1950s
Ted Sherburne, 91, science television pioneer
In 1955, when WGBH-TV, Boston went on air, Ted Sherburne was program manager, framing the first schedule for the station, and influencing national standards of educational TV.
Read MoreDonations to the Archives
Larry Creshkoff’s personal papers are fascinating as they document his professional career from his days at Harvard, onto LICBC and WGBH, to his time after he left WGBH in 1957.
Read MoreRemembering the original WGBH
From Art Singer: Fifty one years ago this past September, on several late afternoons a week, I would take the twenty minute walk from BU across the Charles to the station’s studios on the MIT campus for a night’s work.
Read MoreRecollections of a WGBH-FM Volunteer (1951-52)
From Russ Butler A small announcement in The Boston Globe caught my attention. It was 1951, and I was a 17-year old junior in a Boston high school and fascinated with radio broadcasting. The one column-inch notice read that a new FM radio station would begin broadcasting from studios in Symphony Hall. Next day, I…
Read MoreWGBH Pioneers: Michael Ambrosino – Part 1 (1998)
Michael Ambrosino — the creator of NOVA — describes his early years at WGBH, an era of live and live-on-tape TV productions at the 84 Massachusetts Avenue studio in Cambridge.
Read MoreSkating Around the Rink (1956-60)
In this, the first of three excerpts, Michael describes the early years at WGBH, an era of live and live-on-tape TV productions at the 84 Massachusetts Avenue studio in Cambridge.
Read MoreIn a World All Its Own (1955)
From John Nadeau — 3/2007 When we did simulcasts on radio and TV, my station break announcement sounded like this: “This is the Lowell Institute Cooperative Broadcasting Council…WGBH-FM at 89.7 megacycles and WGBH-TV, channel 2, in Boston.” I joined the staff of WGBH-FM-TV in 1955. The two stations identified themselves as “noncommercial and educational” because…
Read MoreSic transit gloria (1959)
From Vic Washkevich WGBH was to launch a new (live, of course) science show, and was looking for an opening that was a bit more dramatic than a 35mm slide of Madame Curie. It was decided that we would place a globe over a pan of water (you can’t make this stuff up, folks) and…
Read MoreWGBH Timeline (1946-1978)
From “The first 24 years: A somewhat random compendium of milestones along the way.”
Read MoreProspects of Mankind (1959–61)
From Paul Noble Preparing for a taping of “Prospects of Mankind.” Left to right, Bob Moscone, Dave Davis, Virginia Kassel (behind Dave), Paul Noble, and Eleanor Roosevelt, at Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, fall 1959. Mrs. Roosevelt and her staff. Henry Morgenthau, Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Noble, and Diana Tead Michaelis, fall 1959. Edward R. Murrow,…
Read MoreSing, Children, Sing (March 1956)
From Peter and Lilly Hollander WGBH-TV’s second Art Director, Lilly Hollander, appearing on the Tony Saletan show Sing, Children, Sing, the first locally-produced program series to originate in the WGBH studios. Lilly is adding necessary sound effects to the picture she has just drawn. Tony was busy playing the banjo.
Read MoreChristmas Shows (1957-58)
From Vic Washkevich Each year, the entire station crew taped a Christmas Show sending up anything and everything, anyone and everyone. The tapes were shown at the WGBH Christmas parties. This shot of Frank Vento was taken when our class had to put on a Christmas show in 1957. With Frank is someone named Jerry…
Read MoreThe 21″ Classroom (1959)
From Al Boyns Here is a photo of two of the [intlink id=”1250″ type=”post”]1959 BU crew[/intlink] in action on 21 Inch Classroom (from studio B). Stage managing is Mel Bernstein, and the cameraman to his right is Brooks Leffler. The second cameraman is probably Bob Valtz.
Read MoreThe BU Scholars Crew (1959)
Photo Source Unknown Caption from Al Boyns The notorious Boston University Scholars “Crew of ’59.” Top left to right: Al Kelman, Phil Fields, Tom McGrath, Fred Barzyk, Don Knox, Bert Bell, Sue Dietrich, Dave Nohling, Jim Hennes, John Sunier, John Engel. Bottom left to right: Lew Yeager, Joe (Mark) Mobius, Brooks Leffler, Mel Bernstein. Not…
Read MoreA Time to Dance (1959)
From Brooks Leffler Script Conference, A Time to Dance, 1959. Left to right: Paul Noble, AD; Jac Venza, Producer; Martha Meyers, host; and Greg Harney, Director. This was the first of Jac’s very long list of arts programs for public television. From Al Kelman This certainly looks like a collection of dangerous misfits. Actually, it…
Read MoreThe “Rat” Alley Beach Party (July 1959)
From Brooks Leffler Left to right: Fred Barzyk, Barbara Goble, Libby Alford, Al Reese, Don Hallock, and Ruth (now) Barzyk with her back to the camera.
Read MoreRuth Anne’s Christmas Show (1950s)
From Brooks Leffler Ruth Anne’s Christmas Show. Not the parody Christmas show, the real thing. Staff was invited to be the campers for the day, and Ruth Anne led them in a kids’ song, the name of which escapes me. Note: this pic is a Photoshop marriage of two pics that didn’t quite match. Visible:…
Read MoreDiscovery (1955-56)
Photos from John “Rocky” Coe — March 2002 Don Hallock: Thanks to “Rocky” Coe’s persistence in weeding through his collections of old slides, here are some of the best images we have from the first year or two in studio A at 84 Massachusetts Avenue. We believe they’re from Discovery‘s 1955-56 season, and seem to…
Read MoreIl Ballo (1956)
From Peter and Lilly Hollander Below: A very early WGBH production (October 1956) of Monteverdi’s opera, Il Ballo delle Ingrate. Note the wonderful sets by Lilly Hollander. Stage manager and cameraman unknown. Below: Shooting "Il Ballo." Below: Lilly painting her own sets for "Il Ballo."
Read MorePhotos From the ‘GBH Archives (1950s)
Photos from Mary Ide, WGBH Archives Photo by Brooks Leffler, 1958 Studio A under construction. From Larry Creshkoff I think I can provide some specifics for the pic of Studio A under construction. Time: The date may have been December ’54 or January ’55 (or even later). People (from Left to Right): Hartford Gunn (partly…
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