Ted Crom's estate- was it all sold?

I didn't want to hijack a finished thread (jewelry lathe), but the link to the auction of Ted's tools got me curious.

I was lucky to meet Ted and spent a few days with him 10 years or so ago going through his collection. My memory is foggy but I seem to recall that he mentioned a lot of his stuff was aimed toward other museums when the time came. I didn't scroll through all the auction pages but obviously a lot of his collection was sold. Did any PM members buy?

I particularly remember a couple of jaw-dropping Holtzapfel lathes, one being extremely complete. A lot of raw ivory too. I think he mentioned his son was to get the better of the Holtzapfels.

Really just curious, as some of the members here were friends with Ted and the time I spent there was memorable for both the awesome array of tools and for Ted's warmth and wit. He was in and out of a wheelchair at the time, but he made sure to show me his diving platform and threatened to use it .

Crom Auction

I knew about the auction in advance and Ted had several items I would loved to have owned.

a friend who is a member here did buy two wheel engines.

I got off light , I bought a catalog from Skinners --

Ted made three videos of his collecion in one he mentioned the bulk of his collection was supposed to go to the Smithsonian. Be interesting to know what happened to that plan.

As you mentioned Ted had three Holtz lathes, one of which was rather unique. Several sets of cased chisels, one unused with ivory handles. A real nice Rivett 608 etc. None of these were auctioned off.

One thing I found amusing is I had worked for the City Of St Pete and a couple years before I retired Crom Construction built two 10 million gal storage tanks. I never put the two together. If you Google Crom Construction it says the build over 100 tanks a year. Most members here probably have one in there own town an helped pay for Teds extensive collection.

Several items from the auction have alreay been listed on ebay so some of us have a good chance of picking something up -----


Rick

Several items from the auction have already been listed on ebay so some of us have a good chance of picking something up ----

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That is sure some small consolation!

I had not seen this thread before. I was a very good friend of Ted’s and we visited each other many times, even traveled together. I still miss him.

I did get a bunch of his smaller tools at auction and was very happy. Also the 1770 gentleman’s lathe came from him however most people never saw it. It was never in any of his books and sold privately. As I recall the two Holtz lathes ended up at Gold’s Machinery in Providence, Rl. And the really good one is in a friend’s collection. I also got the pick of the knurling wheel collection long before he passed.

At one time he had planned for his collection to go to the Smithsonian but as the museum changed it focus he changed his mind. He did not want it to be buried in some inaccessible storage where it could not be studied. He knew he had too much for them ever to display.

I used to joke with him that he taught me to collect or certainly refined my collecting and that help cost ME over a hundred thousand dollars.

I have a wonderful photos I took of him on last day of my restoration of the pattern shop at the Edison Lab. in West Orange, Nj. He flew up to join me and get a private tour of the place, then we headed off on a 10 day tool shopping/friends/workshop tour in New England.

For those of you who knew Ted you know how much fun he had hamming it up dressed up like a pattern maker circa 1915.