For two weeks in September-October Clas Svahn, Carl-Anton Mattsson and Håkan Ekstrand has been travelling around in England visiting ufologists and forteans who wished to donate all or part of their archive to AFU. This UFO-Sweden team has visited our English collegues many times before, always returning with generous donations of books, magazines, clippings etc. But this time was exceptional with donations from many ufologists and forteans. When all the 291 boxes were ready for shipment outside the house of Bob Rickard the team called the collection The Great Fortean Wall.
Carl-Anton Mattsson, Håkan Ekstrand and Bob Rickard with The Great Fortean Wall
We are especially grateful that Edwin Joyce decided to donate the entire Flying Saucer Review (FSR) archive to AFU. This collection is of immense value from a historical viewpoint and we are glad and honoured to be chosen as the custodians fo this treasure trove of data.
Håkan Ekstrand and Edwin Joyce in the FSR archive
Here is a list of the donors: Lionel Beer, Fran Copeland, Dan Clery, Richard and Stan Conway, Philip Creighton, Bob Digby, Omar Fowler, Stewe Gamble, Edwin Joyce, Matt Lyons, Norman Oliver, Bob Rickard, John and Judith Rimmer, Peter Rogerson, Dave Sankey, Staffan Skott, John Spencer, Valentine and Damien Ward, Jean-Luc Vertongen and Tim Vankerkom, John Wickham. On their way home the UFO-Sweden team made a stop in Vejle, Denmark to collect a donation from Lise Søbye Petersen, widow of recently deceased Danish ufologist H.C. Petersen. Well known as a George Adamski co-worker for many years. The material was handed over by Lise Agersnap.
Lise Agersnap
This week we also received 120 kilo UFO and theosophical magazines from Ole Henningsen of SUFOI in Denmark. According to Anders Liljegren the Schenker lorry will arrive tomorrow, Friday, with the 291 boxes. As usual it will be a tough job for the AFU staff to carry all these boxes down to our basement facility. But opening the boxes is like getting Christmas gifts in October. On behalf of AFU I would like to express our deep gratitude for all these exquisite donations. We will do our best to preserve this valuable heritage for future generations of researchers.
A lorry filled with world mysteries
AFU wouldn’t exist without many hundreds of sponsors who have contributed money to the running of the foundation: money for rents and electricity, phone, shelving, and a multitude of other regular costs. AFU welcome sponsors from anywhere in the world. If you wish to support our efforts to create an international master collection of unexplained phenomena visit our sponsorship page on our new website. All contributions, large or small, are welcome. We hope for your support!
