that's cool about Ariel. Maybe you can offer information for a problem I'm having. Recently I was able to obtain an extremely rare book real cheap. From what I know it was printed twice in England in the 1880s, as far as I know never in America--at least, it doesn't appear in the online catalog of the Library of Congress and I don't want to ask them to look in whatever portion of their old catalog is not online as they'll charge an arm, a leg, and my firstborn child. (Any of you live in the D. C. area?) If it was ever reprinted it was NOT listed under subject in the Cumulative Book Index, as I've checked under that subject in every edition going back to the beginning which I think was in 1899. I have confirmed there are NO other copies currently for sale anywhere online, nor have I ever seen it turn up before. The reason I got it so cheap is that 16 pages dropped out of it. What would make me most happy, of course, is to purchase a damaged copy real cheap, as long as it included those particular 16 pages. Contacting the estate of the author to ask about archival copies is no good as it's listed only as being "by the Author of Ulric: A Tale of the Novatian Heresy," and I can find NO record of "Ulric" anywhere and so have no IDEA who wrote it! Contacting the publisher is no good as that's listed as both "Church Sunday School Union" and "Church Extension Association." In America, that could mean ANYthing--WHAT church? In England, I suppose it would mean the Church of England...? I located one copy in the British National Library in London (England.) They quoted a price to copy slightly less than an arm, a leg, and my firstborn child (which I don't even HAVE a firstborn child and at my age and condition am unlikely to produce one, and they ain't gettin' my cats!) If I figured the exchange rate right (any of you been to England lately and know what the British pound is worth in American dollars?) it would still be three or four times the price of the book. I wrote back asking, what if they just sent scans by either FAX or e-mail? Since no paper is being exchanged and no postage is being expended, shouldn't that be far less? I await their answer. In the meantime, what are my options? I know about LaserCat, but that's regional only. Is there any sort of nationwide LaserCat-type thing which would tell me if any library anywhere in the U. S. owns a certain book so I could contact them about their willingness to FAX portions of that book--either in this case, or should such a case arise again. If worse comes to worst--I just heard (today) that a cousin of mine is moving to London (England), who is the right sort of person, that is, spends a lot of time in libraries, and might be willing to do this for less than what official libary services might charge. Not sure if the book is in some reading room or available to be checked out and taken someplace where it could be copied, FAXED, or whatever, or if they let people do that at the library for less than they'd charge to do it themselves. If my cousin is unwilling or unable to do that, maybe he knows of some British booksellers who don't list all their titles online--there could be a copy or even ratty partial copy lying around someplace. (Guys--NEVER throw out a book--unless it's so crawling with mold and slime it actually threatens to ATTACK!) I'd like as near as possible duplicate pages so I could have them just bound into the book. Not necessarily in a hurry, plenty of time to explore options, just curious what to do in this situation and should a similar one arise again. Might this also be an option for some of the people who have posted here asking for copies of rare Bradbury stories?

Dandelion I actually run the Minolta Planetary scanner 7000 in the University Interlibrary Loan where I am employed. I have scanned books as old as 1819 or so it is biult with a flat bed that depresses down two different levels to accomodate book spines of various widths. It also contains software to flatten out text that is caught in the curve of margin of text in the gutter of the page. I have been pleased with it's clarity on text, but I have to tweek it on photos. We have sent articles or book chapters to reciprocal Libraries in Australia, Canada, Pretoria, and Sweden to name a few. I listen to books on tape, music or study a language while scanning. I also process Ill orders received/outgoing. When I am not doing that I am searching for obscure books or articles in Universities in the U.S. or Abroad for Faculty or Students. A bit in Media/Reserve also. I like my job, I'm trained as an Illustrator, but this keeps my Families teeth from rotting out. Medical/Dental, that and I would die if I ever wasn't in a library at least once a week. Dandelion check with your english friend a good bed scanner operater in an university that can do wonders with ephemra.
Good Luck !

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 03-17-2003).]

Dandelion, I believe the univerity collection to which you refer is located at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. William F. Nolan, who had an incredible collection of Ray's work, donated his Bradbury collection to BGSU. While the collection does not circulate, it is available for review and study. Another amazing collection is located at Eastern New Mexico Univeristy, in Portales, New Mexico. The ENMU library houses the collections of Jack Williamson, as well as much of the personal library of Ray's friends Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton. From this collection, I once had the chance to read several letters that were exchanged over the years between Ray and the amazing Mr. Williamson, who was a mentor to Ray during the late 1930's and early 1940's, and who is still actively writing today at the age of (almost) 95!

Does anyone know the latest on the sad situation of Forrest Ackerman? Sounds as if his amazing collection is being scattered to the four winds.

Forry is coming along nicely in his recovery from his very serious illness of the last year or so. However, he still needs medical care and, as a result, moved out of his old, quite large home (the "Ackermuseum") into smaller quarters. With less room, he has been selling off some of his collection because he no longer has the room to house it all. I understand that he had previously tried to get the City of Los Angeles to purchase the collection and keep it intact, but was unsuccessful.

Dandelion:

�� What? ��
When I was in LA, there was a big thing in the papers showing Mayor Tom Bradley accepting the offer from Forry Ackerman that he would donate his entire collection of materials to the city of Los Angeles. I believe this was after one of 4E's heart attacks. Can't remember if that was to the library or whatever agency. Now that BradIey died in 1998 at age 80, has everyone somehow forgotten about all that?
I visited the Ackermansion...as it was called...several times, and it was a grand layout of incredible artifacts, rooms and rooms with bookcases filled meticulously with perfectly perserved books and pulps and paperbacks...(said to have over 50,000 volumes)... the actual model of King Kong, and...you name it....It was a small wonderland of incredible publishing history... SO...WHAT happened?

click on the following, or type into finder, for a look at some photos of Ackermansion: http://www.vietross.com/ackeralbum.html


[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 03-17-2003).]

I don't know what happened and obviously I don't have the full story. Here's an article quoting friend after friend saying about how it's such a shame an 85-year-old man who has done so much for so many has to lose his home: http://www.filmlandclassics.com/times.html
Now, I may be missing something or it may not be my business, but how do you lose your home when your friends include such people as Steven Spielberg? If they couldn't offer him money outright, couldn't they have held a fundraiser or something? Were these luminaries too busy to offer help or was he too proud to accept it? If he was friends with just ONE well-known person I could see that person perhaps overlooking a friend, but a number of stellar notables are quoted here!

Dandelion:

In this business...any business... you find out that some people are just not that close...and really don't care that much.... The personal relationship has to be so close, so intimate, that a person grieves mightily for another person, and does what they can do to help....

Just a single item, but I thought worth reading.....
(click on)... or type into finder: http://www.historyforsale.com/productimages/jpeg/155713.jpg


[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 03-21-2003).]

I had the opportunity to meet with 4E (Forrey) at his Mini-Ackermansion recently and to tour his now diminished collection. He is still very aware and interested in what goes on around him. He stated that he had just viewed Metropolis (Fritz Lang) for the 100th time. He knew about the release of the Kino DVD version as well (absolutely superb, if are interested). I had previously written to Forrey and asked to visit. He then called me and invited me to come on a Saturday morning. There were several others who came that day to pay their respects to the man who was Ray's first literary agent. He still has the robot Futura and many items and photos of Metropolis memorabilia, as well as the original hat and teeth Lon Chainey used in London After Dark, now lost forever. Later in the day I met Ray at a book signing and he mentioned that he was going to visit with Forry the next day. They remain close. Ray is upset with how the Ackermansion collection has been allowed to dissapear and was not picked up by an organization and turned into the Sci-Fi musium it should have become. Forrey mentioned that people who had visited his collection over the years had stolen pieces of the collection. How very sad. I beleve Forrey is now 87, still goin' strong, still has the casket-table in his living room and tells visitors " Room for one more". I had a wonderful day I will always remember.

[This message has been edited by patrask (edited 03-22-2003).]

Patrask,
How long was Forrest Ackerman Ray's agent? Where did you get your book signed recently?