The range of material covered by the Handbook of Old-Time Radio--comprises more than 12 years of research, including the use of the NBC archives at the Library of Congress. This volume covers from 1926 (when NBC was incorporated) to 1962. It consists of three parts:
A brief history of networks and broadcasting
An organization, consisting of category logs listing more than 4,500 programs organized by program type
Program Descriptive Log, briefly describing more than 2,000 of the better-known programs, providing for each such information as the year of first and last show, performers, length of program, and story line.
The handbook concludes with directory information (public collections, OTR fan clubs, dealers); a selected, annotated bibliography; a performer/name index; and a program index.
This is an invaluable guide and an absolute must-have for any serious Golden Age Radio Collector.
Encyclopedia of Radio (Hardcover). C. Sterling
3 Volumes in Hardcover: 1696 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 11.5 x 9.0 x 5.0
This set is a companion to the Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television(Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997) and features a broader topical scope to reflect the medium of radio's advanced development. The 670 alphabetically arranged entries, written by scholars and experts, range from 1 to 10 pages and explore various aspects of radio broadcasting within radio's historical context. Types of entries include programs (The Green Hornet), people (Keillor, Garrison), networks and organizations (National Broadcasting Company), regulations and policies (Equal Time Rule), audience research (RADAR), evolving technology (Internet radio), radio stations (KYW), and radio's interaction with other societal forces (Violence and radio). Some entries are accompanied by one of 200 black-and-white photographs. The encyclopedia's scope is international, but treatment of non-U.S. radio is often done in broad surveylike entries such as Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. The majority of entries emphasize U.S. radio practices, with a secondary emphasis on key English-speaking nations like Britain and Canada.
A substantial general annotated bibliography precedes the entries, and within each entry is a bibliography for further reading. The index is fairly comprehensive but could be expanded even more to accommodate geographical interests. For example, it would help to list entries for individual radio stations under the cities in which they are located. The new encyclopedia is a major addition to radio reference works.
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The second most valuable and entertaining book for your Golden Age Radio reference collection.
On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. John Dunning
Hardcover: 840 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 2.51 x 10.29 x 7.54
Publisher: Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0195076788; (May 1998)
Some 1,500 radio shows, listed in alphabetical order, are described in concise articles linked with an extensive cross-reference. The cross-reference is crucial, because someone looking for Ozzie and Harriet or Sam Spade will need to know that both programs are listed in the main part of the text under The Adventures of.... The articles vary in length, from the briefest of paragraphs (The Billie Burke Show and Linda's First Love) to several pages (The Lone Ranger and The Mercury Theater of the Air). Each program entry consists of title and broadcast history (including exact starting and ending dates, day and timeslot, network, announcer, sponsor, etc.). This is followed by an essay that often imparts all manner of detail, or, in the case of those short entries, a capsule description of the program.
The third most valuable and entertaining book for your Golden Age Radio reference collection.
Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age.Leonard Maltin
Paperback: 324 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.89 x 9.27 x 7.28
Publisher: New American Library Trade; ISBN: 0451200780; (November 7, 2000)
Not a scholarly work, nor a particularly factual reference such as those above, but so very highly entertaining it's difficult to put down. Leonard Maltin is clearly more of a fan than afficionado of the Golden Age of Radio, but his anecdotes and obvious love for the subject make up for some of the factual ommissions or lapses.
A definite keeper and a most entertaining addition to any Golden Age Radio lover's library.
MP3 is here to stay, and the applications for this versatile compression format are expanding exponentially along with its user base. MP3: The Definitive Guide should appeal to a broad audience of users, from the those just getting into this exciting new technology, to those who want to fully immerse themselves in the complexities and possibilities that MP3 presents.
A Golden Age: The Golden Age of Radio from the Smithsonian Odyssey Collection.Martha Wickham, Dan Brown (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 32 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.35 x 10.26 x 8.30
Stunningly attractive illustrations by Dan Brown, and a marvelous story about a young African-American girl, Emma, who "finds the old radios in the Information Age exhibit vaguely familiar. One looks just like the radio with the cracked knob that doesn't work anymore that her grandmother keeps in her living room. Emma's friends, an interracial group, continue to another exhibit as she sits down to watch old TV clips. The music on her walkman changes as she "falls asleep." She "awakens" to Big Band music coming from an old fashioned radio."
The premise alone makes it an intriguing read. The younger readers in your family will love this book. And you'll love telling them what it's all about, as well.
Radios: The Golden Age.Philip Collins, Robert Patterson (Photographer)
Hardcover: 120 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.60 x 8.81 x 10.34
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Pub; ISBN: 1884822665; Reprint edition (February 1997)
A beautifully photographed and informative salute to the Radios of The Golden Age. Look for Philip Collins' Radio Redux as well if you can still find it.
Spoor of a Gofer: The Big Tobacco Era, Radio's Golden Age, and TV Through Its Teens. Larry Bruff.
Paperback: 348 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.77 x 9.00 x 6.00
Ever wonder just how strong that back-room connection really was behind Big Tobacco and The Golden Age Broadcasting Era? Here's some fascinating answers
All-American Ads of the 30's.Jim Heimann.
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc; (December 2002)
ISBN: 3822816205
Average Customer Review: Based on 1 review. Write a review.
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 20,565
This book and the remaining suggestions from Jim Heimann and Taschen, America are without exception some of the most beautifully and accurately rendered ephemera in my collection of Golden Age Ephemera. Try just one of them and you'll be a Jim Heimann convert for life. Hours and hours of absolutely fascinating and enjoyable remembrances and memorable ephemera of the Golden Age of Radio Era.
All-American Ads of the 40's.Jim Heimann.
Paperback: 764 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 2.43 x 10.97 x 8.82
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc; ISBN: 3822814687; (March 2002)
All-American Ads of the 50's.Jim Heimann.
Paperback: 928 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 2.13 x 10.18 x 7.84
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc; ISBN: 3822811580; (March 2002)
All-American Ads of the 60's.Jim Heimann.
Paperback: 960 pages
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc; ISBN: 3822811599; (December 2002)
California Crazy & Beyond.Jim Heimann.
Paperback: 180 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.65 x 10.08 x 7.62
Publisher: Chronicle Books; ISBN: 0811830187; New edition (June 2001)
More from Jim Heimann. With special emphasis on California Kitsch in industrial design of the 20's through 60's. You'll read it cover to cover, non-stop.
50s Cars (Icons). Jim Heimann.
Paperback: 192 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.56 x 7.92 x 5.72
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc; ISBN: 3822816302; (September 2002)
The cars of the era were an inseparable element of the Golden Age. Jim captures the very essence of these classic icons of the era, beautifully in image and print..
See the World (Icons).Jim Heimann.
Paperback: 192 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.56 x 7.92 x 5.74
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc; ISBN: 3822816264; (September 2002)
The travel ads of the era were an yet another key reminder of the Golden Age. Jim Heimann's images of the travel icons of the era will transport you back to that incredible time we all cherish so very much.
Blue Plate Special: The American Diner Cookbook.Elizabeth McKeon, Linda Everett
Paperback: 226 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.52 x 10.00 x 8.04
Publisher: Cumberland House; ; (October 1996)
ISBN: 1888952016
Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchcover Art .by H. Thomas Steele, Jim Heimann
Hardcover: 95 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.50 x 10.00 x 9.50
Publisher: Abbeville Press, Inc.
ASIN: 0896596958
Populuxe: the Look and Life of America in the '50s and '60S, from Tailfins and TV Dinners to Barbie Dolls and Fallout Shelters. Thomas Hine, Martha Kaplan (Editor)
Paperback: ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.99 x 10.30 x 8.47
Publisher: Knopf; ; (November 1987)
ASIN: 0394740149
Retro Diner: Comfort Food from the American Roadside. Linda Everett
Hardcover: 128 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.62 x 8.31 x 8.89
Publisher: Collectors Press; ; (October 1, 2002)
ISBN: 1888054689
The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece. Lorraine B. Diehl, Marianne Hardart
Hardcover: ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.59 x 7.77 x 7.78
Publisher: Clarkson N. Potter; ; (November 5, 2002)
ISBN: 0609610740
Diner Desserts. Tish Boyle, Clark Irey (Photographer)
Paperback: 176 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.55 x 9.23 x 8.08
Publisher: Chronicle Books; ; (May 15, 2000)
ISBN: 0811824497
Diners: American Retro. Alison Moss
Hardcover: 111 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.51 x 6.72 x 6.56
Publisher: Sourcebooks Trade; ; (October 2000)
ISBN: 1570715939
The American Diner.Michael Karl Witzel.
Hardcover: 160 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.75 x 10.32 x 10.33
