The History Of Entertainment And Technology In The Mid-Century America

Submitted By anoo13918
Words: 746
Pages: 3

In the mid-century America or during 1951, the forms of “entertainment/technology” that were available to ordinary citizens were very limited compared to the huge amount of technology which is available to us now. For example, the forms of entertainments that were available are the television and the radio which was available to almost every middle class family. The magazine circulation was very popular because it was available to almost everyone. Also, the reading of books was like an addiction in that period of time. There was a special craze for favorite authors and their books are for teenagers and adults. Everyone loved to read books and the news about the latest books or novels was traveled through telephone to all the friends and relatives.

To begin with, the radio was introduced to the United States of America during the 1920’s. During this period, when radio was dominant and filled with a variety of formats and genres, people regularly tuned in to their favorite radio programs which were in many genres like adventure, comedy, drama, horror, mystery, musical variety, romance, thrillers—along with classical music concerts, big band remotes, farm reports, news and commentary, panel discussions, quiz shows like beginning with Professor Quiz, sidewalk interviews on Vox Pop, broadcasts, talent shows and weather forecasts. The A&P Gypsies, Acoustician Hour, Champion Spark Plug Hour, The Clicquot Club Eskimos, The Flit Soldiers, The Fox Fur Trappers, and The Silver town Cord Orchestra (featuring the Silver Masked Tenor) were some of the shows that were on the radio.
Additionally, the first television was also a great kind of entertainment after the radio because it was a very brand new kind of technology in that period of time and all of the citizens were very excited to have one in their house. In its early stages of development, the first images transmitted electrically were sent by early mechanical fax machines, including the pan telegraph, developed in the late nineteenth century. The concept of electrically powered transmission of television images in motion was first sketched in 1878 as the telephonoscope, shortly after the invention of the telephone. At that time, it was imagined by early science fiction authors, that someday that light could be transmitted over copper wires, as sounds were. There were only 4 channels available in the television when it started; it increased to 69 when the television developed into a modern technology. They broadcast-ed only in black and white. An average family would have only one television per family. They could only choose from twenty or twenty five channels in the beginning when television hasn’t been developed yet.
Also, Magazine circulation was a very popular trend during the mid-century 1951 in America. A magazine that was very popular during that period of time was a magazine called Life which consists of science fiction stories, political news, Hollywood gossips, fashion