Nom de Plume

[Mark R]

Whose used the nom de plume Ralph Stranger?

cheers Mark

[Yorkie]

Hmmmm, I wonder?

Ralph Stranger was an author of technical book on radio back in the 1930s:

See: http://www.kellybooks.net/ap_ralph_stranger.html

If someone is using him name now (which might of course have been a nom de plume - 'pen name' even back then), it's clearly not the same guy!

Do let us know if your 'detective work' (ahem!), solves the mystery Mark.

[Michaelr]

Ralph Stranger is a nom the plume for the author of some very good wireless books, the earliest being in 1932.

I must say I would be keen to find out who he really was.

Mike

[Skywave]

Apparently, prior to writing books, he was a lecturer for a number of years to students of the L.C.C. technical evening institutes. He lived in Bexley Heath, Kent.
The earliest date that I can find of his publications is December 1931, (George Newnes Ltd.)

However, by pure coincidence, I have a copy of his book "The Outline of Wireless", 1942 reprint, which is for sale: £5.00 plus p & p ~ should anyone be interested. (Please respond by P.M.) The dust jacket is in a poor condition, but the pages are clean, none torn or missing; the binding is good. 836 pages; over 500 diagrams and illustrations.
Reason for sale? I collect old wireless books and I am rapidly running out of shelf-space - hence, a thin-out is called for!

Pictures attached:

[attachment=3502][attachment=3503]

Al. / Dec. 7th. //

[Mark R]

I have that book Al, along with a 4 volume tome, Newnes complete Wireless, similar in style to Practical Wireless, I just wondered who he actually was, his writing style is very easy going.

cheers Mark

[Skywave]

I wonder if Ralph Stranger, in reality, was F. J. Camm? I know that the two styles are quite different - perhaps by writing under that nom de plume he was using a style that he otherwise kept suppressed.

On the other hand, I do have a book of the same vintage by Robert William Hutchinson, M.Sc., titled "Wireless - Its Principles and Practice" (London University Press). First printed 1932; my copy states reprinted 1941. The frontispiece contains a photo. of Broadcasting House which is identical to that of the frontispiece in the "Outline of Wireless". The style of the writing is less informal than that of Mr. Stranger's, but the method of instruction is very similar. Mr. Hutchinson was an author of many similar books; was an examiner in Electrical Engineering and a one-time Principal of the Municipal Technical College, Smethwick.

Amongst the other possibilities are S. G. Blaxland Stubbs; Philip Kemp; S. Austen Stigant and G. W. Stubbings. However, I think we can discount M. G. Scroggie and A.L. Sowerby; their books came somewhat later. And it certainly isn't J. H. Reyner.

Having said all that, trying to identify who Ralph Stranger really was is going to be difficult. Such was the intense interest in the New Technology of Wireless during the 1930s, there was a whole plethora of authors churning out such instructional books.

Al.
 

[Paula A]

I'm not sure what to make of this tidbit of information.. http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ch.cgi?18556

[Aerodyne]

Isn't it annoying. Somewhere, sometime, I read about Ralph Stranger - who he was and why the nom-de-plume. Can I find or recall the source?...No chance, not with my failing memory. However, I am certain that he was NOT FJ Camm, nor Scroggie, nor Sowerby. I believe he was indeed a lecturer and it may have been this fact that prompted him to use an alternative name for his more popular writings. There's nothing I can find on the internet except the link that Paula posted, but here the biography link within will not allow access.
Is there a clue, I wonder, in the dedication within his 1941dictionary of radio and television terms: dedicated to the Royal Corps of Signals and the late 'RE SIGS'.
Will we ever know...
-Tony

[Paula A]

That could be something.. Possibly somebody attached to the Marconi "secret" short wave research where the discovery of radar actually happened (late 20's they were trying to find ways to cancel out or avoid reflections from buildings and aircraft)

I know it's not Scott-Taggart, his writing style was nothing like as informal (and I wish I still had his "The Book of Practical Radio" which was lost during one of those annoying and way too frequent house moves. It's possible somebody here has come across it because they are not common by any stretch of the imagination.. inside the front cover it's clearly "owned" by W.J.Powell of 9 Moor St, Hereford - My Grandfather)

[pwdrive]

Ralph Judson (Russian Born)

http://earlywireless.com/crystal_sets.htm

Lawrence.