Collection Summary
Amateur Hour Collection 1934-1950s
(bulk 1934-1948)
1934-1950s
(bulk 1934-1948)
ML31.A4
Bowes, Edward, Major, 1874-1946
approximately 8,500 items
20 boxes
9 linear feet
English
Collection material in English
Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
The Original Amateur Hour was a popular radio talent show hosted by Edward Bowes (stagename, Major Bowes) from 1935-1952. The collection primarily consists of more than 7,000 applications from contestants who appeared on the program between 1934 and 1948. A small amount of administrative papers dating from the late 1940s and 1950s, as well as materials relating to the Mexican version of the program, La hora internacional del aficionado, are also included. Filed with the contestant applications are letters of introduction, reference letters, and other documents sent by prospective contestants. Applications from conventional performers such as musicians, dancers, singers, and impersonators are most numerous, but there are also applications from novelty acts, such as a human piccolo, a group of hand standing singers, and a group who played harmonicas with fire extinguishers. Of particular interest are applications from performers who are now well-known, including Teresa Brewer, Stubby Kaye, Robert Merrill, Beverly Sills, and Frank Sinatra. Photographs from the 1940s and 1950s provide a visual record of the show, while correspondence to and from program staff members recount some of the program's business transactions. Scripts, promotional material, and advertising and sponsor documents also are part of the collection.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Bowes, Edward, Major, 1874-1946.
Brewer, Teresa.
Graham, Lewis, 1900-1983.
Kaye, Stubby.
Mack, Ted.
Merrill, Robert, 1917-2004.
Sills, Beverly.
Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998.
Subjects
Popular music--United States--History and criticism.
Talent shows--United States--History.
Titles
Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour collection, 1934-1957
Original amateur hour (Radio program)--Sources.
Original amateur hour (Television program)--Sources.
Original Amateur Hour collection, 1934-1957
Form/Genre
Biographical sketches.
Business correspondence.
Cilippings (Information artifacts)
Letters of introduction.
Letters of recommendation.
Photographs.
Promotional materials.
Radio scripts.
Television scripts.
Provenance
Deposit, Joseph Brown, 1970
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
Robert Saladini processed The Amateur Hour Collection in 1993 with assistance from Timothy Bullard, Cheryl Dempsey, Michael A. Ferrando, and Claudia Widgery. The original finding aid was prepared with Corel WordPerfect 5.1. Michael A. Ferrando edited and coded the finding aid in 2004.
Related Material
The Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division has in its custody both the Original Amateur Hour radio broadcasts dating from 1935 to 1944 and the television recordings of the show from 1948 to 1968.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright on the materials of the Amateur Hour Collection is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The Amateur Hour Collection is open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [item, date, container number], Amateur Hour Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Agency Sketch
Date
Event
1934 April
First radio broadcast of Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour on WHN, New York
1935
William Edward Maguiness (stage name Ted Mack) joined Bowes as emcee and talent scout
1935 March 24
Coast to coast broadcast on NBC radio with Chase & Sanborn as sponsor
1935 June
Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour named the most listened to radio program in the United States
1935 September 8
Performance by the Hoboken Four, featuring Frank Sinatra
1936 September 17
Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour moved to CBS radio, with Chrysler Corporation as sponsor
1944
Bowes retired for health reasons
1945
Radio broadcast of Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour suspended
1946 June 13
Bowes died in Rumson, New Jersey
1948 January 18
Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour revived on television by Dumont Studios, with Ted Mack as emcee
1948 October 29
P. Lorillard Company became a sponsor
1949 October 4
First national television broadcast of Original Amateur Hour, on NBC
1952
Final radio broadcast
1953 April 25
Pet Milk became a sponsor
1955 October 30
First broadcast on ABC under the name Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour
1957 January 19
First broadcast of La hora internacional del aficionado, a Mexican version of the program
1957 July 1
Program returned to NBC
1959 May 1
Program broadcast on CBS
1960 March 7
Program returned to ABC
1960 October 2
Program returned to CBS
1970 September 20
Final broadcast
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Amateur Hour Collection primarily consist of more than 7,000 applications from contestants who appeared on the Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour radio program between 1934 and 1948. The remainder of the materials in the collection are administrative papers dating from the late 1940s and 1950s. Although these materials comprise only a small percentage of the admistrative papers related to the program, they are notable in that they provide some insight into its day to day operations. Materials related to the Mexican version of the program, La hora internacional del aficionado, are also present.
The Amateur Hour collection is organized in eight series. The first and largest series, [Contestant Materials](CL1001), contains the aforementioned applications, as well as biographical sketches and lists of performers. Filed with these applications are letters of introduction, reference letters, and other documents submitted by prospective contestants. Both the "type of entertainment" and "details of interest" responses on the applications provide an overview of the broad range of amateur performance genres of the period. Applications from conventional performers, such as musicians, dancers, singers, and impersonators, are most numerous, but there are also applications from novelty acts such as a human piccolo, a group of hand standing singers, and a group who played harmonicas with fire extinguishers. Of particular interest are applications performers, now well-known, who "got their break" on the show, including Teresa Brewer, Stubby Kaye, Robert Merrill, Beverly Sills, and Frank Sinatra.
The second series, [Photographs](CL1002), consists of black and white prints, arranged by subject, that provide a fascinating visual record of the show from the 1940s and 1950s. A small series of [Correspondence](CL1003) that follows contains letters to and from program staff members Lou Goldberg, Daniel Manjarrez, and Harry McWilliams pertaining to program business transactions. The remaining series consist of small quantities of administrative and operational materials, programs, clippings, and other miscellaneous items. General program information, advertising packages, and ratings information are included with the [Advertising/Sponsor Materials](CL1004), while scripts in the collection are housed with the [Production Materials](CL1006).
Organization of the Amateur Hour Collection
The collection is organized in eight series:
-
[Contestant Materials](CL1001)
-
[Photographs](CL1002)
-
[Correspondence](CL1003)
-
[Advertising/Sponsor Materials](CL1004)
-
[Promotional Materials](CL1005)
-
[Production Materials](CL1006)
-
[Financial and Legal Papers](CL1007)
-
[Miscellany, 1934-1957](CL1008)
Container List
Box
Contents
1-16
Contestant Materials
Applications and other related materials of contestants for the Amateur Hour. The majority of these pertain specifically to the Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour radio program between 1934 and 1948.
Organized as three subseries.
Applications and Related Documents
Chiefly applications from contestants who appeared on the Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour radio program between 1934 and 1948. Includes letters of introduction, reference letters, and other related materials.
Arranged alphabetically by name of group or last name of performer.
1/1
Aalrud -- Alvi
1/2
Amato -- Astroff
1/3
Atanasoff -- Banks
1/4
Barad -- Beloff
1/5
Benak -- Bishop
2/1
Bjornie -- Bombara
2/2
Bon Bons -- Bauner
2/3
Breen -- Brydof
2/4
Buchannan -- Capwell
2/5
Cardonna -- Caye
2/6
Clancy -- Connie
3/1
Connors -- Cross
3/2
Crowell -- Davis
3/3
Davy -- Dexter
3/4
Diamond -- Dottie and Bobbie
3/5
Dougherty -- Dynamic Harmonica Four
4/1
Eagle -- Ely
4/2
Emerick -- Farrow
4/3
Fasany -- Fiore
4/4
Five Aces -- Flatbush Floogies
4/5
Fleer -- Foster
4/6
Four Amateur Rogues -- Fourtan
5/1
Fox -- Fyfe
5/2
Gaderick -- Gaynor
5/3
Geankoplis -- Giusti
5/4
Goerger -- Grazzini
5/5
Great Lakes Swing Sextet -- Gypsy Quartet
6/1
Hackman -- Harmony Four
6/2
Harold -- Hechl
6/3
Hedling -- Hjerpe
6/4
Hoag -- Hopkinson
6/5
Horlbogen -- Hylselop
7/1
Idaho Ranch Boys -- Jive'n Five
7/2
Joan and Ernie -- Juvinall
7/3
Kaaren -- Keenan
7/4
Keister -- Kiwanis Quartette of Yonkers
8/1
Klaff -- Kwan
8/2
Laborde -- Lazzesi
8/3
Leah -- Leslie
8/4
Leuname -- Logue
8/5
Lohr -- Lyric Male Quartet
9/1
Maas -- MacVeigh
9/2
Macchiaverna -- Mansan
9/3
Maranville -- Maryella
9/4
Mäsch -- Melodie
9/5
Melodious Harmonica Trio -- Mike and Bill
10/1
Miki -- Mistichelli
10/2
Mitchel -- Morris, D.
10/3
Morris, M. -- Myers
10/4
Nadel -- Nogueira
10/5
Nona -- O'Neil
11/1
Ooms -- Pagin
11/2
Pagliarini -- Payne
11/3
Peace -- Pizzuto
11/4
Plantation Four -- Puzelli
11/5
Quantico Marine Quartet -- Rezits
12/1
Rhodes -- Robbins, R.
12/2
Robbins, S. -- Rondeau
12/3
Roosa -- Rozman
12/4
Rubenstein -- Sanders
12/5
Sandherr -- Scott
13/1
Seabee Quartet -- Shiff
13/2
Shilton -- Six Janitors
13/3
Six Jars of Jam -- Southwick
13/4
Spadafora -- Stewart
13/5
Stock -- Swing Sisters Trio
13/6
Swingers of Harmony -- Texas Wanderers
14/1
Thatcher -- Three Coxswains
14/2
Three Davis Brothers -- Three Mouth Organ Kings
14/3
Three Niblicks -- Towle
14/4
Tracy -- Tyler
14/5
Watcher and Freeman -- Weal
14/6
Wetherson -- Westward Ho!
15/1
Uccellini -- Vuylsteke
15/2
Whalen -- Williams, L.
15/3
Williams, M. -- Wittig
15/4
Wobnick -- Wyoming Range Buddies
15/5
Yaffe -- Zyne
Biographical Sketches
Brief biographical sketches of contestants who appeared on the Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour radio program between 1934 and 1948.
Arranged alphabetically by name of group or last name of performer.
16/1
All Girl Swing Band -- One Man Band
16/2
Ray, Kathleen -- White, Frances
Lists of Performers
Typescript lists of performers from the Original Amateur Hour.
Arranged by nationality.
16/3
American
16/4
Irish
16/5
Mexican
16
Photographs
Black and white prints of contestants, Major Bowes, Ted Mack, and other aspects of production.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
16/28
Bowes, Major
16/6
Cowboy acts
16/7
Dancers: adult, male
16/8
Dancers: adult, female
16/9
Dancers: child, female
16/10
Dancers: partners, adult
16/11
Dancers: partners, child
16/30
Game shows
16/12
Impersonators
Instrumentalists
16/13
Accordion players
16/14
Bands
16/15
Bell ringers
16/16
Guitar players
16/17
Harmonica players
16/18
Piano players
16/19
Trumpet players
16/20
Xylophone players
16/29
Mack, Ted
16/33
Miscellany
16/26
Novelty acts
16/27
Performing Groups
16/32
Promotional banners and billboard
16/21
Roller-skaters
16/22
Singers: adult, male
16/23
Singers: adult, female
16/24
Singers: child, male
16/25
Singers: child, female
16/31
Stage Set
17
Correspondence
Chiefly letters and other communications related to business operations and performers on the Original Amateur Hour.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
17/25
Collage of commendatory letters received by Ted Mack
17/1
Goldberg, Lou, 1936 June 26 -- 1957 February 11
1936 June 26 -- 1957 February 11
17/2
Manjarrez, Daniel, 1957 March 27 -- 1957 June 25
1957 March 27 -- 1957 June 25
17/3-6
McWilliams, Harry, 1936 June 1 -- 1957 December 2
1936 June 1 -- 1957 December 2
Miscellaneous correspondence
17/7-24
A -- Z
Letters received, arranged alphabetically by last name of correspondent
17/26
Unidentified and undated
17
Advertising/Sponsor Materials
Materials created or generated by the Original Amateur Hour to advertise its unique entertainment value for potential investors or broadcasters.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
17/27
Individual documents
17/28
Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour, NBC television
17/37
17/29
Original Amateur Hour, NBC television
17/36
17/35
17/30
Mexico
17/31
United States
17/32
The Amateur Hour Program examination
17/33
Mexico and the Caribbean
17/34
United States
18
Promotional Materials
Publications, brochures, and packages created by the Original Amateur Hour.
Arranged alphabetically by subject or genre.
18/5
Flyers and proofs
18/3
In-house publications
18/9
Mack, Ted
18/10
Miscellany
18/6
Newspaper materials
18/4
Original Amateur Hour magazine
18/7-8
Posters
18/1
Press release drafts
18/2
Program fact sheets and announcements
18
Production Materials
Materials used during the creation of Original Amateur Hour programming.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
18/18
Miscellany
18/16
Program order and sequence, La hora internacional del aficionado stage directions
Scripts
18/14-15
Commercials (English and Spanish)
18/11
Original Amateur Hour
18/12
La hora internacional del aficionado, 1957 March 9 - 1957 July 13
1957 March 9 - 1957 July 13
18/17
Stage directions
19
Financial and Legal Papers
Financial and legal documents related to the operations and expenses of the Original Amateur Hour.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
19/1
Balance sheets
19/2
Bank deposits lists
19/3
Bills
19/12
La hora internacional del aficionado
Contract
19/10
Miscellany
19/4
Payroll sheets
19/5
Program budgets
19/13
Servicio postal Mexicano
Registration form
Time/rate tables
19/6
American television stations
19/8
Mexican radio stations
19/7
Mexican television stations
19/9
Travel expenses
19-20
Miscellany, 1934-1957
1934-1957
Clippings, programs, notes, one award, and other assorted materials.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
20/10-11
Articles
20/6
Award, 1953 May 2
1953 May 2
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States certificate presented to Ted Mack and the Original
Amateur Hour
20/8
Catalogues of films
Clippings, 1935-1957 and undated
1935-1957 and undated
19/15-20
1935 January -- 1956 December 5
1935 January -- 1956 December 5
20/1-3
1957 January 25 -- 1957 November 6
1957 January 25 -- 1957 November 6
20/5
Undated
20/4
Collage of clippings
20/9
McWilliams, Harry
Miscellaneous notes, including some from Original Amateur Hour tours
20/7
Notebook of Lloyd Marx
19/14
Programs, 1934-1954 and undated
1934-1954 and undated
20/12
Stationery and forms
20/13
Travel brochures, postcards, and maps