ugo Gernsback 1884-1967 - If you ask about Hugo Gernsback, you will get multiple answers.
Some fascinating and some not so. I can piece together a decent story after reading the Internetand dredging up bits and pieces that seem relevant to our subject.

HGernsback born Hugo Gernshacher 16 Aug 1884, to a moderately
wealthy family in Luxembourg City. His father, a vintner. As a childin the 1890s, one of four brothers, he became fascinated by electricity
when a handyman at his father’s winery taught him how to hook up abattery, wire and a bell ring. The shower of green sparks that occurred
when he touched a wire to the bell’s terminal to complete the circuitseems to have impressed him as much as the bell itself. In telling thisstory to others over the years, Gernsback would always remark on the“wonderful green sparks” that accompanied the bell ringing.
Young Gernsback was after more than sparks and bell ringing. Whenhe reached the limits of experimentation with the simple equipment on
hand, he expanded his capabilities with an order of battery powered telephone sets, six volt lightbulbs, connecting wire, and buzzers from the catalog of an electrical supply house in Paris.
He was determined to learn as much as possible about the practical aspects of his phenomenon called
electricity. After further experiments, he successfully undertook to wire the Gernsbacher family
home with battery powered telephone intercoms and six volt lighting system. This impressed
everyone who saw it and before long Gernshack was adding door buzzers and intercoms toneighbor’s homes and making a bit of money at it. He was even commissioned to install acomplicated system of signaling buzzers in a nearby convent and nearly lost the job simply by aging.
Apparently he did well with his electrical tinkering, Gernsback didn’t keep his earnings long.
Whenever he accumulated a pocketful of cash he headed for Luxembourg’s Grand Café and lost it
all in poker games. It was fortunate that he did lose, as the losses were probably why gambling did
not become a habit.
Following Hugo’s basic education, he was enrolled in a boarding school in Brussels. He proved tohave something of a talent for language and learned English quickly. This would serve him well in
his future career as a writer, editor and publisher. His studies in English led to leading western novels
and the works of Mark Twain, which fueled a fascination with America and left him determined totravel to the New World as soon as he completed his education.
Gernshack next studied electrical engineering in German, at a university called Technikum inBingen. During his three years there he spent quite a bit of time perfecting the design for a portableradio transmitter. He also designed and built several examples of a high amperage dry cell battery
that he was convinced would make him a fortune. In 1904 he bought a first class ticket to Hoboken
NJ from Germany, taking two models of his battery with him. His family provided him with $100
– enough to live on for perhaps six weeks, if he was frugal.
The young man hit the ground running and made his way to New York. Shortly after his arrival heapplied for a patent on his battery (it was granted No. 842,950 in 1907) and began shopping it
around, distributing business cards with the name “Huck Gernsbacher.” He borrowed the new firstname from his favorite fictional character, Huckleberry Finn. Excerpted from sas.org Continued.

Hugo was a futurist and worked hard to make it happen. He was the Father of Science Fiction andplayed a major roll in bolstering the amateur radio movement and creating the American science
fiction tradition. An annual “Hugo” Award isawarded in his name. He became a publisher,businessman, author and inventor, holding 80
patents.
After emigration in 1904 from Luxembourg hebecame a naturalized citizen. He would go throughthe marriage vows three times. He founded Electrical
Importing in 1905 to eventually move to radio row
233 Fulton street in Manhattan. (Ad from TV News1948)
They imported specialized electronic equipmentfrom Europe helping supply many of those whowanted to design their own radios and transmitters, marketing the TELIMCO Wireless brand, thefirst home radio set and first walkie talkie. He organized the WAA - The Wireless Association ofAmerica, the pre-curser of the A.R.R.L. In 1912 our subject made the statement “estimated 400,000
people in the U.S. were involved in amateur radio.”
Gernsback published the first radio magazine in the world called “Radio-Craft.” - Built and operated
WRNY radio in 1925 and there he experimented with Television. In 1926 Hugo published “AmazingStories.” This perhaps the most famous of the early
Science Fiction Magazines. He would have theenterprising Robert Hertzberg on his staff. He was a
influential promoter of radio and medium thru his
popular magazines and books. Being diversified, he kept
afloat thru the awful depression times even tho forced
into bankruptcy in 1929. Ziff-Davis acquired “AmazingStories” in 1938 and they had a long run until 1965.
Gernsback expired in 1967 and his body was given toCornell Medical College in NYC at age 83. He kept trueto science even at the end with the gift of himself.
Pictured at left, the Hugo Gernsback Testimonial
Trophy, presented on 18 May 1953. The event honored
Gernsback’s anniversary of 50 years of electronic
pioneering and publishing expertise.
The Trophy was signed by many famous personages,including Dr. Lee deForest, John DiBlasi, David Sarnoff& W2DJJ Bob Hertzberg.
Continued final page.

W 8SU 2006 added 2017

A very young Hugo Gernsback, writer, publisher, inventor.

Time marches on, awaits no man!

Gernsback appreciated in his
home country Luxembourg.

Tragedy in the Gernsbackfamily. Mother Dorothy,
father Hugo Gernsback.
The child Bernette E.
Gernsback was born 3
May 1923 in Manhattan.