A research blog on the history of radio, film, television and classroom media geared towards children and young audiences through most of the 20th century.
“Old School’ Supplies: An Exhibit of the Tools, Books, and Media That Yesterday’s Kids Used To Learn…….And Some Good Finds From the School Book Fair” is an exhibit that was erected at the North Park branch of the Alamance County Public Library in Burlington, NC in September. A new display will replace it in Mid November.
As the title states, the two cases feature a variety of vintage instructional technology like VHS tapes, filmstrips, audio cassettes, and puzzles. There are school supplies that say “1970s” like a Scholastic story audio record, and one that screams “1990s” like a 1991 Nickelodeon folder with ‘Doug’ and the ‘Rugrats’.
There are also over 50 years of vintage text books and readers. The oldest on display is a 1928 Madeline Brandeis book while the youngest is a 1978 Spider-Man learning reader. The book fair finds span 60 years of texts based on kids movies, radio and TV shows from a “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon” coloring book to a “Kenan & Kel” paperback novel.
I like collecting and researching the history of instructional technology and children’s media from the 20th century and sharing it with all ages for learning about the past.
I would like to do exhibits like this more in the future. For now due to time and lack of funds, I can only do spaces in North Carolina between Archdale and Raleigh.
Other gems that you may spot are a 2002 VTech Tablet, a 1960s Playskool puzzle, the Freaky Friday (2003) Movie Scrapbook, and a Weston Woods VHS with story lady Jackie Torrance
100 years ago, or Halloween 1926 is famous as the day Harry Houdini died, however on a much brighter note it was also the day that Shirley Dinsdale was born.
Shirley Dinsdale (1926-1999) was an American ventriloquist, radio performer, and television pioneer who is most famous today as the first performer recipient of an Emmy Award Her award for “Most Outstanding Personality” awarded in 1949 in Los Angeles while she performed with her puppet “Judy Splinters” on the same titled program.
Dinsdale remains fascinating for many reasons beyond her historic Emmy win. Her career which began as a teenager bridged the Golden Age of Radio, the experimental/pioneering beginnings of American television, and even a later career in healthcare. Her life and career in many ways predates Shari Lewis, Paul Winchell, and Darci Lynne Farmer as a young ventriloquist, catapulted to fame over the airwaves, with a later interest in the health sciences.
Shirley Dinsdale was born on October 31, 1926, in San Francisco, California. As a young child, she suffered severe burns in a household accident and spent a lengthy period recovering. Her father, who made ventriloquist dummies for department stores, gave her a dummy named Judy Splinters, which became her performing partner.
With help from professional ventriloquist Lawrence Johnson, she developed her skills and began appearing on San Francisco radio as a teenager. Her early program, Judy in Wonderland, began in 1941 on local station KGO and subsequently KPO. In late 1942, she moved with her family to Los Angeles and obtained a spot on comedian Eddie Cantor's Time To Smile program. She appeared on other prominent radio programs throughout the mid 1940s. , including Nelson Eddy's The Electric Hour on CBS. Following her success with Nelson Eddy, she undertook an extended tour that included visits to military hospitals and participation in more than 500 USO shows. These tours may have had a lasting impact on Shirley considering her later career in healthcare.
After the war, Dinsdale began working at KTLA the historic TV station in Los Angeles in 1947. Her early appearances included announcements, birthday greetings for children, and brief programs at the station. It was these performances that earned her the historic Emmy on January 25, 1949. This win led to her own program called "Judy Splinters" from station KNBH until 1950. She later hosted series in New York and Chicago.
In 1953, Shirley married engineer Frank Layburn, retired from show business and raised 2 children. 17 years later Dinsdale enrolled at the State University of New York at Stony Brook as a student in respiratory and cardiopulmonary therapy. Shirley Dinsdale Layburn graduated in the class of 1972. Mrs. Layburn served as the head of the Respiratory Therapy Department at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York. After 12 years she retired for in 1986.
Her career in healthcare is comparable to the achievements of ventriloquist Paul Winchell who was also received the first U.S. patent for an implantable mechanical artificial heart, among other medical devices. Dinsdale and Winchell reveal the spectrum of intelligence and talent of ventriloquists and others in the entertainment industry.
85 years after her radio debut and on what would have been her 100th birthday, very few of Dinsdale's performances are available today. From research for this post, none of her KGO radio episodes have survived. No complete episode of the KTLA TV segments that earned Shirley that historic Emmy are available publicly. Does a kinescope of her KNBH series exist? A black and white clip of her and Judy Splinters can be seen in a KTLA retrospective, but it is unknown from which archive this clip came from.
Appearances on the Eddie Cantor and Rudy Vallee programs may exist, but it will take time to review each surviving episode. Some of her broadcasts with Nelson Eddy and on “Command Performance” are online.
The best available scenes of Dinsdale and Judy are here interview for the KTLA documentary and her guest appearance on a 1958 episode of "To Tell The Truth”. Both are on YouTube.
Upper portion of the "Junior Detectives" exhibit at the Graham Public Library.
Sometimes archiving, curating, and exhibit design stay on a creator's mind long after the 9-5 shift has ended. Until the end of September 2026 the the mini exhibit "Junior Detectives: An Exhibit of Classic Kid and Teen Sleuths" will be on display in the lobby of the Graham (NC) Public Library.
This display is based on years of research about juvenile detectives in literature and mass media as part of a larger study on the history of children's mass media. To date, I have gathered over 150 books, movies and TV programs with kid detectives for a "Juvenile Detectives Collections". This also includes mystery books geared toward young readers, but with an adult or animal hero, like Sherlock Holmes audio learning kits from the 1970s.
This research started for fun, but also to solve some interesting mysteries about the genre itself. What was the first kids detective program on radio or TV? It may have been the "Junior Detectives" program from 1931. Who was the first fictional African American juvenile detective? Still investigating that one. What kind of games, lesson plans, or media can a teacher or instructional designer invent with this history as an inspiration? I want to experiment with this one day using these beloved fictional characters as an example.
Materials in the case include rare first and second edition copies of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, Trixie Beldin, Robin Kane and other book series. There are also nods to media adaptations or made for TV sleuths like Shelby Woo. I wish I had more artifacts (badges, detective toys), but I did include a rare 1966 Batman and Robin plate (the Boy Wonder is definitely a "junior detective"). So if you grew up with Encyclopedia Brown, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Shelby Woo, and if you commute East or West in the Piedmont or Central North Carolina areas, please check out this display for a limited time.
This is only the 3rd public exhibit attempted from research and collection done based on the theme of this blog, which is understanding the history of media produced for and consumed by children across the 20th century.
This summer the new Netflix version of Little House on the Prairie has brought up a lot memories, passions, and thoughts about the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 - 1957). Especially memories of the the 1974-1984 NBC TV Series Little House on the Prairie.
For the Children's Media Archive projects, I have conducted some research into media adaptations of the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, with a curiosity as to how many actresses have portrayed her, and who may have been the very first.
The following is a summary of those findings. Readings of Wilder’s books, like the on air storytellers from BBC’s Jackanory series are not included.
21st Century Adaptations
In the 21st century Laura was portrayed by Alice Halsey in the new Netflix series and Kyle Chavarria in the 2005 Disney TV Miniseries.
1974 - 1984, Melissa Gilbert as Laura on NBC
Without question, Melissa Gilbert is the most well known and beloved Laura in the world, having played the part in the aforementioned NBC series. Now in her sixties, she is still instantly recognizable to generations of fans.
1975-1976, Kazuko Sugiyama as Laura the Prairie Girl
Debuting just a year after the NBC series was the Japanese Anime Sôgen no shôjô Laura or Laura the Prairie Girl (1975), Laura was voiced by prolific voice actress Kazuko Sugiyama. A mystery to this blogger is whether this series was ever broadcast in the United States.
1951, Anne Whitfiled as Laura on The Hallmark Playhouse radio anthology series.
For years, in my own research I believed the first person to portray Laura Ingalls Wilder was the late Old Time Radio actress Anne Whitfield (1938 - 2024). The teen actress portrayed young Laura in a half hour adaptation of "The Long Winter" for the Hallmark Playhouse. This March 15, 1951 broadcast still exists and has been very popular on the Children's Media Archive YouTube channel. The script for this radio play was renacted for the Des Smet Wilder Society in 1955 and 1968.
Anne Whitfield at 10. From Radio Television Mirror, January 1949. Image from the Media History Digital Library.
1949, The Long Winter Adaptation For "Stories That Live" - Oregon School of the Air, serialized January 5 - March 9, 1949.
Further research has shown that "The Long Winter" was previously adapted in 1949 as a serial for the Stories That Live series. This educational program adapted literature from classic and contemporary works for the Oregon School of the Air, a earlier network of public broadcasting. The series aired Wednesdays at 2:45pm over stations KBPS for the Portland Public Schools, and KRVM-FM of the Eugene Public Schools and the main Oregon educational station KOAC.
Illustration for the "Stories That Live" radio series from the Oregon School of the Air 1948-1949 Broadcast Guide. Image from the Media History Digital Library.
The cast and crew of this adaptation are unknown. It was clearly described as "series of dramatizations, composed of old and new classics in literature", so what was presented was not a reading. Below is what was scheduled to air beginning January 5, 1949 exactly as written in the 1948-1949 broadcast guide.
January 5, 1949. Make Hay While the Sun Shines. Beginning the true story of the Ingalls family who homesteaded in the Dakota Territory during the blizzardous winter of 1880 and 1881. It’s the fall of the year, harvest season is in full swing. Pa is having his troubles, Laura—his 14-year-old daughter—steps in to help, and there’s an uneasy feeling of hurry-hurry in the air.
January 12, 1949. An October Blizzard. The two lost girls are discovered by the Wilder boys. An early frost hurries the harvest. Then, because of the shortage of fresh meat, Pa is forced on a hunting trip which results in his saying, “I don’t like the look of it!” Next morning he knew why.
January 19, 1949. The Indian’s Warning. One afternoon a few men gathered in Harthorn’s store in town. No one heard a footstep until Pa felt that someone was behind him. The men turned, and the sight of an Indian kept them all quiet. The Indian spoke.
January 26, 1949. Toward the Open Prairie. Safe in town now, Laura and Carrie made ready for school. It’s a happy experience until one day a prairie blizzard sweeps the small town. With no fuel at the schoolhouse, the teacher and pupils are forced into the beating, whirling wind. They are lost in a swirling whiteness and Laura fears when she sees Cap Garland disappear into the cold shadows.
February 2, 1949. The Wheat in the Wall Both Laura and Cap Garland become heroes in their own right. A threeday blizzard beseiges the pioneer town; the supply train is cut off and food is running short. You'll hear who hides the wheat in the wall . . wheat that eventually saves the lives of the Ingalls family.
February 9, 1949. The Antelope Hunt. A real fight for life against the long winter begins. Fuel is made from hay; wheat becomes a flour substitute. An antelope hunt offers a ray of hope short-lived and Pa is faced with the stark reality that his family is soon to be without even wheat to exist on and only six potatoes left in the pantry.
February 16, 1949. Some Must Be Starving. In desperation Pa calls on Almanzo and Royal Wilder. The ceaseless, pounding winter continues and many pioneer families are faced with starvation. Almanzo Wilder ponders a solution. It’s dangerous, risky, but Cap Garland and he make their plans when suddenly—
February 23, 1949. The Search for Wheat. Off to the rescue goes Almanzo Wilder and Cap Garland in search for daily bread. Rumor has it that there’s wheat south of town where a settler is wintering on his claim. Will the boys find the claim on the storm-ridden prairie? Will the settler sell his wheat?
March 2, 1949. -The Last Mile. The boys return. There’s plenty of wheat—but trouble brews. Crafty Loftus, the storekeeper, bargains too high for the poor pioneers. The men are ready to revolt. Then Pa Ingalls engineers a fair deal.
March 9, 1949. Christmas in May. The long winter breaks and the mail comes through. With it comes happiness and Yuletide celebration in the welcomed month of May. Climaxing this true pioneer story is a brief resumé of the other books of the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder published by Harper and Brothers.
1945 and 1947 radio adaptations
According to various biographies published about Laura Ingalls Wilder there was a 1945 radio adaptation of "The Long Winter" in 1945, with another radio production in 1947.
A Laura Ingalls Wilder Day was held by a Chicago radio station in 1947. From readings it is not clear if one of her stories was adapted.
The Seattle Public Library also did an adaptation in the 1940s, but details are unknown.
The Mystery Continues
For now it remains a mystery of who was the first person to portray Laura Ingalls Wilder in a media presentation. There are many questions that only a visit to historical societies and archives will solve. Who was the Portland school drama student who played Laura in 1949? In Wilder’s papers is there a log of radio appearances of her works? Overall it is clear that her books have been an inspiration for media adaptations for several decades.
Children’s Television Magazine, July 1952. From the Blogger’s Collection.
One of the prized gems in my independent research collection on children’s media is a super rare copy of “Children’s Television Magazine” from 1952. This was a short lived periodical based out of Haverford, PA and copies are very scarce. This copy was purchased on EBay for a very reasonable price a decade ago.
I am proud that digitized scans of my copy are now part of the Media History Digital Library, the massive open access digital archive of media history publications. The cited contributor for the magazine is the “James R. Stewart Jr. Children’s Media Archive”. This is a dream fulfilled as I have used the MHDL constantly for my research and I could not think of a better way to share this rarity.
Jack Alberts as "Tumblin Tim, "Uncle Jack" Stilwell, and Valerie Alberts as "Flyin Flo" on Acrobat Ranch. Image from "TV Today", August 19, 1950. Source: Internet Archives
Roughly 76 years ago, on Saturday, August 19, 1950 the children's programs Acrobat Ranch and Animal Clinic debuted over the ABC TV network. This programming block was the beginning of network Saturday Morning programming on television for children in the United States. Both programs predate everything else that was to come from Mighty Mouse Playhouse, Scooby Doo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Saved By The Bell and the CBS Dream Weekend.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle listings for Saturday, August 19, 1950
Animal Clinic (1950-1951) was hosted by Dr. Wesley A. Young a renown veterinarian and director of several of the most prestigious zoos over the course of his career. Dr. Young was no stranger to discussing animals in mass media. While serving as chief veterinarian with the Animal Rescue League of Boston, he hosted a weekly radio series called Animals in the News (WBZ c. 1932-1936). In his own words, Dr. Young described the program as "a résumé of the activities of beasts, birds, animals, reptiles, and insects". The talk program received a positive review from Variety in 1935.
Snippet by Dr. Wesley A. Young from 1935 about the "Animals in the News" broadcasts. From Our Four Footed Friends, February 1935.
Sadly no print of Animal Clinic is known to exist today as of this writing. From critics reviews at the time, Dr. Young turned what could have been a boring show into an engaging series with his "informal" and natural ease in front of the camera. It was literally a veterinarians clinic where the care of all kinds of animals were shown to children. To this day the host is essential in making an educational or "E/I" program work. Dr. Young would be pleased to know that so many of the programs that air on Saturday Mornings today like Lucky Do, Best Friends Furever, Dr. Chris Pet Vet, and Hope in the Wild, are based on veterinary sciences.
Dr. Young was a highly esteemed veterinarian during his lifetime, and it is hoped that his papers or estate still exists somewhere for study.
Acrobat Ranch (1950-1951)was a half hour series with a western circus theme hosted by “Uncle” Jack Stilwell. Produced in Chicago, the lead characters of Tumblin Tim and Flyin Flo were played by local high school siblings Jack and Valerie Alberts.
Both characters were mascots for Acrobat Shoes a product of the General Shoe company. Tumblin Tim and Flyin Flo appeared in a series of books published in the 1940s that were distributed at shoe stores as well as other promotional events. That history is another article in itself.
One episode is known to survive and was circulated by an independent video dealer in recent decades. That episode has since appeared on DailyMotion.
The program had a generous amount of advertising in newspapers nationwide as well as a few TV magazines. While the series only ran for one season, promotional ads with Uncle Jack were still featured in newspapers advertising for at least a year after its run.
At least one premium a photo of Valerie Alberts as Flyin' Flo was created for the series. I am hoping another one was made of her brother Jack as Tumblin Tim.
From a few items I was able to create an Acrobat Ranch archival research box
Some research form the Children's Media Archive has suggested that Valerie Alberts may still be living as of this writing. I would like to receive any leads to contacting her if that is the case. Please reply in the comments section or email archivebuilder@gmail.com with "Acrobat Ranch" as the subject line.
The following is a list of reviewed programs listed by the famed children's consultant Josette Frank (1893-1989) in the Summer 1949 pages of Child Study Magazine. Since I cannot copy the entire text word for word, I have placed snippets with some commentary. Text originally quoted by Frank is italicized.
Howdy Doody (NBC-TV) 5:30-6. Monday through Friday. A boyish and friendly marionette and a lively though wordless clown help Bob Smith entertain a studio full of children. He draws them into the program, too, and the whole has just that note of warmth and intimacy very young children love.
Howdy Doody (1947-1960) was TV’s first 5 day a week children’s series and the first on NBC, before the Today Show. NBC should recognize this program as part of its centennial in 2026.
Kukla, Fran and Ollie (NBC-TV) 7-7:30. Monday through Friday.
An engaging and original bit of fantasy revolving about a winsome serpent, a kindly little man (both puppets) and a girl (real). This program, which applies the techniques of the old Punch and Judy show minus the violence, provides enchantment for adults and children alike.
Kukla, Fran, and Ollie was a very popular puppet series that attracted a considerable adult audience as well as kids. There is now an official YouTube Channel with surviving kinescopes.
Doris Brown and Pinhead from "Lucky Pup"
Lucky Pup (CBS-TV) 6:30-6:45. Monday through Saturday.
A girl announcer supplies the thread for a continued puppet drama about a tricky magician and his feather-brained assistant. The program has quite a following but seems to this reviewer to lack the sprightliness and charm of Kukla.-
The live hostess Doris Brown Byerly (1925-????) is believed to still be living as of this writing. Please leave a comment of email archivebuilder@gmail.com if you have more information.
Small Fry Club (Du Mont TV) 5:306. Monday through Friday. Frank was very "frank"about the Small Fry Club. “Big Brother” Bob Emory conducts a hodge-podge of movies, animated cartoons, and juvenile participation in a “club” that drags in without rhyme or reason everything from a salute to the flag to a preachment and a prayer.
Bob Emery was actually one of the most seasoned veterans to try a children's TV progam, having hosted kids radios shows from the late 1920s. Over the years I have heard that there is not surviving footage, but also that some clips may exist but are not publicly available. So, it would be hard to know if Frank was right when she states The whole seems to this reviewer [is] synthetic, funless and tasteless.
Cartoon Teletales (ABC-TV) 6-6:30. Sunday. "Amusing animal stories are accompanied by cartoons swiftly and cleverly sketched as the tale unfolds. Viewers are then instructed in how to draw these cartoons and invited to send in their drawings to be shown on the screen next week.
Sometimes considered TV first "animated" series in one since of the word, the Luchsinger brothers program was popular with ABC's first juvenile TV audiences. A book about the series by Kevin Scott Collier is highly recommended and he is one of the few to see surviving kinescopes in decades.
Super Circus Episode with Bonus Claude Kirchner Marx Toy Ads
Super Circus (ABC-TV) 5-6. Sunday. Circus highlights, including stunts, acrobats, clowns and band music successfully recreate for television viewers the atmosphere and spirit of the circus. A huge hit from Chicago with "Circus Cinderella" Mary Hartline as the majorette, 6' 5" Claude Kirchner as the ringmaster, and plenty of vintage Mars Candy ads.
Before she passed away in 2020, I was able to acquire autographed memorabilia from Ms. Hartline via Ebay. It is now part of a Mary Hartline Research Collection.
Singing Lady (ABC-TV) 6:30-7. Sunday.
Ireene Wicker (c.1900 - 1987), radio's beloved “Singing Lady,” already had a long history in television dating back to 1931. In her 1948 ABC TV series she returned to delight television’s new young audience with her nursery tales, half sung, half told, and now also dramatized with superb marionettes. Children in the studio join her in singing the familiar signature song. Enchanting entertainment for the young in heart of all ages. Her promising TV career was interrupted from a false accusation during the "Red Scare". She would return to TV a few years later.
Children's Sketch Book (NBC-TV) 5:30-6. Saturday.
This program was summarized as stories in verses or songs accompanied by quick sketching by artist and children's book illustrator Lisl Weil. According to Frank the series had "Excellent background music" that enhanced "an ingenious and valuable program".
Paul Tripp as Mr. I. Magination
Dr. 1. Magination (CBS-TV) 6:30-7. Sunday. Paul Tripp and a cast of children and adults take imaginary trips to far countries and storied places. Frank described the series as "an elaborate and painstaking program which has good potentialities, but she felt that some qualities were lacking in it's initial broadcast.
Whatever flaws were noticed in its premiere didn't last long as "Mr. I. Magination" remains a well-regarded series from TV's Golden Age even with so very few surviving episodes. The program was highlighted in the pages of Look, Time, and Newsweek.
Scrapbook (CBS-TV) 5:30-6. Sunday.
A medley of news notes and personal reports on children’s activities, hobbies, illnesses and birthdays, together with animated cartoons, folk songs, and a “club” (write for a badge). Frank was the most negative towards this program which she summarized as "a poorly synthesized and rather dull program".
