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How can I find out what the "International Acoustigraph Co.", founded in Tacoma in 1925, and leaving almost no record on the web, did exactly?

I have inherited a stock certificate (if that's what you call it), written out to my grandmother in 1930, for 1,275 shares in the International Acoustigraph Co. based in Tacoma, founded,a ccording to their corporate seal, in 1925.

I've given up most hope that this was the original name of IBM and that I'm in the possession of half that company (although feel free to prove me wrong). Now I'm just curious: What was acoustigraphy, exactly - writing with sound waves? For what? And what the hell did the International Acoustigraph Co. do?

I'm not sure I'll ever know why someone gave my grandmother a bunch of shares, nine months after the great depression began, no less. But it would be interesting to know what happened to the company. The internet reveals nothing, except that someone else is trying to sell a similar certificate for about $20.

If you can suggest some records somewhere, I'd really appreciate it!

Andrew asked in Personal Finance 4 months ago | Report

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  • Ava_small
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    Hit the tacoma library. They may have something on microfiche that hasn't gotten entered into databases. Also they probably know local historians. I would assume it has something to do with drawing sound ( like how seismic maps are made) you might also try contacting some people at uw or burke museum or mohi if the company got formulated into another company they may have some leads on where they were incorporated
    You need to find the nerds with books not the geeks on the net for combing through old records

    sublevelthree answered in Personal Finance 4 months ago | Report
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  • Librarians_small
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    Standard & Poor used to have a service that provided books with every publically-traded corporation from 1904 onward and its fate (bankruptcy or merger). Ask somebody at the library.

    Ballard Pimp answered in Personal Finance 4 months ago | Report
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  • Kendo_20dog_small
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    I found two references to acoustigraphs online, but the authors don't seem to agree on what the machine does. The first (from a Google Books result that does not look terribly well researched) claims that an acoustigraph is set up underwater and can be used to search for "the telltale signs of sonar."

    The second is a patent filed in 1929 for a device that looks like it might be an early teleprompter. The timing would be about right for your mystery company. Here's the patent: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1985253.pdf

    IsadoraWing answered in Personal Finance 4 months ago | Report
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