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Finding Aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2005
Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu004002
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by personal names, subjects, related names, and listed alphabetically therein.
Deposit, Joseph Brown 1970.
No further accruals are expected.
The Amateur Hour collection was processed in 1993 by Robert Saladini with assistance from Timothy Bullard, Cheryl Dempsey, Michael A. Ferrando, and Claudia Widgery. The finding aid was then prepared with Corel WordPerfect 5.1. In 2004, the Amateur Hour finding aid was edited, corrected and coded for EAD by Michael A. Ferrando.
The status of copyright on the materials of the Amateur Hour Collection is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: container number, the Amateur Hour Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Date | Event |
| April 1934 | First radio broadcast of Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour on WHN, New York |
| 1935 | William Edward Maguiness (stage name Ted Mack) joins Bowes as emcee and talent scout |
| March 24, 1935 | Coast to coast broadcast on NBC radio with Chase & Sanborn as sponsor |
| June 1935 | Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour is named the most listened to radio program in the United States |
| Sept. 8, 1935 | The Hoboken Four, featuring Frank Sinatra, performs on the Original Amateur Hour program |
| Sept. 17, 1936 | Original Amateur Hour moves to CBS radio, with Chrysler Corporation as sponsor |
| 1944 | Major Bowes retires for health reasons |
| 1945 | Radio broadcast of Original Amateur Hour is suspended |
| June 13, 1946 | Major Bowes dies |
| Jan. 14, 1948 | Original Amateur Hour is revived on television by Dumont Studios, with Ted Mack as emcee |
| Oct. 29, 1948 | P. Lorillard Company becomes a sponsor |
| Oct. 4, 1949 | First national television broadcast of Original Amateur Hour, on NBC |
| 1952 | Final radio broadcast |
| April 25, 1953 | Pet Milk becomes a sponsor |
| Oct. 30, 1955 | Television program broadcasts on ABC |
| Jan. 19, 1957 | La Hora Internacional del Aficionado, Mexican version of program, broadcasts |
| July 1, 1957 | Program returns to NBC television |
| May 1, 1959 | Program broadcasts on CBS |
| March 7, 1960 | Program returns to ABC |
| Oct. 2, 1960 | Programs returns to CBS |
| Sept. 20, 1970 | Final broadcast |
The records of the Amateur Hour Collection consist primarily of over 7,000 applications from contestants who appeared on the Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour radio program between 1934 and 1948. The remainder of the materials in the collection are administrative papers dating from the late 1940s and 1950s. Although these materials are only a small percentage of the admistrative papers of the organization, they are worthy of note in that they provide some insight into the way in which the Original Amateur Hour program was run. Materials relating to the Mexican version of the program, La Hora Internacional del Aficionado, are also included.
The Amateur Hour collection is represented by twelve series. The first series is CONTESTANTS consists primarily of over 7,000 applications from contestants who appeared on the Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour radio program between 1934 and 1948. This series is divided into three subseries: Contestant applications; Contestant biographical sketches; Lists of performers.
Filed with the contestant applications are letters of introduction, reference letters, and other documents sent by prospective contestants. Both the "type of entertainment" and "details of interest" responses on the applications provide an overview of the broad range of amateur performance genres of the period. Applications from conventional performers such as musicians, dancers, singers, and impersonators are the most numerous, but also included are applications from novelty acts such as a human piccolo, a group of hand-standing singers, and a group who played harmonicas with fire extinguishers. Of particular interest are applications from various performers, now well-known, who "got their break" on the show, including Teresa Brewer, Stubby Kaye, Robert Merrill, Beverly Sills, and Frank Sinatra.
The second series is PHOTOGRAPHS consisting of photo prints (B&W) of various sizes and arranged by subject. An interesting collection of photographs from the 1940s and 1950s provides a visual record of the show.
The third series is CORRESPONDENCE consists of correspondence to and from program staff members Lou Goldberg, Daniel Manjarrez, and Harry McWilliams recounts some of the program's business transactions and is arranged by subject.
The other nine series consist of administration and operations materials. The general program information, advertising packages, and ratings information are included with Advertising/Sponsor papers. Scripts are housed with the Production materials.
The Amateur Hour Collection is organized in 12 series:
The Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division has in its custody both the Original Amateur Hour radio broadcasts dating from 1935 to 1944 and the television recordings of the show from 1948 to 1968.
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