George Franklin Paul

Background

George Paul was born on February 19, 1954 in Oxford, Massachusetts, United States, into the family of John E. and Joan (Shell) Paul.

Education

George F. Paul received a Bachelor of Science at State University of New York College at Geneseo in 1976. In 1977, Paul earned a Master of Science at State University of New York College at Fredonia.

Career

George Paul started his career as a speech and language pathologist at State of New York, J. W. Adam DDSO in Perrysburg in 1977 and took that position until 1990. Then he relocated to the State of New York, Craig DDSO in Geneseo and worked as a speech and language coordinator during 1990 - 1994. In 1994 he took the position of a speech and language coordinator at the State of New York, Finger Lakes DDSO in Geneseo. Moreover, George Paul wrote several books with Tim Fabbrio. He is also a contributor of about forty articles to magazines, including Antique Phonograph Monthly.

Achievements

• George Paul is highly famous as the author of books The Talking Machine Compendium, 1877-1929 and Antique Phonograph Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gimmicks.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Discovering Antique Phonographs

    (Out of attics and barns, out from under the dust of a cen...)

    2000
  • A World of Antique Phonographs

    (Enter the fascinating and beautiful world of antique phon...)

    2007
  • The Talking Machine: An Illustrated Compendium 1877-1929

    (Antique talking machines are among today's hottest collec...)

    1997

Politics

George described himself as “apolitical.”

Views

Quotations: “Writing is something as natural for me as speaking, and the ultimate aim of either effort is simply to communicate. As a speech and language pathologist, my career is focused on helping others to communicate, yet I’m troubled by our society’s low standards for this uniquely human endeavor. The void is pervasive, tind is exacerbated by the sometimes inexplicable meanderings of mainstream journalism and network news organizations. It’s no wonder that proponents of divergent views fail to achieve mutual understanding, when they rely on these self-appointed ‘interpreters,’ who display such poor communication skills. When the interpretation of history is subjected to a similar, slipshod approach, I feel compelled to become involved."

“A far more compelling motivation to write is the overpowering romance and excitement of discovery inherent in historical research. It’s only natural for people to share their passions with others of like mind. This involves, once more, that pesky process of communication. Yet how rewarding it is to feel an author’s enthusiasm through the written word, and doubly so when a reader expresses sympathy with one’s own work."

“Writing is a time-consuming process for me. I draft, draft, and re-draft. Occasionally, when I’m particularly moved by an emotion, as in the closing paragraph of The Talking Machine Compendium, the words just flow. Usually my writing contains far more polishing than brilliance. I’m afraid."

“Outside of my profession, my only published writings deal with early talking machines and recorded history. I have collected and studied these artifacts since I was thirteen. It took fifteen more years before I was ready to begin writing about them. So much of what I had ‘learned’ in those early years was subsequently proven erroneous that I was loath to commit myself until I had finished an apprenticeship of sorts. Fortunately, by that time I had learned the value of primary resource materials."

“Meanwhile, my quite hopeless romanticism had infused me with such a deep-rooted fascination of early phonographs and recordings that maintaining my energy during research and writing has not been a problem. I’m aware that relatively few (including my family) share this particular obsession. Yet it occurs to me lately that our choice of constructive obsessions isn’t as important as the fact that we nurture one and all.”

Membership

• Association for Recorded Sound Collections

• Canadian Antique Phonograph Society

• California Antique Phonograph Society

• Michigan Antique Phonograph Society

• member of board of directors

  Mount Morris Historical Society

  1991

Interests

• researching and collecting antique phonographs, American history, military history, living history, songwriting and recording, films

• Writers

  Stephen W. Sears, Bruce Catton, and Phillip B. Kunhardt Jr., Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Connections

George Paul married Barbara Weller on June 26, 1976. They have two children - Jessica E. and Timothy W. Paul.

Father:

John E. Paul

Mother:

Joan (Shell) Paul

Spouse:

Barbara Weller

Daughter:

Jessica E. Paul

Son:

Timothy W. Paul