American Radio Archives facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Radio Archives |
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American Radio Archives is located at the Grant R. Brimhall Library
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| 34°11′58.53″N 118°51′11.78″W / 34.1995917°N 118.8532722°W | |
| Location | 1401 E Janss Rd, Thousand Oaks, California, United States |
| Established | 1984 |
| Affiliation | Thousand Oaks Library |
The American Radio Archives is a special place inside the Thousand Oaks Library in Thousand Oaks, California. It holds one of the biggest collections of radio history in the United States and even the world! This amazing archive started in 1984. It was created by the Thousand Oaks Library Foundation.
Imagine a treasure chest filled with old radio and TV shows. That's what the archives are like! They have 23,000 radio and TV scripts. There are also 10,000 photos and 10,000 books about radio history. Plus, you can find 5,000 audio recordings. The archives keep many cool things. These include handwritten notes, sound recordings, and more. All of it helps us learn about the history of radio and broadcasting.
The American Radio Archives is part of the Special Collections Department. This department is at the Grant R. Brimhall Library. The main goal of the archives is to collect, save, and share materials. These materials tell the story of radio for everyone to enjoy forever. The Archives has been collecting items since the 1990s. They now also have materials from the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters. This group is made up of people who worked in radio. Adding their materials made the collection much bigger!
Sometimes, actors and writers worked in both radio and TV. Because of this, the archives also have TV materials. The growth of television is a big part of radio's story. The Broadcasting Collection shows this well. The TV scripts are in two main groups. One is the general Broadcasting Collection. The other group is smaller collections. These smaller collections were put together by different people or groups. The scripts cover over 40 years of American TV history. This includes live shows from the 1940s to the 1980s. The archives have scripts for all kinds of TV shows. You can find soap operas, comedies, westerns, and crime series.
What is the Thousand Oaks Library?
The Thousand Oaks Library system began in 1982. The American Radio Archives is part of the library's special collections. These collections also have information about the early history of Conejo Valley. This includes old writings, spoken stories, photos, and maps. Not all of the information is online yet. But the library is working to put more of it online. The American Radio Archives is located in the main library building.
What Kind of Collections Are There?
The American Radio Archives and Museum has one of the biggest collections of radio broadcasting items. You can find it in the United States and worldwide. It holds 23,000 radio and TV scripts. There are also 10,000 photographs and 10,000 books about radio history. Plus, it has 5,000 audio recordings.
Some famous collections include those from Bob Crosby and Norman Corwin. You can also find items from Carlton E. Morse and Monty Masters. The archives also have collections from Rudy Vallée and KNX AM. The Radio Series Scripts Collections has scripts from 1930 to 1990. The Radio Sound Records Collection has recordings from 1932 to 1994.
The collections include scripts, books, and personal papers. There are also sound recordings, photos, and letters. These materials show the history of radio and TV broadcasting. Collections at the American Radio Archives are usually named after the person who gathered the items. This is often the script writer. But it could also be a producer, actor, or an organization.
Exploring Specific Collections
You can find a full list of all collections. Just visit the Thousand Oaks Library website. There are 44 collections listed there. Not all of them can be searched online. But more than half have online guides. Here are some of the most interesting collections:
- Bob Crosby Collection: This collection has three books of scripts. They are from Jack Benny Show. Bob Crosby was the bandleader on this show from 1952 to 1955.
- Broadcasting Collection: This is the main collection of the archives. It has scripts that were donated or bought. These scripts are not part of any single person's collection. It has many different titles.
- Carlton E. Morse Collection: Carlton E. Morse wrote many radio shows. He also made the long-running series One Man's Family for television. This collection has scripts, photos, and letters. It also has other items about Morse's radio and TV shows.
- LACC Collection: This collection has TV scripts. They were given to the archives by the Los Angeles City College (LACC) Communications Department.
- Monty Masters Collection: This collection has story ideas and scripts. It shows the career of Monty Masters. He was a comedian from San Francisco.
- Norman Corwin Collection: This collection has movie scripts and sound recordings. It also has video recordings and scrapbooks. There are letters, scripts, and other items. These are mostly about Norman Corwin's radio career. It includes his work for CBS. For example, V-E day (Victory in Europe) and On a Note of Triumph from 1945. His TV work includes Norman Corwin Presents. This collection has many items. They were chosen by Corwin himself. Most of the items show his work in radio and TV. They also cover his work in movies, theater, and as a writer and teacher. This spans from 1935 to 1990.
- Rudy Vallée Collection: This collection has scrapbooks, letters, and scripts. They are about singer-songwriter Rudy Vallée. He was also a writer, actor, bandleader, and saxophone player. This collection mainly shows shows where Vallée was a guest. It has a huge amount of personal items from Vallée. This includes letters, scrapbooks, and radio and TV scripts. There are also sound recordings, music, photos, and business papers. Most of these items show Vallée's career in radio and entertainment from 1925 to 1975.
