LizzieMaine
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Since there's bound to be some Old Time Radio enthusiasts around the Lounge, I thought I'd share some examples of the original discs that are the source material for the programs that circulate today on tape and mp3....
This is the oldest radio disc I own -- an example of the Evening In Paris program from early 1930. This series, sponsored by Evening in Paris perfume, aired live in the East over CBS, but recordings were made for the use of stations on the West Coast -- this particular exampe was aired over station KOMO in Seattle. The disc is pressed shellac, 16 inches in diameter, and weighs about two pounds!
NBC opened its Electrical Transcription Service in 1936, making reference recordings of programs for sponsors and for its own files. This disc is a 1937 musical program called "Riding High," sponsored by a trade association for bicycle manufacturers, and featured Ray Sinatra (Frankie's cousin) and his Orchestra. Guest on this program was singer Ruth Etting -- in one of her last appearances on network radio.
During the war, the aluminum platters which formed the backing plate for recording discs were unavailable, and thin plate glass was used as a substitute. They were coated with the same black nitrate lacquer that was used for the aluminum discs, and produced a very fine recording surface -- but they were also extremely breakable. This specimen is an episode from the wartime "Man Behind The Gun" series over CBS.
Some programs had complimentary recordings made for presentation to program guests. One such example was the "Screen Guild Theatre" program, where Hollywood stars appeared in adaptations of popular films, donating their fees to the Motion Picture Fund for the construction of what would become the Motion Picture Country Home. This album of discs was presented to William Powell as a memento of his participation in the series -- the recordings themselves are 12 inch 78rpm shellac pressings suitable for playing on a home phonograph.
There were many other types of discs used for preserving radio broadcasts -- but these will give you an idea of what they were like!
This is the oldest radio disc I own -- an example of the Evening In Paris program from early 1930. This series, sponsored by Evening in Paris perfume, aired live in the East over CBS, but recordings were made for the use of stations on the West Coast -- this particular exampe was aired over station KOMO in Seattle. The disc is pressed shellac, 16 inches in diameter, and weighs about two pounds!
NBC opened its Electrical Transcription Service in 1936, making reference recordings of programs for sponsors and for its own files. This disc is a 1937 musical program called "Riding High," sponsored by a trade association for bicycle manufacturers, and featured Ray Sinatra (Frankie's cousin) and his Orchestra. Guest on this program was singer Ruth Etting -- in one of her last appearances on network radio.
During the war, the aluminum platters which formed the backing plate for recording discs were unavailable, and thin plate glass was used as a substitute. They were coated with the same black nitrate lacquer that was used for the aluminum discs, and produced a very fine recording surface -- but they were also extremely breakable. This specimen is an episode from the wartime "Man Behind The Gun" series over CBS.
Some programs had complimentary recordings made for presentation to program guests. One such example was the "Screen Guild Theatre" program, where Hollywood stars appeared in adaptations of popular films, donating their fees to the Motion Picture Fund for the construction of what would become the Motion Picture Country Home. This album of discs was presented to William Powell as a memento of his participation in the series -- the recordings themselves are 12 inch 78rpm shellac pressings suitable for playing on a home phonograph.
There were many other types of discs used for preserving radio broadcasts -- but these will give you an idea of what they were like!
) Were they exclusively in the 1920s? I think the earliest shows I've got are three Jack Bennys from 1934, maybe 1933. The low sound quality makes them pretty hard to listen to. 
