The Armorer Newsletter
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Dick Hosmer
- Posts: 544
- Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:05 pm
- Location: Northern CA
The Armorer Newsletter
Not trapdoor, but certainly Springfield Armory related. This was a publication ("house-organ" if you will) that SA put out during WW1; I believe the last issue was around Feb 1919. I have been able to find almost NO info on it. My interest lies in the fact that some of my relatives are mentioned, and even pictured, in the one copy I have (filed somewhere) and would like to see if I can find any others. IIRC, I contacted Alex MacKenzie (curator at SA) a few years ago and he knew nothing of it. Anyone else? Grasping at straws here . . . Thanks as always.
Re: The Armorer Newsletter
Dick- I corrected the spelling of the title to American "Armorer" instead of snooty Britspeak "Armourer."
At least we have the right name, now we just have to find some. Here were some at auction, but 1950s.
https://www.apro.bid/auction/6665/item/ ... 0s-1428732
At least we have the right name, now we just have to find some. Here were some at auction, but 1950s.
https://www.apro.bid/auction/6665/item/ ... 0s-1428732
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Dick Hosmer
- Posts: 544
- Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:05 pm
- Location: Northern CA
Re: The Armorer Newsletter
Thanks - apparently they resurrected it; first time I'd ever heard that. I'll keep my eyes open (and my snoot down). 
Re: The Armorer Newsletter
The nearly 600 page 1989 NPS contract study by Raber Associates on SA history cites in their bibliography a variation on the name:
"The Springfield Armorer. 1918-1919. Springfield Armory Museum Library. "
A couple of pages are available online, but strictly social history stuff not worth the effort to link to them.
Some references are made to WW2 era copies but I did not see any actual issues. Everything seems to point to it being monthly.
The final issue was printed at the time that SA was closed, and it was quoted in the Congressional Record, a pretty good history summary and lots of what I would summarize as "It was a really stupid idea for those dumb politicians [yeah, looking at you MacNamara] to shut us down." I was going to link to it but stupid computer not cooperating.
No idea when the first issue was printed.
The Springfield Library may have some, perhaps in periodical files, maybe some sort of special collections. National Archives may have them, but they would be at the Waltham Archives, not in DC. I don't know anyone who has worked those resources. There are a bunch of nearby colleges, and maybe their libraries have copies, but I would be surprised- SA was probably seen as "too blue collar" to merit keeping, or wokeness may have resulting in purging all that evil gun and military stuff from their pure and wholesome campuses.
"The Springfield Armorer. 1918-1919. Springfield Armory Museum Library. "
A couple of pages are available online, but strictly social history stuff not worth the effort to link to them.
Some references are made to WW2 era copies but I did not see any actual issues. Everything seems to point to it being monthly.
The final issue was printed at the time that SA was closed, and it was quoted in the Congressional Record, a pretty good history summary and lots of what I would summarize as "It was a really stupid idea for those dumb politicians [yeah, looking at you MacNamara] to shut us down." I was going to link to it but stupid computer not cooperating.
No idea when the first issue was printed.
The Springfield Library may have some, perhaps in periodical files, maybe some sort of special collections. National Archives may have them, but they would be at the Waltham Archives, not in DC. I don't know anyone who has worked those resources. There are a bunch of nearby colleges, and maybe their libraries have copies, but I would be surprised- SA was probably seen as "too blue collar" to merit keeping, or wokeness may have resulting in purging all that evil gun and military stuff from their pure and wholesome campuses.
Re: The Armorer Newsletter
Dick, one of my former history professors did his dissertation in the Springfield area; he says the Springfield Museum archives (not the armory museum) had a fairly complete set.