As anyone who has done any kind of in-depth research knows, you tend to raise a few new questions for every answer you find. My files on some condor specimens and condor mortalities are large and probably pretty complete; others have little more than, say, a record that the killing took place, or that the specimen still exists. Below are names of people and places that I'd like more information about. If you know anything about any of these items (even if what you know doesn't seem to have anything to do with condors), I'd like to hear from you.

A. BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS
1. Ward's Natural Science Establishment - they handled perhaps a dozen condors, but most have no collection history; there are extensive collections at Rochester, New York, but the correspondence is not indexed in a way conducive to finding individual specimen records. Anyone know anything specific about Ward's and condors?
2. Pasadena Academy of Sciences: they had a condor specimen around 1890; what would have happened to it?
3. Charles K. Worthen: a number of condors passed through his establishment in the 1880s and later. Are his business records archived anywhere?
4. Rosenberg's (London): sold several condors in early 1900s. Where would one look for transaction records from them?
5. Dr. Georg A. Girtanner: St. Gallen, Switzerland; Dr. Girtanner operated, but he provided condors to a number of institutions in Europe in the 1890s and early 1900s. Would his records survive in archives anywhere?
6. James M. Babbitt: Taunton, Massachusetts dealer had one condor for sale in 1901; do business records exist?
7. Kny-Scheer Company: New York supply house that sold at least one condor. Do business records exist?

B. PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
1. Charles Bonaparte - supplied two condors to Paris Museum in 1858, probably as part of his estate. Any Bonaparte records saved that might give clues as to where he obtained the specimens?
2. Walter E. Bryant - he had at least six condors in his possession at various times (most lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire); how did he acquire them?
3. E. A. Bangs and Outram Bangs: Boston had at least one condor; any notes available that might give clues as to origin?
4. Manly Hardy: Brewer, Maine; how and when did he acquire his (two?) condors?
5. Oliver Davie: had at least one condor in Ohio in the 1890s; where did he get it, and where did his collection go?
6. John Steere: from Rhode Island and later Santa Monica, California; where did he acquire his condor specimens?
7. G. E. Colwell: San Francisco, California: donated a condor to the California Academy of Sciences 1892; undoubtedly lost in the 1906 quake and fire, but where did he get it?
8. George N. Lawrence: he had condors specimens that went to the American Museum of Natural History after his death in 1895; they would have been collected say 1860-1880; any personal records available that might give acquisition info?
9. R. E. Dodge: a condor specimen from his collection is in the Hastings (Nebraska) Museum; who was Dodge, and where did he get his condor?
10. Alexander Dow: donated a condor to the American Museum of Natural History 1898; may have had others. Did he leave any records?
11. John Lewis Childs: had at least four condors at various times. I've tracked down some info, but still need some of the acquisition and disposal records.
12. Jonathan Dwight Jr: had at least two condors, 1901-1916; records available of acquisition and disposal?
13. Albert Ernest Colburn: Los Angeles, had at least five condors in hand at various times. Any personal records surviving of these?
14. John Thayer: had several condors at various times; I know some of the details, but need more.
15. Emery M. Whilton: Tulare, California, had at least one condor; where did he get this bird, which is now in the Kern Historical Society (Bakersfield, CA)?
16. William Cline and George Cline: Los Angeles, had at least two condors; any records?

C. ORIGINAL ACQUIRERS AND AGENTS
1. John Lawrence LeConte - acquired a condor skull in southern California in 1850-1851. Did he leave any journals that might give more info?
2. James Capen "Grizzly" Adams - had several live condors, when he was traveling with P. T. Barnum and before (1850s-1860s). Where did they go when Adams died?
3. Adna A. Hecox - Santa Cruz, California; shot a condor that may have been preserved in 1860s. Where did it go?
4. A. I. Abbott - shot a condor at Salinas, California 1875. Who was he; was the condor saved?
5. Arthur Wilcox: San Luis Obispo County, California - Wilcox both killed condors and served as an agent for those seeking specimens. He was one of the most prolific of condor shooters. I have some information about him, would like more.
6. Frank H. Holmes: Berryessa, California: perhaps a dozen condors passed through his hands (most to the U. S. National Museum), and he had a captive condor for some time; any record of who procured the birds for him, and what happened to the notes and photos taken of the captive bird?
7. M. Abbott Frazar: Frazar collected (or perhaps just had in his possession) at least two condors in Baja California in December 1907; where was he when he obtained the birds?
8. Otto Fritsche: the German naturalist had a specimen which he sold in 1910. Do any of his personal records survive?

D. TAXIDERMISTS
1. Edward Lorquin - San Francisco 1870s and later; had at least two condors in his shop. I haven't been able to tie them with certainty to known specimens.
2. Thomas Shooter: Los Angeles - probably a dozen condors passed through his hands in the 1880s and 1890s. Do any business or personal collection records survive?
3. Evan Davis and Ben Davis: Orange, California: they prepared at least three condor specimens, including two now at the Carnegie Museum (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). Any business or personal records surviving?
4. Andy Booth: Los Angeles taxidermist who handled at least two condors. Any records of this man or his business?

E. OTHERS
1. Charles Frederick Holder: he wrote a number of stories about condors when he was in southern California 1880s and 1890s. The articles appear authentic, and Holder had good scientific credentials, but the articles don't contain specific time and place data. Did he leave journals or notes that would identify when and where these events took place?

2. GENERAL - NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS
I've reviewed most of the big city papers in the United States, but it's fascinating the number of condor mortality reports I've found in small hometown papers. I haven't done much with newspapers outside the United States. If you happen to know of any good early newspaper accounts (before 1940) of California condors, I'd appreciate hearing from you.