Peterson Guy: Allan Rosenfield

This article was written by Nelson Pidgeom and was first published in the
May, 2004 issue of The Sherlock Holmes Pipe CLub of Boston online newsletter.

In The Spirit of St. Patty's Day:

a story about Ireland in the good 'ole days.

Pictured from left to right: Jimmy Nicholson-former President now retired and living in Wexford, Ireland. Tony Dempsey-Marketing Director (only smoked Canadians) passed away a few years ago. Allan Rosenfield- SHPC Founder, Paddy Larrigan- Master Pipe Maker, just turned 80 and living in Black Rock, just outside of Dublin.

The above is a picture was taken at the Peterson Factory in Dublin, Ireland in 1987. A time not so long ago, when you could still smoke in the bars in Dublin, in fact you could smoke just about anywhere in the world. A time when, if someone talked about Anti, they were talking about their mother's sister and not some tobacco activist. A time when people were a bit less anal and the world was a better place.

Allan Rosenfield, who we reintroduced to the club last month, was fortunate enough to be a part of this historic shot (he's the one sporting the curly do) and thought it might be an interesting addition to this month's newsletter. Here's a little history that lead up to the taking of this picture.

Allan, started smoking a pipe at age 16, a time in his life he will never forget because he also lost his father that same year. On his 17th birthday Allan's mother handed him some money and said "Go to Boston and buy yourself a nice pipe." (Bless that woman!) Until now, all Allan new about pipes he learned from Kay Woodie and a Dr. Grabow. He took the money his mother gave him and ended up at Peretti's in Boston where he purchased his first Peterson, "The Thinking Man's Pipe". It was a shape 124 Killdeer Canadian, and it's been a love affair ever since. In 1987, at New England's first Pipe Show in Westborough, MA., Allan won first place for Best Pipe Brand for his collection of Peterson's. He was encouraged to take his collection to the National Pipe Show in Los Angeles which he did later that year and won first place for Best Pipe In Show for his Peterson Gold Banded Canadian Straight Grain.

No Peterson pipe had ever won this contest and he was invited by the Peterson Company to visit their factory in Dublin.... all expenses paid.

During the time Allan was in Dublin, visiting and touring the factory, reporters from the Dublin Times stopped by. They were doing a story on businesses in Ireland that were 100+ years old, of which Peterson was one. Allan was asked to join them in this photograph that would be printed along with the story in the Times. Something I'm sure would be a memorable moment for any of us. Allan describes the collection of pipes behind them as " A unique statement of the craft and art of Peterson Pipes."