Images of America series
Donna L. Halper
Arcadia Publishing
February 2011/ ISBN 978-0-7385-7410-3
History
Amazon
Reviewed
by Laura Hinds
Donna Halper has presented
a very thorough and entertaining history of radio in the great radio
city of Boston in Boston Radio 1920-2010, part of the Images of
America series from Arcadia Publishing.
While fairly short in
length at 127 pages, the beauty of this book is found not only in
the richly detailed biographical information of on-air personalities,
but in the fascinating collection of photographs, many of which
are from her personal collection. Arnie “Woo-Woo” Ginsburg
graces the cover, and the picture is amusing and intriguing enough
to capture the eye of anyone who happens upon a copy of this book.
I’ve lived in
the Boston area my whole life, and have been a lifelong fan of radio,
including Top 40 hits in my youth and a variety of talk show formats
as an adult. For me this book is a pure delight, and I’ve
enjoyed putting some long-forgotten faces and names together and
remembering listening to these talkers and rockers over the years.
The sepia tone of the cover is charming, and the fact that the photographs
are all black and white seems most appropriate for this historical
collection.
The book contains five
chapters. The first is “The Formative Years” and covers
the 1920’s. The chapter contains memorabilia such as copies
of “applause cards” that fans mailed in when they enjoyed
a particular performer or program. It was a kind of early ratings
system. There are also many pictures of the radio pioneers of the
decade. The second chapter is “Radio’s Golden Age”
and covers the 1930’s in great depth. Chapter three, “A
Time of Transition,” spans the 1940’s and 1950’s
and explains to the reader the many changes brought about by World
War II, including changes of ownership and new radio stations.
The fourth chapter -“New
Formats, New Stations” - brings us into the years of college
radio stations, rock and roll, and the Top 40 formats that became
so popular with youth all over the country. A special treat in this
chapter is a photo of Donna Halper herself as the first female disc
jockey at Northeastern University’s WNEU in 1968! The final
chapter is “The Internet Age” and explains how the new
media is keeping radio going strong despite its predicted downfall
as the world changes. I was particularly pleased that the more recent
photos were still published in black and white in keeping with the
theme of the rest of the chapters. While it might have been tempting
to show these newer pictures in color, author Halper and her publisher
were smart, and the entire book is cohesively presented.
I recommend this book
to all radio fans, history buffs and people who have grown up or
lived in an area where you could pick up Boston radio signals. The
research is impeccable, the history lively and detailed, and the
photographs show the art of radio in rare visual form.
Reviewer's
Note:
|