> There are a few large public libraries which have complete patent data on
> microfilm.
> The Los Angeles County main branch is one of them. I don't know where the
> others are but
> if you are lucky there may be one near you.
The last time I researched a patent was approximately 1980, at the New
York Public Library *Annex* at 43rd Street and 10th Avenue. At the time,
if you could believe, they didn't have so much as a copy machine. I
remember people standing on their chairs with hand-held cameras to take
pictures of pages in the patent registers and in old photography
publications. This was the Photo Annex then as well -- you got to actually
turn the pages in a 100-year-old fading, crumbling edition of the British
Journal of Photography, as well as numerous others in several languages.
I assume all is microfilmed to a fair-thee-well now, but perhaps (by
inertia if nothing else) those corridors of monumental patent register
books remain to lay hands on and leaf through. A very affecting and
enlightening experience, at least for me (although, as has been revealed,
I tend to prefer the paper page to its electronic representation, in any
event).
Since that time, photography has been moved to the Main Branch at 42nd
Street and 5th Avenue, and I suppose they don't let us peasants lay hands
on the sacred relics any more. But the department is still a superb
resource. Plus there are usually exhibits of historic photos from the
collection in the corridors -- worth a visit in themselves.
The library also has a reference book which tells where in the world,
what library or archive, has any issue of any periodical you seek. This is
comprehensive, to *before* the time of current digitization, and let me
locate a Swedish magazine of 1941 central to research I was doing at the
time. (Eastman House & Harvard both had it. Eastman House sent the 4 pages
of xeroxed copy by return mail. Harvard wrote 2 months later to say they
didn't have that issue.)
But how did I know even to ask? Because the open shelves of Room 315 at
the library have reference books called Photo Abstracts, which come out
annually and remain there, in chronological order.
That is, you can stroll along the balcony and pick a year or two (or could
the last time I was there, a couple of years ago, I guess I should add).
These carry a paragraph or so in summary of every article published that
year in any photo-related topic throughout the world. You can leaf through
and stumble over the golden key to your heart's desire, as I did (and as I
plan to publish in future, never fear). I assume this, too, is all
digitized by now, but as I understand it, only as far back as the
Eisenhower presidency, or whenever.
Even if you have no urgent research in hand, if you are visiting NYC,
seeing the "sights," do not miss Room 315 at the NY Public library. I've
said this before, but maybe you forgot. Soak up the rays of human
scholarship -- and the reasonably preserved relics of the scholar's
architecture of another day -- for a download (upgrade?) of extra IQ.
That's 315 South. 315 North was originally its twin, now gutted to make
room for copy machines, carrels, and the trappings of the digitons.
Necessary of course. But not pretty.
cheers,
Judy