Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Description:

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.

Description:

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.).

Description:

Consists of photographs of Edward Julian Nally.

Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.

Description:

Consists of miscellaneous correspondence, legal suits, financial matters, and technical developments.

Arranged by genre of material.

Description:

Consists of television and promotional material.

Arranged by genre of material.

Description:

Consists of some papers and clippings of Samuel Finley Breese Morse.

Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.

Scope and Contents

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.

Collection Creator Biography:

Nally, Edward Julian, 1859-1953

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.

Acquisition:

Gift of Mrs. F.H. Nahn and her brother Julian Nally '27.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Edward Julian Nally Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/5x21tf44b
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-13