Greetings old iron collectors and enthusiasts!
I have a rare and unusual treat in this issue, an update on a formerly featured youngster collector, now an experienced and well-aged gentleman by the name of Paul Gorrell. Paul and his Master Workman engine acquisition were originally printed in black and white on the pages of … drum roll please … the very first issue of Gas Engine Magazine!
Dated January/February 1966, under the watchful eyes of Editor Rev. Elmer L. Ritzman, Gas Engine Magazine was born. This was many, many moons before I entered the world, and another company owned the title altogether. Additionally, it was based out of Enola, Pennsylvania, a hop, skip, and a jump away from the beautiful plains of Kansas the magazine now calls home. Besides that, much remains the same as for the breadth and scope of what we cover within these pages every other month.
Now, I have the extreme privilege of having immediate access to every issue of the magazine printed to date. I often turn to these pages for inspiration and rerun story gems from time to time. If you have been a long-time subscriber, I extend my gratitude and hope you continue to enjoy the magazine. A great many of you boast being the recipient of every issue of GEM to date. That is just incredible! If you are new to the magazine, allow me to share a glimpse into the beginnings of Gas Engine Magazine.
“Mr. Ray Geisinger will have a page describing an engine in each issue. Mrs. Dorothy Smith will conduct the Ladies Page. Joe Fahnestock with his Spark Plug of the Month. Mrs. Anna Mae Branyan will have a column as she does in the Album. We shall endeavor to add other regular features.
“We shall always be pleased to have your comments and criticisms concerning the contents and makeup of the magazine … I think we should make it clear that this magazine is a historical treatise on all internal combustion engines. Of course we will lope over into other fields sometimes, but we hope that this will be of interest to many of our readers.” Found in that first issue, this comment was printed under Editorial, and I assume written by the editor, though the attribution is unclear.
This all still rings true (although I would add I enjoy compliments much more than criticism, as one does). So send your stories, letters and photos my way. Diverse content and historical perspectives are what make this magazine so fascinating. Similarly to Paul Gorrell, if your photo has been splashed across the pages of GEM in the past, I’d love to give readers an update!
Until next issue,
Originally published as “First Issue Flashbacks” in the June/July 2023 issue of Gas Engine Magazine.
