THE HENRY ELLIS WARREN HISTORICAL ESTATE ARCHIVE

Exceptional 1920s Chronological Photo Album, Signed 200-Page Ledger, & Iconic 1907 Signed Portrait of Edith Smith Warren

An extraordinary, museum-quality personal archive from the estate of world-renowned inventor Henry Ellis Warren (the "Father of Electric Time," inventor of the synchronous clock motor, and founder of the Telechron Clock Company). This unbroken, fresh-to-market collection offers an intimate look at both the rigid, precise professional output and the fascinating personal life of one of New England’s greatest industrial minds.

Dating primarily from the early 1900s to the 1920s—with a few later family additions from the early 1940s—this archive carries unmatched cross-collector appeal spanning industrial history, genealogy, early New England locomotive transit, and pioneering American sporting history.

THE MAIN ANCHOR PIECES

1. 1907 Signed Portrait of Edith Smith Warren by M. Noetzel

• Dimensions: Image size is 8" x 5 7/8"; framed dimensions are 13 5/8" x 10 5/8".

• Significance: A stunning, large-format exhibition-grade vintage silver print portrait of Henry Warren’s wife, Edith, in her wedding attire. Hand-signed in pencil on the matte by "M. Noetzel — 07", the prominent Newton/Ashland photographer deeply tied to Warren's early manufacturing ventures. This iconic photo was used as a primary visual centerpiece by documentary filmmakers 12 years ago for an award-winning regional documentary on Warren’s life and Ashland roots.

2. The 1909 Personal Signed 200-Page Manuscript Daybook Ledger

• Format: Issued by the Hobb Warren Stationery Co.

• Significance: Hand-signed and dated on the flyleaf: "H. Warren / Dec 31, 1909". The main body tracks his daily household, personal, and business expenses from 1909 to 1915 (including entries for "Candy," "Laundry," "Church," "Cigars," "Coal," and "Rooster").

• The Family Connection: On page 105, a line item under 1913 explicitly reads "A.E. Warren funeral"—the exact year Henry's mother, Alice Ellis Warren, passed away, firmly grounding this ledger in his immediate family circle.

• The Inventor's Mind: The final pages of the ledger feature meticulous handwriting compiling the "Census Report 1910", charting death census statistics in New England, Massachusetts, Boston, and other major cities as he calculated trust preparations and life insurance.

3. The 145 Silver Gelatin Print Photography Album (c. 1910s–1920s)

• Format: Housed in a "Supreme Quality Album - Expansion 24-200" by The Housh Co. Inc., Boston, MA. Photos measure approximately 4.25" x 2.25".

• Historical Highlights Include:

• The Candids (~12 Photos): Candid shots of Henry Warren himself appearing throughout the beginning, middle, and end of the album. Includes rare early travel shots alongside business associates Homer Loring and Nathaniel Lombard scouting rugged New England water currents to test the power and speed of their heavy hydraulic waterwheel governors.

• The Telechron Factory (4 Photos): Rare, crisp interior views of the active Telechron factory. Three showcase early Telechron clocks proudly displayed on tables, and the fourth gives a wider, panoramic look at the manufacturing plant floor featuring a clearly visible "STOCK ROOM" cage sign.

• Pioneering Boston Marathon History (4 Photos): An incredible sequence capturing the golden era of distance racing. One groundbreaking photo depicts a crisp, close-up action shot of an African American Black runner (wearing Bib #34) running shoulder-to-shoulder with a white runner (wearing Bib #129) on a dirt road, passing spectators and a vintage roadside "Hot Dogs" sign. The subsequent three photos transition down the course to what appears to be a paved road surface, capturing the field and the growing spectator crowds.

• The Archery Competition (4 Photos): Fascinating documentation of an early outdoor archery tournament, notably showcasing women actively competing and participating on the field.

• Locomotives & Scenery: Excellent high-contrast steam train locomotive shots (including engine #21 passing a waterway/dam structure) alongside beautiful, artistically framed New England landscapes, misty forests with morning light breaks, foggy mountains, and coastal boating scenes.

SUPPORTING EPHEMERA & LOOSE PHOTO LOT

This archive is rounded out by an extensive collection of localized genealogical paper, books, and loose photos that solidify the lineage of the estate find in Ashland Massachusetts.

• Large Loose Portrait of Henry Warren: Measures 9 3/8" x 6", showing a sharp studio portrait of the inventor later in life.

• Ann Leavitt Thurston Collection: Includes two vintage cabinet cards of Ann Leavitt (one annotated June 1925, the year of her high school graduation), a cabinet card of her high school classmate, a later 1942 snapshot, and a photo of Ann with friends annotated "Mom at 4H Camp" on the reverse.

• 1940s Warren Farm Apple Harvest Photo: A large vintage print showing a group gathered behind hundreds of freshly picked apples. The background matches the historic Warren Farm, including a feed mill on the left and a taller tower structure on the right.

• 1917 Warren Clock Pamphlet: An early original retail/informational booklet (starts on page 2; back cover missing).

• Historic 1906 Casket/Hearse Check: A fragmented 1906 check made out to H. Leavitt, noting in the memo line: "full payment for Casket and Hearse for his late mother," signed by Mr. Phelps.

• Three Curated Reference Books: Includes Henry Warren's 25th MIT Reunion Technology Review book (July 1949, featuring his photograph inside), the Ashland 100th Birthday Anniversary book (1846–1946) with Ann Thurston's signature seen on the cover, and the Images of America: Ashland historical book featuring Telechron employees holding a "Telechron Ashland" banner on the cover and dedicated text sections covering Warren and the Lombard Governor Company.

CONDITION REPORT-

• The Silver Gelatin Album: In overall good, solid condition. The prints retain beautiful, deep contrast and clarity. A few images exhibit minor perimeter silvering typical of 100-year-old photographic paper, and a small handful have negligible edge tears or light wear on the borders. A few crowded outdoor event photos near the very back show a bit of natural motion blur from the camera.

• The Framed Portrait of Edith: The image itself is crisp and beautifully preserved behind glass. The vintage gilt wood frame shows a couple of expected nicks and light wear along the borders but displays magnificently.

• The Loose Henry Warren Photo: Presents beautifully, noting a light diagonal crease on the top-left corner and a couple of very minor surface scuffs.

• The Ledger: Binding remains completely solid and secure. The pages show minor, typical age discoloration and some sporadic smudges on a handful of pages from decades of historical reference, but the handwriting remains perfectly sharp and legible.

SHIPPING & HANDLING

Given the immense historical value and unique composition of this lot, shipping will be handled with extreme care and proper packaging material. Fully tracked and insured shipping.

Please review all photos provided for references and as part of the overall item description. If you have any questions or would like more photos feel free to reach out. Thanks for looking!!!

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