Talk:John Burnside (inventor)

Gay Rights Activism/Inventing
He is titled as an inventor yet the article is almost exclusively about his activism and general homosexual activities. I propose he be moved to John Burnside (activist), or someone write up a little section on his inventions.--EchetusXe (talk) 01:09, 19 September 2008 (UTC)


 * In his later life, he was known more for his involvement with Harry Hay and the Radical Faeries. Thus, searching the web you will find all sorts of info from that arena.  However, in his earlier life (which was pre-web), he was known for his inventions.  In fact, the NY Times obit mentions that he made a bit of money from the Teleidoscope.
 * I'm going to try to write up a fuller description of his inventions in the next few days. -- SatyrTN (talk / contribs) 17:13, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Orphanage
I question the unsourced statement that Burnside was sent to an orphanage because of sexual play. None of the obituaries I've seen says that. In fact, one by Robert Croonquist says: "He was raised in Seattle by a mother who, out of economic necessity, left him in an orphanage for periods of his early childhood. In his ever cheery nature, which was mischievously called “pathologically optimistic” by his loving companions, John said it was a wonderful childhood full of loving people who did their best for a little boy they hardly knew. He had an unhappy early homosexual encounter that led him to suppress his sexuality and he married Edith Sinclair, a German immigrant.  He described their childless marriage as “not unhappy” but his inner life “cursed” until he visited ONE Institute which he had heard about from some gay employees in his factory." Wbkelley (talk) 16:31, 28 November 2008 (UTC)

Misc. Points about John Burnside
In addition to the bad homosexual experience mentioned in a previous posting, John also spoke lovingly of a very positive relationship with an older man (John referred to him as his "lover") who mentored him and encourage his intellectual pursuits.

I own one of the only working Symmetricons and the last complete model that John made. In the mid-1980s, during one of the Christmas-time visits I used to make to John and Harry's home with my late partner Bradley Rose, I encouraged John to document his schematics and designs for the Symmetricon so that they might be kept working after he passed away. John's response was to make a Symmetricon for the two of us. Its probably the most fully developed version since he intended for it to be used in our small apartment with the option of projecting the images on the ceiling as well as the wall. He even wired in a thermostat so the system would automatically shut down should we fall asleep while it was on. I'm aware of two earlier models —Preceding unsigned comment added by Willrsf (talk • contribs) 20:50, 9 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Did he ever document his design? I've searched unsuccessfully on the web for more information on the Symmetricon - maybe one day I can come see yours :) -- SatyrTN (talk / contribs) 04:14, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

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