Main content
Edward Julian Nally Papers
Notifications
Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Nally was a communications executive, a pioneeer in telegraph, telephone, and radio. He started as a messenger boy (1875) in St. Louis with the Western Union Telegraph Company and became president of RCA in 1919.
The collection contains personal papers of Nally which trace the development of his career in the communications industry. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, and printed matter from Nally's earliest days with the Western Union Telegraph Co. (1875-1890), through his tenure with the Postal Telegraph Cable Co. (1890-1913), to his years with the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. of America (1913-1919); the bulk of the collection, however, covers his years with the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), for which he served as first president (1919-1923) and director, providing insight into the growth of the company, from its nascent development to its world-wide communications empire. Technological developments in radio and television (color and "ultrafax") are described, and material about the company's radio show, "The Magic Key of R.C.A.," with a script for its 1939 New Year's gala, are included.
The collection also includes correspondence, photographs, memorials, and a scrapbook of Samuel Finley Breese Morse, inventor and painter, whose great-grandfather, Samuel Finley, was the fifth president of the College of New Jersey (Princeton). Among the papers are a daguerreotype of Morse likely made by Matthew Brady about 1850 and a genealogy of the Finley and Breese families written by Morse in 1841.
Gift of Mrs. F.H. Nahn and her brother Julian Nally '27.
No appraisal information is available.
People
Organization
- Western Union Telegraph Company
- Radio Corporation of America.
- Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America
Subject
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2002
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Collection Inventory
Consists of biographical material of Edward Julian Nally, including correspondence regarding Catholic Builders of the Nation, press releases, passports, and visas.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of papers related to Edward Julian Nally's career with telegraphs, including companies such as Western Union Telegraph, Postal Telegraph Cable Co., and Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America.
This series is arranged into five subseries: Telegraph--Early Days, Western Union Telegraph, Postal Telegraph Cable Co., Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America, and Radio Corporations of America (R.C.A.).
Physical Description8 boxes
Consists of papers related to the early days of telegraph.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
Consists of correspondence while at Western Union Telegraph.
Arranged by genre of correspondence.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of correspondence while at Postal Telegraph Cable Co. as well as Saturday Evening Post articles.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of correspondence while at Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description2 boxes
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of correspondence and papers regarding labor relations, the United States Navy, and technical developments in Radio, Television, and Ultrafax.
Arranged by subject of correspondence.
Physical Description5 boxes
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of photographs of Edward Julian Nally.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
Consists of miscellaneous correspondence, legal suits, financial matters, and technical developments.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of television and promotional material.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of some papers and clippings of Samuel Finley Breese Morse.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description2 boxes
1 box
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Likely by Matthew Brady. Original removed to high security vault, patrons are asked to reference the surrogate image provided.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder