JACK LONDON - 2 Recording Cylinders w/ and 12 similar items

Jack London Dictaphone Recording Cylinders with their original cylinder cases. ??? Note; I have been in the book selling business well over thirty years. Reputation is everything. These two items are exactly what I say they are. What I have written below is ha bit of their history and how I obtained them. These are from my personal Jack London Collection. ~~~~ These are rare Jack London items that have Jack London?s voice recorded on both cylinders. They are not for anybody. Each container measures 6-1/4" by 2-3/4" in very good condition, one with a bit of matter missing on the end as shown, not affecting the recorded part. The original containers have their lids as issued long ago. The question I am always asked: are these real? Just who are you? Has Jack London's voice actually been recorded on them? How do you know that? They could be old cylinders with anybody?s voice on them? Where?s the provenance? Did you play these? OK. Yes, both of these dictation cylinders were used by Jack London best the end of his life. They were part of at least a couple dozen or less that came out of his office in Glen Ellen, California where his ranch is. It?s now a state park. Many of Jack London?s personal effects and items passed on to his estate after his death and his wife Charmian lived in a house on the property with many items. After Charmian?s death Jack London?s remaining items went to the estate of the Shepard?s. Decades ago I went often to Glen Ellen where Russ Kingman, who was the world authority on the life of Jack London, had his ?Jack London Bookstore? and research center. Kingman was associated the London?s estate and there were other items that Jack London once owned that passed through the bookstore besides recording cylinders. I personally viewed many rare items that were not for sale also. My grandfather was a physician and part of a group that treated Jack London?s many illnesses. My grandmother would often talk about Jack London when I was a child and from there grew my interest in Jack London. As an owner of a rare and general bookstore I assembled a few collections of Jack London?s first editions as well as personal items and written material as I could acquire. I never played these fragile wax cylinders. Russ Kingman did have them played at some institution back east and recorded on tape of London?s voice. The recorded voice was scratchy and sometimes not clear but the voice was there. I did not hear the entire recording. My guess is that these cylinders were mainly used for business transactions. Many of these fragile cylinders were broken or destroyed by careless handling. They are fragile. Russ Kingman was an honest man and his integrity was never a question. Before hus bookstore he was a Baptist minister. I will enclose a signed copy of what I wrote here with the cylinders. John Anthony Miller Phantom Booshop Ventura, California Jack London passed away in his bungalow on his estate in 1916 at the age of 40. These two dictation cylinders came from the estate of Jack London decades ago when I was assembling my collection of Jack's first editions, ephemera, letters and other books and related material that Jack once had. Regarding these two dictation cylinders: I obtained these from Russ Kingman back in the 1980's when I would travel to Glen Ellen to talk with Becky London, Russ and Winnie Kingman at the Jack London Bookstore and Research Center. Kingman was regarded as a world authority regarding the life and work of Jack London. Both cylinders have notations on the lids and one has the "J.L" in red crayon and some other notations, probably written by Jack London. These indicate they were used in 1916, the year of London's death. He was the first American writer in America to earn one million dollars by his pen. As I recall, there were about eight or ten of these dictation cylinders that I saw, and many were broken or had pieces missing. some were missing their case lids. A university did take London?s voice off the cylinders as I remember hearing a portion of the recording. These two were not played on any machine after I purchased them. I will provide a letter stating that these are authentic items with a history of where I purchased them with photos of each cylinder, from the estate of Jack London (via Russ Kingman in Glen Ellen , California) cylinders with the recorded voice of Jack London. These will sent very securely padded and boxed and insured. You will have to sign for the package when received. If not sold, I will put these back into my collection in the bookshop as bookends. John Anthony Miller Phantom Bookshop Ventura, CA 93003