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Original Articles

Music and the Rise of Radio in 1920s America: Technological imperialism, socialization, and the transformation of intimacy

Pages 425-443 | Published online: 02 Aug 2010

  • 1922 . How about the antenna? . Radio Digest , 17 June : 6
  • Slater , Don . 1997 . Consumer Culture and Modernity 13 Maiden, MA
  • Postman , Neil . 1993 . Technopoly: the surrender of culture to technology New York
  • ElluI , Jacques . 1964 . The Technological Society Edited by: Wilkinson , John . xxv New York For the earlier version of this ideology, see Jacques ElIul's conception of 'technique', which he defines as 'the totality of methods rationally arrived at and having absolute efficiency (for a given stage of development) in every field of human activity'.; emphasis in original. Postman's work is essentially an updated version of Ellul's critique
  • Dumenil , Lynn . 1995 . The Modem Temper: American culture and society in the 1920s 59 New York
  • Dumenil . The Modem Temper 148 for a similar point
  • Douglas , Susan J. 1987 . Inventing American Broadcasting, 1899-1922 Baltimore especially the chapter called the social construction of American broadcasting
  • 1997 . Global Pop: world music, world markets New York This kind of juxtaposition has been one of the central interests of much of this author's work. See, for example,
  • 2001 . Strange Sounds: music, technology and culture New York
  • 1922 . Hears white fathers' signal fire . Radio World , 24 June : 25
  • 1925 . The Buffalo nickel Indian broadcasts . Popular Radio , December : 588
  • 1924 . Onondaga Indians . Radio Broadcast , October : 487
  • 1927 . An Eskimo lullaby at WGY . Radio Broadcast , October : 373
  • 1924 . Radio News , May : 1613 For an example of one of these ads, see
  • 1989 . Cornell Studies in Comparative History 3 Ithaca Michael Adas writes that by the middle of the 18th century, one of the most important, and sometimes, the most important, way that Europeans judged other cultures was by their scientific and technological advancement. Machines as the Measure of Men: science, technology, and ideologies of western dominance,
  • 1922 . Little Chief Bear hears big radio . Radio World , 27 May : 30
  • Plotke , Marvin . 1926 . Radio's One and only' Indian tenor . On the Air , January : 10
  • 1926 . The Yellow Peril via radio . Popular Radio , September : 494
  • Hilmes , Michele . 1997 . Radio Voices: American broadcasting, 1922-1952 Minneapolis For a discussion of the importance of the immigrant saga and early radio, see), especially Chapter 1, Radiating culture.
  • Barnouw , Erik . 1966 . A Tower in Babel: a history of broadcasting in the United States to 1933 91 New York
  • Allen , Frederick Lewis . 1964 . Only Yesterday: an informal history of the 1920's 137 New York (1931; reprint:
  • See Douglas, Inventing American Broadcasting, for a useful discussion of radio as a male domain in its earliest usages.
  • Douglas , Susan J. 1999 . Listening In: radio and the American imagination … from Amos V Andy and Edward R. Murrain to Wolfinan Jack and Howard Stem 64 New York
  • Ibid., p. 64.
  • 1922 . Concerts for the motor boat owner (editorial) . Radio Digest , 17 June : 6
  • 1922 . Hoopskirts radio back . Radio Digest , 17 June : 6
  • 1922 . First radio written music is sung on New York stage . Radio World , 8 July : 31
  • 1922 . He shall have music, indeed . Radio World , 1 July : 22
  • 1922 . Army Reveille is now sent by radio . Radio Digest , 13 May : 3
  • 1922 . Radiograms . Radio World , 9 September : 14
  • 1923 . Radio adds to the pleasures of the seashore (photo caption] . Radio World , 7 July : 1
  • 1923 . Velma Carson, take radio camping with you . Radio World , 28 July : 30
  • 1923 . Advance seat sale for radio concerts . Popular Radio , October : 528
  • 1924 . The newest radio bob . Popular Radio , July : 96
  • 1926 . Five minutes of radio for a nickel . Radio News , April : 1433
  • 1924 . Many of our old institutions … . Radio World , 26 April : 18 – 19 .
  • 1926 . Singing down the cattle by radio . Popular Radio , October : 615
  • 1927 . Reward for air nuisance . New York Tunes , 31 January : 12
  • 1926 . Hugo Gemsback, The 'pianorad' . Radio News , November : 493
  • Ashton , G. B. 1927 . Building the 'tomborad' . Radio News , April : 1237
  • Whelan , Patrick . 1926 . The new radio violin . Popular Radio , July : 229
  • Starzl , R. F. 1927 . The giant tone radio violin . Radio News , April : 1236
  • Desilets , Georges . 1920 . Music by radio spark tones . Radio Amateur News , June : 681
  • 1924 . runs a radio piano . Radio World , 12 April : 15
  • 1924 . Use radio for wedding . New York Times , 6 March : 15
  • 1927 . Wedding has radio music . New York Tunes , 1 January : 7
  • 1928 . Schelling in Europe plays for bride here . New York Times , 2 September : 2 sec. 2,
  • 1929 . Music by radio for funerals urged by undertaker's group . New York Times , 5 December : 13
  • 1927 . Smashes microphone as anthem is played . New York Times , 11 February : 44
  • 1923 . Music hath charms- . Radio Broadcast , September : 415
  • 1922 . Concerts for doctor's patients . Wireless Age , May : 37
  • 1922 . Maimed and sick forget pain in model radio equipped ambulance . Radio Digest , 3 June : 2
  • Seeley , Ward . 1922 . radio relief for the ailing . Wireless Age , August : 35
  • Ibid., p. 35.
  • 1923 . Radiograms . Radio World , 3 February : 14 Ibid., p. 35. St. Lukes Hospital in upper Manhattan was also equipped with radio in its four wards.
  • 1926 . Jazzing the deaf by radio . Popular Radio , March : 296
  • 1924 . Radiograms . Radio World , 16 February : 11
  • 1924 . Helen Keller gets music by radio . New York Tunes , 10 February : 8 sec. 1, part 2,
  • Victor Talking Machine Company . 1916 . New Victor Records , July : 6 In 1916, Helen Keller was photographed with Enrico Caruso, singing into her fingers.. Thanks go to David Suisman for finding this.
  • 1921 . Very latest in wireless; Union College students find a 'universal lullaby' for babies . New York Times , 11 May : 12
  • 1921 . A new use for radio . Radio News , June : 856
  • 1921 . This exploit was worthy of an editorial in the Times the following day: Anyhow, baby was good (editorial) . New York Tunes , 12 May : 16
  • 1922 . Cornell students attempted the same experiment; see Now for a radio milk bottle! . Radio Digest , 29 April : 4
  • Stillman , Harry R. 1922 . Radio has made it a joy! . Radio World , 16 September : 19
  • 1922 . Radiograms . Radio World , 2 September : 14
  • 1922 . Radio and the woman . Radio World , 22 April : 13
  • 1924 . Peeps into broadcast stations . Wireless Age , February : 43
  • Sies , Luther . 2000 . Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960 Jefferson, NC
  • 1924 . 'Uncle Wip' sings lullaby from ocean's floor, off Atlantic City Pier . New York Times , 14 September : 30 sec. 1,
  • Douglas . 2002 . “ Listening In; Hilmes, Radio Voices; Jason Loviglio, Vox pop: network radio and the voice of the people ” . In Radio Reader: essays in the cultural history of radio Edited by: Hilmes , M. and Loviglio , J. New York Many scholars of radio have argued this point. For a few useful sources, see
  • Marchand , Roland . 1985 . Advertising the American Dream: making way for modernity, 1920-1940 Berkeley especially the chapter called Abandoning the great genteel hope: from sponsored radio to the funny papers
  • Roell , Craig . 1989 . The Piano in America, 1890-1940 Chapel Hill, NC for a discussion of the role of the piano in the American home
  • Bums , George . 1988 . Grade: a love story 86 – 87 . New York
  • Douglas . 1999 . Listening In; and Allison McCracken, 'God's gift to us girls': crooning, gender, and the re-creation of American popular song, 1928-1933 . American Music , 17 : 365 – 395 . For lengthier histories of crooners, see
  • 1930 . Mere man wins first prize in Rudy Vallee contest . Radio Revue , January : 47
  • 1930 . Rudy Vallee and Jessica Dragonette lauded in prize letters . Radio Revue , March : 36
  • McCracken . “ 'God's gift to us girls' ” . 376
  • Ibid., p. 377.
  • McCusker , Kristine M. 1998 . 'Dear radio friend': listener mail and the National Bam Dance, 1931-1941 . American Studies , 39 : 179
  • Hettinger , Herman S. 1933 . A Decade of Radio Advertising 221 Chicago
  • Webster , John . 1922 . The radioman's love song . Radio World , 9 September : 12
  • 1923 . Perfectly satisfied . Radio World , 10 February : 26
  • 1927 . Ends life over radio love . New York Times , 8 February : 3
  • 1927 . The first suicide for love of a broadcast artist . Popular Radio , April : 408
  • Gemsback , Hugo . 1925 . Mental radio . Radio News , May : 2043
  • Sinclair , Upton . 2001 . Mental Radio Charlottesville, VA (1930; reprint,
  • 1924 . Thought-waves by radio? . Radio World , 22 March : 11
  • Dumenil . The Modem Temper 179

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