Errors in 'American Genius'

[Doug MacQueen]

Jack, here the mistake was entirely in the footnotes, which I didn't catch since I already had the correct Smith 1846 patent referred to on page 56, which is #4,635 July 14, 1846. It is true that Smith also patented another lock, #6272 on April 3, 1849, but if you check the patent drawing you will see it is entirely different than the lock discussed in the book. Doug

[Jack Sullivan]

Jack, here the mistake was entirely in the footnotes, which I didn't catch since I already had the correct Smith 1846 patent referred to on page 56, which is #4,635 July 14, 1846. It is true that Smith also patented another lock, #6272 on April 3, 1849, but if you check the patent drawing you will see it is entirely different than the lock discussed in the book. Doug

Doug

You seem to be an impassioned apologist fir the Errolls' book for reasons that are unclear to me. Mistakes still remain misstakes, and their genisis is even more troubling when you read oin the dustjacket that the authors are curator & son of the Mossman collection. Of anyone who should be expected to get the facts correct it is them. I hate to sound picky but in an expensive volume about highly technical lock exhibits & their history within their immediate custody, care & control one would expect a higher level of curatorial scholarship concening the provenance & historical context of each lock exhibit. So far, at least, that seems to be lacking fron my experience with this book.

Jack