But I wonder if one reason many scholars tend to search archives with too specific goals (and thus be disappointed with the lack of documentation) is because they must come up with grant proposals, etc., more specific, perhaps, than “I’d like to see what is in those boxes”! It may also be worth discussing how archival resources could described, catalogued, etc., in ways so that scholars can better identify the collections that would be worth the travel expense–the major obstacle for most scholars doing archival research.

BTW, I was under the (mistaken?) impression that DeForest’s early transmission happened at his home in Riverdale (the Bronx). I tend to claim this to my classes, held just a mile or so from DeForest’s former mansion, but I may be misleading them in the hope of interesting them in the past!

Farrar and Wyckoff (along with de Forest and others) formed a group called the De Forest Pioneers. They stayed in touch with one another for most of their lives through this group. Farrar had no living descendants (outside of some distant relatives in Sweden that, I believe to this day, have a portrait of her hanging in their home…) and she willed her remains to Wyckoff.

I am not sure if the Brooklyn Navy Yard Archives compensated Dubbin and Davidson for their work or not. These artists had a prior interest in Farrar’s story because their studio is also located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, very near the site where Wyckoff was working when he heard the first transmission. In 2008, prior to learning of the existence of the remains, they orchestrated a sound performance from Wyckoff’s reception site in which “I Love You Truly” was performed live 101 years after the date of the original broadcast. This live performance, as well as the later creation of the urn, together constitute their piece “You Love Me Truly.” More info about the piece here : http://dubbin-davidson.com/You-Love-Me-Truly

Dubbin and Davidson had contacted the Library of Congress one at least one occasion looking for a recording of Farrar singing “I Love You Truly” to play at the live event/inscribe on the urn, but prior to my discovery of the Major Bowes’ broadcast there were none available. Unfortunately, the urn was interred a few years prior to the discovery of the radio episode.

Thanks for your questions!

For anyone interested, here is a photo of the urn and the niche she is in at Green-Wood:

https://www.green-wood.com/2013/eugenias-got-a-brand-new-urn/

A photo of a young Wyckoff and more photos of Farrar:

https://www.green-wood.com/2010/voice-angel-transmitted-live-radio/