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NYPR Archives & Preservation
October 25, 2013 - Volume 12  Issue 41
Edition # 579
BROADCAST ON WNYC TODAY IN…

1924: Mayor John F. Hylan and Bronx Borough President Henry Bruckner speak at the Bronx Municipal Terminal Market during the cornerstone ceremonies.

1932: William Orton Tewson discusses the handwriting of famous authors. Tewson (1877-1947) was an editor and literary critic.

1949:Eleanor Roosevelt delivers a commentary in favor of re-electing Mayor William O'Dwyer.

1955: Travel writer John Gunther addresses The New York Herald Tribune Books and Authors Luncheon.

1960: U.N. General Assembly President Carlos P. Romulo, Eleanor Roosevelt, New York State's Attorney General Louis J. Lefkowitz, New York State Supreme Court Justice John E. Cone, and Congressman Emanuel Cellar address the meeting of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

1986: Host Amy Goodman talks about the 'Mayflower Madam' and prostitution on this edition of Speaking for Ourselves.

1991: Works by Lee Hoiby with Lee Hoiby on this episode of New Old and Unexpected with Tim Page.

2004: Stuart Feder, psychoanalyst, professor, and author of Gustav Mahler: A Life in Crisis, joins John Schaefer to talk about  his analysis of what allowed Mahler, in his toughest times, to create his most innovative work, on this installment of Soundcheck.
'WQXR Philharmonic Radiothons

This original poster measures 23" x 31." The Radiothon Festivals began in 1978 and ran through 1993. The 1993 New York Philharmonic Annual Report states that over those 16 years, WQXR provided 830 hours of free air time and raised more than $5 Million dollars for the orchestra. (Poster: WQXR Archive Collections. Thanks to NY Philharmonic Archivist and Historian Barbara Haws).

LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS


WNYC is Not Afraid
 
"The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, 50 West 50th Street, New York, N.Y., reports a radio talk on 'Foresight Saves Eyesight' in which syphilis was discussed. Speaking over Station WNYC, New York municipally owned station, C. Edith Kirby of the National Society staff said: 'Probably the most serious of all infectious diseases which may result in blindness is syphilis. This disease can affect the eyes in ways too numerous to be described here, except to say that every one of them is serious. Unlike any other of the infectious diseases, it can even be passed on to a baby before it is born ...For the prevention of much unnecessary blindness and other defects in children, the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness urges the use of a routine blood test for all pregnant women to discover and treat mothers who need treatment.' "
 
Source:"Public Health Education," American Journal of Public Health, Volume 25, Issue 12, December 1935, p.1374 [Excerpt from full transcript].
 
Editor's Note: Seymour N. Siegel, then identified as Director of Radio Broadcasting for WNYC, referred to this piece in the 1937-1938 edition of  Air Law Review, writing, "WNYC is one of the first radio stations in the United States to openly discuss syphilis and gonorrhea. Most stations have refrained from even mentioning the word 'syphilis.' The present administration, however, has felt that this is not a moral question but rather one of public health. Strangely enough and contrary to what might normally be expected, there has been no unfavorable repercussion so far as listeners are concerned. Instead WNYC has received unstinting praise from thousands who frankly find the broadcasts of special interest."
 
Source: Seymour N. Siegel, writing in "Cities On The Air," Air Law Review, Volume 8, (1937-1938) pg. 306.
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Curious about the artwork hanging outside of the NYPR archive office?  It's a triptych framing system designed and executed by the amazing artist Victor Stabin. Get the full story at: TRIPTYCH
WNYC First day of broadcast, July 8th, 1924. 
Municipal Archives Collection.

       WQXR at 75

          (2 Years Ago)

Forgotten Music Concerts Begin on WQXR

"A few months ago, Vladimir Dukelsky* came to WQXR to discuss an idea for bringing the 'Society for Forgotten Music' to the attention of a wider audience. The result is a series of Sunday afternoon concerts which will begin over WQXR in January. The Society, of which Mr. Dukelsky is President and Founder, has as its primary objective to acquaint the public with the large number of musical works of unusual merit which have been forgotten by the program-makers and music publishers.

"Chamber music drawn from the archives of the Society for Forgotten Music will be featured on this WQXR series…The music will be performed by members of the WQXR Chamber Music ensemble. None of the chamber music will have been written later than 1914, and much of it will have its radio premiere on these programs…"

Source: WQXR Program Guide, January, 1949.

*Editor's Note: Vladimir Dukelsky composed many classical works but he was much more successful and well known for the theater and popular songs that he wrote under the name VERNON DUKE.
(With a tip of the hat to Dan Langan)

 
90

WNYC's 90th year of broadcasting is upon us. (The actual anniversary is next July 8th.) In this space we'll be linking to various WNYC champions and milestones. This week: The Whimsy of Artist Leo Garel Fills the WNYC Masterwork Bulletin.

Released this week on the web: Theater critic John Simon in 1963 and  Günter  Grass in 1964, with host Patricia Marx.

In the August, 1944 WQXR Program Guide Fabien Savitzky, the Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, discusses how music appreciation is spread through the use of records. Read it here at: SAVITZKY.

Styli Over Substance: Senior Archivist Marcos Sueiro Bal goes digging into lacquer disc grooves and says, 'size does matter.'

This Sunday is World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.

NPR Unauthorized Cautionary Tales where fantastic creatures test the boundaries of fact and fiction.

The 75th anniversary of the Orson Welles broadcast of The War of the Worlds is approaching fast. Tune in to the various commemorative events on Facebook at: WOWTW75. And on Twitter.

The WNYC Facebook page has a station timeline (1922-present) with more than 607 milestones, photos, and links to audio. (Right hand column)

We're also working on the WQXR Facebook timeline. (1929 - present)

Do your friends want to subscribe to this newsletter? Have them sign up at: NEWSLETTERS.


Check out the @mayorlaguardia Twitter feed straight from the WNYC broadcasts! His Honor now has 469 followers.

The WNYC Archives is on Twitter with 1,470 followers @wnycarchives. We tweet daily reminders of, and links to, WNYC broadcasts from that day in the past.
 
We’ve got a Tumblr page too! More than 5,000 followers. Check it out at:
 
WNYC Archives in the…
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