Posted on 1 Comment

Frankford’s Unlikely Spy

If you can imagine a man living around Kindred and Castor as a spy that was known throughout the world, you have a great imagination but its true.  Allen Hornblum (author of  “The Invisible harry Gold: The Man Who Gave the Soviets the Atom Bomb“) mesmerized the  crowd back on May 14th at the Historical Society of Frankford as he spun the tale of an ordinary man who did a very bad thing.  A Philadelphia guy who got into industrial espionage in the thirties when he was recruited by the Soviets.  He was so unassuming that you would never suspect he was a key player in the plot to steal the secrets of the Aomic bomb by the Soviet Union.

In the end he repented, confessed and went to prison.  Others conspirators denied the truth until the end.  Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953.  Don’t ever pass up an opportunity to see Allen Hornblum in person.  He tells a great story.

The HSF has another great program coming up in a few weeks.  On June 14th they will be having their annual Antique and Collectible Appraisal fundraiser.  Appraisals will only cost $8.00 per item and it is a fundraiser for the Society so it is money well spent.  Watch the Gazette for details.

The Invisible Harry Gold: The Man Who Gave the Soviets the Atom Bomb

1 thought on “Frankford’s Unlikely Spy

  1. It was a very interesting talk and he was an excellent speaker. I was riveted to my seat.

    Here are some related items that I found floating around on Abe Books:

    SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Oct Term, 1951, No 111 JULIUS ROSENBERG & ETHEL ROSENBERG, PETITIONERS, vs. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: NO. 112 MORTON SOBELL, PETITIONER, vs. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Vol 2

    Bibliographic Details
    Publisher: Transcript of Record 
Publication Date: 1952 
Binding: Soft cover 
Book Condition: Very Good

    http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=161210994&searchurl=kn%3D%2522Jewish%2522%2B%2522atomic%2522%2B%2522spy%2522%26sts%3Dt%26x%3D0%26y%3D0

    Atomic Spy” Morton Sobell’s [Prison Copy] The Holy Scriptures. According To The Masoretic Text. A New Translation.

    Bibliographic Details
    Publisher: Philadelphia, 1954.
Publication Date: 1954 
Binding: Black gilt cloth

    Description:

    1,136pp. 12mo. The Old Testament in English. Jewish Publication Society. Morton Sobell’s prison copy with his name printed in pen on ep & “United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania” rubber stamp on ep. Sobell, an electrical engineer, was friend & former classmate of Julius Rosenberg at City College & was violently deported from Mexico & arrested in August 1950, charged with violating the Espionage Act, to stand trial as a co-conspirator in McCarthy era atomic spy case against Ethel & Julius Rosenberg (U.S. v. Rosenberg and Sobell Cr. No. 134-245 (S.D.N.Y.1951). Julius Rosenberg, like, Sobell, was also an electrical engineer charged with transferring with the aid of others, Los Alamos documents to Russia which could have aided them in developing the atomic bomb more speedily. Like the Rosenbergs, Sobell was convicted of espionage, serving time in Lewisburg & later San Quentin, released in 1960’s. The Rosenbergs were executed in 1953. A unique Cold War Rosenberg/Sobell spy case personal relic. Gd. – VG. Bookseller Inventory # 8829
    http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=66597115&searchurl=kn%3D%2522Jewish%2522%2B%2522atomic%2522%2B%2522spy%2522%26sts%3Dt%26x%3D0%26y%3D0

Comments are closed.