December 2, 2026 First Wednesday Luncheon:
Philately & International Mail Order Fraud: Elvard Moses and the Oxypathor Company
For the Westfield Historical Society’s First Wednesday Luncheon series in December, guests are welcome to a luncheon at Echo Lake Country Club at 515 Springfield Ave, Westfield, NJ 07090 on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, beginning with check-in at 11:45am (usually ends @2:15).
In the early 20th century, American fraudsters exploited international mail to deceive the public. One was Elvard Moses of Buffalo, NY, creator of the Oxypathor, a device he claimed polarized the skin, increased blood oxygen, and cured nearly every disease. Sold for $35—about $700 today—through 300 U.S. and 150 international franchises, it made him millions. The talk traces his career through Oxypathor ephemera and the worldwide postal history generated by the scam.
Ed Grabowski earned a chemistry degree from MIT in 1961 and a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Rochester in 1965. During a 39-year career in Merck Research Laboratories’ Chemical Development Group in Rahway, NJ, he helped design practical syntheses for products including Imipenem, Finasteride, Efavirenz, and Januvia, retiring as Vice President, Chemistry. In 2005, he received the University of Rochester’s Distinguished University Scholar Award.
A childhood interest in philately grew into serious collecting of French Colonies postal history. Curiosity about addressees led Ed to develop a mail-order fraud collection, a new philatelic field on which he has exhibited, published, and lectured extensively.
