DECEMBER 2017 NEWS
It’s December -the end of the year, the beginning of winter and the Holiday Season. Cold air and snow have already made their presence known in most of the United States. Time seems to compress in on all of us as the many demands of job, family, the Holidays and life itself seem to increase and overlap more than usual.
In between snow shoveling, gift purchasing, road ice avoidance and sub-freezing air temperatures we have been busy writing magazine articles and short booklets on various motometer-related subjects.
These booklets will be released next year in digital PDF and physical print formats as part of our “Rainbow Series” on motometers. “Rainbow” describes the cover colors used to distinguish each subject title and content.
MotometerCentral’s™ “Rainbow” Series on motometers will reveal many of our proprietary secrets on building a better quality motometer collection; maintaining motometers; the condensed history of motometers; professional methods of presenting and displaying motometers; and, much more.
In the meanwhile we have the following News items and articles to keep you inform of our many activities, events and efforts:
In Memoriam: Robert “Bob” Yates
Accolades and Achievements: Formula One Championships
Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History
Addition to Motometer Collectors Association Member Benefits
December 2017 Featured Ephemera
This last of the series feature puts the focus on a particularly rare and very special artifact – a signed letter from the hand of BOYCE MOTO-METER inventor and namesake, Harrison H. Boyce on Moto Meter Company official stationary.
Rare, because few of Moto Meter Company letters on company letterhead stationary are currently known to exist and be in a proper motometer automobilia collection. Very special as no other document example has so far surfaced or is known to exist possessing an original, “live ink” signed document by his hand. So, the combination of the two is actually extremely special to a even a seasoned motometer collector or automotive industry historian.
Couple all of this with its direct connection to another series of rare, one-of-a kind documents related to a motometer product patent officially issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office also in our possession. All of which are really quite unprecedented and an incredible acquisition and collection value add.
Only five Moto Meter Company letters on official company stationary have so far become known to exist however this is the only one with Harrison Boyce’s name on one as the Company’s General Manager and Vice President and as previously stated the only one with his hand singed signature.
The only other signature examples are printed copies that appeared on certain product related advertising materials such as a 1924 BOYCE MOTO-METER™ ad and 1923 Boyce-ite de-carbonizing fuel additive ad.
This signed letter was obtained at the same time that the George B. Mess official Motometer Guard locking device U. S. Patent was obtained to which it references. So, to have original, signed and official documents in the same collection is truly phenomenal and by no mere coincidence but evidence of hard, diligent research, persistence and impeccable timing.
These are the kinds of miraculous finds that we hope to inspire fellow serious motometer artifact preservationists and collectors.
Of course it is highly doubtful and unlikely that another exact example of this one-of-a kind signed letter exists elsewhere however one similar may. Good Luck finding one and let us know if you do.