Owner and likely photographer of this lot Philip Scribner Rand (1906-1995) is a son of James Henry Rand, Sr., founder of the Rand Ledger Company of Tonawanda NY, and the brother of James Henry Rand, Jr., founder of American Kardex. Those two companies merged in 1925, and in 1927 a merger with Remington Typewriter created the Remington Rand Company. Philip was employed as an electronic engineer in the Middletown facility at the time these photographs were taken. He was also an avid and active amateur ham radio operator and accomplished photographer. He might or might not have created these images, and if he did this was possibly another facility other than Middletown. But I am very confident that they were all in his possession.
According to the Middletown CT website,
During World War II, the company developed into a major military contractor and was reportedly instrumental in developing a small camera that allowed for the creation of rocket- guided missiles [see my other auctions for this program].... Both Remington Rand and Andover Kent Corporation – located in the Middletown factory in the late 1940s and early 1950s - were authorized federally funded facilities during World War II. They produced the following:: 57MM AP shot, 20MM shot, dowel pins, 30 caliper, and shells 90MM.
The ammunition being manufactured in these photos certainly appears to be about 90mm diameter, and are consistent with the armor-piercing type of projectile. Beyond that, I have no way of identifying the location of these photos. The are all 8x10 glossies, linen-backed, with a hinged panel for some type of album mounting, perhaps for 3-ring drilling. Conditions are wonderful, I don't believe there is a crease or handling mark on any of these. The photos are well-done, sharp, comprehensive, NO duplicates, and document what would have been a very confidential operation during the war. There are no markings on the backs.
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You will find that the originals of the photos below are often larger than what ebay provides above.
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