I have said before that I seriously do not think that my almost 50 years of research will last long after my own demise. As you get older and you think back to those who had their archives pilfered and work used after their deaths it gets sobering.
My hallway cupboard serves as the storage area for my UFO/CE3K files as well as the full to the brim work on exotics since 1977. Add to that my work on canids and felids since 1976 and it is a lot of paperwork. Letters, case reports, photos and much more never seen by anyone else. A unique collection which my family assures me will be in the burner after a week!
Most of the exotics work (Exotic Animals Register -EAR) is not seen here but is to the left out of frame. To the extreme right and hidden by the large Historical files is one dedicated to something that has occupied my attention since the 1970s -The False Lights of Durham 1965-1866. The historical files are packed full of historical UFO reports from AD 1-1947 and you might ask why there are three folders. The answer is simple: the original volume contained every "UFO" report from as many books and periodicals as possible and it was through these and studying them that I came up with the three categories of UFO report.
Further study and research then led me to completing a list of historical UFO cases that could be clearly identified. Further work led to more amendments and updates to a revised volume. We are talking almost 2000+ pages to which separate files can be added.
The above is the first volume of Historical Reports and you can see it is bulky and considering the folders they are in were first replaced in the 1980s they need to be replaced which is something I hope to do this year ("hope").
Above: the second Historical Reports folder. In these folders are the original analyses of the Robozero Incident and the possible explanations that were looked into and conclusions.
Above: Yes, if you look closely you will notice that a typewriter was used. Thousands of typed pages that saw me work 0800-0200hrs on most days and I did go through three old typewriters!
Above: Regulars should recognise this as the old United States CE3K/AE file which is now divided up into a number of smaller folders now.
That is going to be some fire!
The problem is that hopes of digitally storing all of the work is a fantasy. I have pointed out how much time (3 years at least) and how much (estimated at £30,000( it will take and that is just not a reality and I really wanted to make the archives FREE to everyone. Today I started to update the United States 1950s file and...ran out of copier paper and also plastic document sleeves to keep the files protected. I ran out of printer ink but, luckily, I had some bottled ink left as I do my own cartridge refills. Why? Well, had I purchased new ink cartridges throughout 2021 the total cost would have been over £2000 ($2000). Doing my own refills is a pain but if I did not so much would still be sitting there unrecorded and filed for posterity.
Again: "Why don't you just scan the documents?" and again I point out that I do not have a scanner and the PC I use I have hammered into working again so many times I do not think it capable of handling the work.
It is no secret and there is no sense in hiding the fact that you are -for anything requiring money- financially broke. Over the years I have tried to get money to keep the archives going and even added the PayPalMe box. Zero. NO ONE offers grants for UFO research let alone archiving work. For the wildlife archive I may have someone who can take that on. The UFO work.... well, there's the problem....
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