Introduction
Albert W. Atkinson was born in Burlington County, New Jersey around 1861 to Joseph and Hannah Atkinson. The family had been living in Westampton Township shortly before his birth, and was living in Springfield Township, Burlington County NJ at the time of the 1870 Census. Joseph Atkinson then supported his family, which included daughters Hannah and Frances, working as a laborer. When the census was taken in 1880 Albert Atkinson had left home and was working as a machinist. He was living at Smithville, in Easthampton Township, Burlington County NJ, where Hezekiah B. Smith operated a factory which manufactured woodworking machinery and bicycles. Smith died in November of 1887. By 1888 Albert Atkinson had moved to Mount Holly NJ. That year he began working for the Northrop Manufacturing Company at 117–119–121 North Front Street, a firm which manufactured steam engines. In 1890 he went to work for another company, A Scull & Son, whose machine shop was at 108 North Front Street. Another young machinist was employed there, named Eldridge Johnson. Albert Atkinson and Eldridge Johnson would remain associated for most of the next five decades. When Scull & Son became Scull & Johnson, Albert Atkinson stayed on.
Albert Atkinson moved to Camden later in the 1890s. When the Census was taken in 1900, Albert W. Atkinson, his wife Mary, and daughters Celia and Myra were living at 606 Federal Street in Camden. He was then the foreman at a machine shop, probably that of his friend, Eldridge Johnson. When Johnson founded the Victor Talking Machine Company, Albert Atkinson was the firm’s first machine shop foreman. He remained with the firm until his retirement in April of 1928, his last position being that of Assistant Treasurer. He also served on the Board of Directors, and oversaw the construction of every large building at the Victor plant, some of which are still standing and in use in 2006. While with Victor, he worked alongside Walter Staats and Albert C. Middleton, among others.
Albert Atkinson and family had moved to West Walnut Avenue in Merchantville NJ by 1910, and by 1920 to 109 East Maple Avenue in the same borough. He raised horses on his Rolling Meadow Farm, on Hampton Road in nearby Delaware Township, and yachting. In 1928 he served as commodore of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association.
Albert W. Atkinson passed away less than two years after his retirement. The 1930 Census indicates he was survived by his wife Mary and daughter, Celia Atkinson Patterson.
Atkinson Resigns from Victor Board
Camden Courier-Post —
Merchantville Man Was First of Johnson’s Colleagues in Great Firm
Oldest member of the board in point of service, Albert W. Atkinson, of Merchantville, has resigned from the directorate of the Victor Talking Machine Company.
Announcement of the resignation was made last night.
His desire to reduce the number of his active interests was the reason given by Atkinson for his retirement. He recently passed his 67th birthday.
In leaving his associations, which date back to the founding of the company in 1901, he said, “I feel that I have earned a little leisure.”
Atkinson was one of the small group of men associated with Eldridge R. Johnson when the company was founded and stood first in length of service with the founder. He became connected with Johnson in 1890 in what then was the machine shop of Scull and Johnson.
Starting as foreman of the machine shop after the Victor Company was incorporated in 1901, Atkinson advanced to the position of assistant treasurer. Edward E. Shumaker, who recently was elected president of the company, once worked as Atkinson’s office boy.
During most of his service, Atkinson was in complete charge of production and construction. He supervised the building of every big building in the Victor plant.
In 1908, Atkinson went to Europe to arrange foreign protection for Victor patents and out of this trip grew affiliations that still are in effect, some of them the most important connections in the company’s foreign trade.
Atkinson, owner of Rolling Meadow Farm, Hampton road, Merchantville, is a nationally known breeder of hackney horses. He also is well known as a yachtsman.