At 07:38 PM 5/28/2009, Ron Fraser wrote:
>Steve
> Not a problem. I think everyone should know the casting numbers,
>casting dates and build date of their engine, original or not.
>There is a great deal of history in those numbers; we just need to dig
>through them a bit.
EVERY serial number is of vital utility to
someone if the provenance is provided. I am
quite active in the history of optics and
photography, and we always beg, scream, cry, and
yell for every possible serial number. This is
like breaking a code: with enough examples, a
pattern emerges, and analysis leads to
conclusions. Over there, we call it, "industrial archaeology".
Factory records are hardly infallible and those
who suggest they are ought to spend a week
working in a factory. And most companies dump
their records periodically, which makes the
recording of numbers even more important. I've
never owned a Tiger but, if I did, the first
thing I would do would be to dig out EVERY number
I could find and publish it here.
We are not, after all, only sweaty dudes who
bathe in dish soap to get the grease out of our
hair. There ARE scholars in our midst! Norm did
a fine job, but the definitive history of the Tiger is yet to be written.
Marc
msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b`s fir gun ghr`s fir!
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