I have some very cool news to report from Charles Ursitti, the charming pool promoter and historian. Ursitti has just purchased what must be one of this country's largest private collections of the historic publication Billiards Magazine. According to Charlie, the magazine started in April of 1913 and ran through September 1934 -- for a total of 276 issues. It then became Bowling and Billiards Magazine. Charlie says he has the first issue and about 230 more. "Even the Smithsonian doesn't have a complete set," reports Charlie.OK, and now here's the really cool part: Charlie is uploading the entire collection onto the web. It's a work in progress, but already there are several years of the publication up for public viewing. "Billiards Magazine featured the best reporting ever done on the sport and I feel every billiard lover should be able to see it," says Charlie. He said he's scanning every page himself.
You can find the magazines at Charlie's website, www.charlieursitti.com or www.charlesursitti.com. He plans to eventually divide the site into 16 to 20 sections, and it will include reproductions of his posters, program books, tobacco cards and photos. I've seen some of Charlie's collection firsthand during a visit to his previous residence in New York City and I have to say it is something to behold. That's a picture I took of him in his stacks, holding up an old edition of Billiards Magazine.
So go check out more of them at Charlie's site. It's great.
-- R.A. Dyer
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3 comments:
Every last detail is perfection.
Charlie U. knows it all.
Many thanks to Mr. Ursitti for electronically archiving his collection and opening it for the public. A huge task, a wealth of information. A dream for anyone interested in the history of the game.
It seems like most of the content is now private and inaccessible. Specifically, the tournament info is no longer available. Anyone have Mr. Ursitti's email address and can notify him?
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