The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum
An Underground Tesla Museum
                       http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com
 


"The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum" is the result of over a decade of research.  It's
goal is to provide the visitor with a wealth of unusual trivia concerning devices long ago forgotten.
We are located in the Historic Northwood section of West Palm Beach, Florida.  To visit the museum,
please email and phone to make an appointment.  We accept visitors on weekends and after normal
business hours. 

To our surprise, this website receives more than two million hits per year - many from around the
world.  Feel free to drop us a line or call with any questions and comments regarding the website, research, etc.

Are you making a movie or radio program about Nikola Tesla?  We welcome film crews and media here.  There is nothing we enjoy more
than telling the stories of the machines, inventors, and apparatus to even wider audiences.  And more than your average museum, we cater
to our guests interests and demonstrate machines live.  We've restored nearly all of the machines in our museum to be fully operational.

The website currently contains over 80,000 files.  We are currently not a non-profit - everything you see if done for free out-of-pocket.
We're also not independently wealthy and both work full-time jobs - so donations are welcome!  We are constantly looking for old
cloth covered wire, paraffin and beeswax, magnet wire, and surplus electrical items to assist in our restorations. 

Jeff and Rita Behary, Curators
627 36th Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Phone: 954 253 3529

Contact Us via email

Please leave a message if you receive a voice mail, we tend to answer questions between 4 - 9pm EST.

Jeff Behary

 

1996:  Created first website:  www.lvstrings.com/quack.htm, and Jeff Behary's Research Laboratory...early workings of a museum in progress!
 
1997:  Creation of the official website:  "The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum"
 
1998:  Experimentation to improve modern Tesla Coils:  Threaded Coil forms, Self-Cooling Tungsten Spark Gaps, Obscure coil
          winding methods.
 
1999:  Wrote excerpts for the chapter "Rays and Radiation" for Bob McCoy's "Quack! Tales Of Medical Fraud", c/o
          The Museum Of Questionable Medical Devices.
          Attended the "Disinformation Conference" in Manhattan, NY with underground author Adam Parfrey.  Mr. Parfrey
          spoke of his new book, "Apocalypse Culture II" while I conducted 500,000 Volts through my body
          at the Hammerstien Ballroom.
 
2001:  In September 2001 I used forgotten technologies to create a Tesla Coil that developed discharges
           thousands of degrees yet requiring little power consumption (less than 1000W).  This coil was exhibited by Bill
           Wysock of Tesla Technology Research for the 2001 AMTA Convention in Denver, Colorado.  This was the start
           of my research with multi-layer Tesla Coils and Pancake Coils.

2002:  Publication of several independent articles on St. Elmo's Fire (SAIL Magazine, USA,;  Flyer Magazine, UK).
          Provided video footage for a Japanese documentary on St. Elmo's Fire and a made-for-TV movie about
          a recent plane crash caused by this phenomenon.
          Sent a letter to Czech President Vaclav Havel seeking permission to donate a large Tesla Coil to the city of Prague.
          Donated the "Prague Coil" to NTM, the first reproduction of a Bipolar Pancake Tesla Coil System in over 75 years.
          With the generous help of Vaclav Suchy and Pavel Pitrak of NTM obtained rare photos of Vacuum Discharge Tubes
          from a Czech archive.
 
2003:  Attended the "Tesla Electrotherapy Energy Conference" hosted by Tom Valone in Washington D.C.
          Provided a one-hour lecture to 1000 people on "Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy
          Discoveries" that was released on DVD.  Attending this lecture was William Terbo, Tesla's Grand-Nephew, and Executive
          of  The Tesla Memorial Society.  We have remained friends and colleagues ever since.
 
2004:  Did massive research into the patents of Thomas Burton Kinraide and other Tesla contemporaries.  Began to archive
          thousands of pages of patents, books, manuscripts, and instruction manuals associated with Tesla technologies and
          Electrotherapy.  Collaborated with fellow collectors to have permanent "Feature Exhibitions" at the museum.  Collaborated
          with BBC Television for documentary. 

2005:  Uncovered the remains of Electrical Pioneer Thomas Burton Kinraide's Laboratory in Jamaica Plain.  The result was the discovery
          of a lifetime:  Over 500 glass plate negatives of spark discharge photos, the earliest surviving Tesla Coils built by Kinraide from
          1897-1901, and various personal belongings.  They remain the most treasured pieces in our collection.
          Met fellow collector Frank Jones and his wife Shari in Salt Lake City, Utah for the "Tesla Tech ExtraOrdinary Technology
          Conference 2005".  Frank and I lectured on Early Electrotherapeutics, Tesla Coil design, and demonstrated several
          machines including a McIntosh Hogan brought by fellow collector Dwight Krebs.  The lecture was released on DVD and VHS.

2006:  Moved to new location:  627 36th Street / West Palm Beach, FL 33407
          BBC Radio 4 "Questions Questions":  "Violet Ray Machines", hosted by Stewart Hendersen / Produced by Sarah Cuddon.
          Aired Thursday 25. May 2006
          Lectured on Long Island, New York for the 150th Anniversary Of Tesla's Birth.  Joined museum friends from around the country
          for one of the greatest events of the decade!
          Got to meet Harry Goldman of TCBA by phone.  I've never been the same since.  He's simply wonderful!

2007:  The Year Of New Information!
          Was contacted by (and was fortunate enough to meet in person)  Robert Campbell, Earle Ovington Biographer and Collector. 
          Was contacted by Tom Curtis, son of Thomas Stanley Curtis.
          Was contacted by the family of Thomas Burton Kinraide.   Recovered the prototype high frequency oil-filled Tesla-Thomson
          Coil made by Kinraide in 1897.  This coil produced the first X-Rays of the human trunk.  Aside from its obvious historic value,
          it can be regarded as the earliest surviving Tesla Coil and perhaps the only known period high frequency induction coil. 
          Was contacted by Donna, great grand-daughter of William Benham Snow.
          Was contacted by the H. G. Fischer family, Hannah and Jonathan Fischer
          Was contacted by Ray Minichiello, close friend of Charles Campbell of Campbell Electric Co.
          Was extra in the film "All About Tesla:  The Research" by Michael Krause
          Was filmed for Toronto-based TV Show TBA

2008:  Was on the History Channel's Modern Marvels - "Mad Electricity"
          Frank still continues to amaze us with his newest finds.

2009:  Heard from the family of X-Ray Pioneer Edwin Lee Edwards
          Created an operational Poulsen Arc generator
          Robert Campbell published the incredible book on Earle Lewis Ovington, "Reminiscences Of a Birdman"
          Continued research with low voltage Tesla Coils and Induction Coils
          Tracked down the family of Tesla Coiling pioneer James E. Seeley.
       
 


Jeff and Rita Behary

Who on earth is Jeff Behary?  I am an avid experimenter in Tesla technologies.  A historian of early electrical pioneers & devices,
I am trying my best to preserve history that's been forgotten.  I'm not a conspiracy theorist, or promoter of alternative medicine.
I'm equally not someone who says that all the machines are quackery and we know everything there is to know about electricity.
I like to recreate things that are forgotten and relive the experiences of inventors long gone.  It's always fun, exciting, and informative.

I'm a machinist by trade originally.  I've programmed and operated a variety of CNC and manual machines.  My Dad and I have a large collection
of machinist equipment including two milling machines and four lathes, and a brass/bronze foundry built by my grandfather.  Some things are
hard to live without, even at home.  I am proficient in AutoCAD and Solidworks, and thoroughly enjoy engineering and building things into
the wee hours of morning on many occasions.  There must be a very fine line between passion and madness...

I had the great privilege of working for Labock Technologies, Inc. - an incredible armoring and defense company.  There I had the unique
opportunity of working with some of the best engineers and minds in the country, and am grateful for what was an opportunity of a lifetime.

Misc. things I enjoy:

Dr. Who, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools And Horses, ...
I love 70s and 80s British TV.  Its priceless.

Eastern European, Indian, Thai, Moroccan, Lebanese, Turkish, and Persian foods:
Things I like to eat:  Tripe Soup (Drstkova Polevka), Headcheese (Tlacenka), Lard  (Smalec), Curries...  Someone has to like them!
 
Favourite Beers:  Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, Radegast, Czechvar, Zywiec, Okocim, Obolon, etc...
Favourite Spirits:  Absinth, Borovicka, Becherovka, Fernet, Slivovica
Zobaczenia pod stolem, na zdravie, ...

Favourite Desserts:  Kolace, Makovnik, Gomboti
I also collect Poppy Seed Grinders and Coffee Grinders.

Favourite candy:  Salmiak.  Especially from Finland.  Oh, that is good.

Music:
English:   David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Jethro Tull, Perry Como
(Yes, some I have are on vinyl and 8-track too.  Some of Perry 78's too.  Those are magic too.)
French:  Jacques Brel
(Brel was amazing.  One day I want to visit his grave and Gauguin's in Hiva Oa)
Czech:  Plastic People Of The Universe, DG 307
(I named our dog Mejla.  PPU is the greatest band ever))

Favourite Authors:  Vaclav Havel, Bertolt Brecht
Clearly for very different reasons...
I also enjoyed reading the 3 volume set of Vincent van Gogh letters, more than 650 if I remember.  Fascinating stuff!

Favourite Artists:  Andy Warhol, Edvard Munch, Mucha, Rolf Armstrong, Toulouse Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Emile Bernard



Hats off to those involved with the Velvet Revolution.  The unusual story of Charter '77 has always captivated me.
I received this photo of President Havel after donating "The Prague Coil" to NTM.  It is one of my prized possessions. 

Do you have a story about Charter '77 or the Velvet Revolution?  I would love to listen to it, please email if so.
 




Frank is an amazing collector and person.  He is better than any museum (including this one!).  From Queen's X-Ray tubes,
to an original Rhumkorff Coil, to the rarest of the rare...all fortunately owned by someone nice enough to share such treasures!


Click here to read about our Featured Collector:  Frank Jones

 


Misc.
 
 
The Magic Of Oil Painting / Wm. (Bill) Alexander Museum

I learned to paint from "the guys on TV".  William Alexander inspired me to begin painting.  Later Bob Ross come along and also did a fantastic job.  I was fortunate enough to meet Bob a year before he died.  As I never met Bill in person, here is my tribute to him.  I have 2 of his original paintings.
Wanted:  Magic Of Oil Painting Supplies, Paintings, Videos, Books, etc.

I also collect old paint.  Even if its dried up or unusable. 
The Paintings Of Jeff Behary

Some of my crude paintings.
   
http://www.teslamemorialsociety.org

Tesla Memorial Society, Inc.

 
http://www.ttr.com

Tesla Technology Research

   
http://www.arcsandsparks.com

PV Scientific




This is another prized possession, sent after Rita and I got married.