Iowa Public Radio - Iowa Archives

Iowa Archives: Project Update

As we approach the end of IPR's one-year project to discover, share and preserve historic recordings from Iowa's past, we thank you for supporting Iowa Archives. We also encourage you to continue recommending ideas and rare recordings for future programs. You'll still be able to hear occasional new Iowa Archives stories during 2008. The search for historic sound and voice recordings will never really end. We like to consider it a "radio museum," featuring the sounds of Iowa's heritage. If you have any tips or recordings that we should consider, please send us an email. Now, please enjoy your visit to the Iowa Archives page.

Wire Recordings 05-08-2008
Sounds from 1954 and 1945, recorded in Des Moines and Nuremberg, Germany.
Wire recorders were the hi-tech machines used to capture voice and sound recordings during, and immediately after, World War Two. Listen to legendary Iowa jazz pianist Speck Redd on wire, as well as a field report from Germany with the sound of artillery in the background. Jazz recordings came from collector Don Moon and Herb Plambeck's war report is from the Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge.

A Mother's Day to Remember 02-11-2008
Sounds from May 1945, in Rosenheim, Germany.
Soon after V-E Day, Iowa G-I's were invited to say hi to mom, in a special Mother's Day radio broadcast back home. Sixty-three years later, an emotional Gerald Pepper of Ames hears his voice as a young Army PFC, for the first time. The original WHO Radio recording was found at the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting, at Wartburg College in Waverly.

The Everly Brothers 12-24-2007
Sounds from 1946, 1957 and 1973, in Shenandoah and unknown concert locations.
They lived in Iowa only about 8 years, but left behind a delightful recording from a Christmas broadcast in Shenandoah. At the time, Donny was 9 and Phil was 7. A decade later, the brothers would be famous.
Recordings from KMA Radio and You Tube.

This I Believe 12-19-2007
Sounds from circa 1952, recorded at an unknown location.
Meredith Willson’s legacy may well be his critically acclaimed, "The Music Man." (See entry below) But 5 years before his musical premiered, the Iowa composer believed that practical legacies that are just as enduring. Introduction by Edward R. Murrow, from his original "This I Believe" series. Courtesy of This I Believe, Inc.

Iowa Oldies 12-12-2007
Sounds from the 1930s to 1980s, from various Iowa radio and television stations.
Another sampling of programs and personalities that were on the air long ago. Scroll down to May 29th to hear more golden oldies. Photo courtesy of whotv.com. Recordings provided by the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting, DesMoinesBroadcasting.com, WHO-TV and a private collector.

Iowa's Music Man 12-03-2007
Sounds from the 1930s to 1960s, primarily in Mason City and Los Angeles.
It has been 50 years since Meredith Willson's "The Music Man," premiered on stage (Dec. 19th, 1957). Our sound portrait of this talented Iowan extends back to his early days in radio. Photo courtesy of the Mason City Foundation. Audio courtesy of The Music Man Square Museum and Mason City Foundation.

Andy Woolfries 10-31-2007
Sounds from 1972, on WOI Radio in Ames.
One of Iowa's first broadcasting personalities remembers the dawn of radio and his arrest by doubters of the new technology. Woolfries was interviewed by Doug Brown, during an on-air anniversary program marking WOI's 50th anniversary. The recording is on file at WOI Radio's record library.

Now, these messages... 10-23-2007
Sounds from the 1940s to 1970s, from broadcasters and production studios.
Commercials, and an unusual marketing project from radio personality Arthur Godfrey, are featured in this nostalgic look back at memorable radio-TV ads broadcast in Iowa. Photo courtesy of The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Chicago, IL. Thanks to the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting, the State Fair Museum, DesMoinesBroadcasting.com and an anonymous collector.

Skating Organically 10-08-2007
Sounds from circa 1980, recorded in Jefferson and unknown locations.
The "Hokey Pokey" at the no-frills, antique roller rink at Spring Lake Park, in Greene County. Memories galore with historic sound of beloved organist Noni Mylenbusch. Visit our photo gallery. Noni's recordings come from private collectors Don Dodd and Bob Wullenwaber. Photo courtesy www.offenburger.com.

Winona Mylenbusch 10-08-2007
Hear the voice of "Noni," one of the early organists who used to accompany skaters at Spring Lake Park. She talks about her first time on skates, at the old rink in Boone, and how she met her late husband Don. Now 86, Noni continues to perform in the Branson area. Photo from 1956. Thanks to Andy Krieger who talked with Noni in Missouri in Sept. 2007.

The "Khrushchev Collection" 09-20-2007
Sounds from 1959 and before, from artists throughout the USSR.
Since we first discovered Nikita Khrushchev's gift to Iowa (see February posting), musicologists and Soviet experts across the country, including Khrushchev's son, have been consulted. Just what is the "Khrushchev Collection?" Here are the findings. Thanks to former First Lady Amelia Loveless, who donated the 20-album set to the State Historical Society last year.

IPR Story Goes National 09-18-2007
Sounds from 1959 record collection, from artists across the Soviet Union.
The "Khruschev Collection" became a national treasure when "The World" told the story of the Soviet leader's gift to Iowa. The investigative piece was originally produced and broadcast by "The World," a co-production of PRI, the BBC, and WGBH-Boston. The collection is held by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

From the USSR 09-18-2007
Sounds from the Soviet era, pre-1960, from across the Soviet Union.
We've posted 3 more songs from the "Khrushchev Collection" to commemorate the anniversary of the Communist leader's visit to Iowa on Sept. 23, 1959. First, the Federova Sisters sing, "The Cuckoo Bird Calls." Second, The Red Army Choir performs, "Oh, Dunushka." Third, the Siberian Folk Choir sings, "What Burns, Burns." The "Khrushchev Collection" is housed in Iowa City, at the State Historical Society of Iowa. Former Iowa First Lady Amelia Loveless donated the music anthology in 2006.

NINE-ELEVEN in Iowa 09-11-2007
Sounds from Sept. 11-16, 2001, at various locations in the Capital City.
The voices and sounds of that tragic period in Iowa, as recorded by our news department on, and immediately after, September 11, 2001. All audio comes from Iowa Public Radio reporters.

Reading, Writing, and Singing 08-27-2007
Sounds from the 1930s and 40s, recording location unknown.
In the days when one-room schools were common, kids learned how to sing with the help of phonograph records. This is the story of the Fullerton "Choir Plan." Photo of North Branch School in Guthrie County, taken by former teacher Bessie Wolfe. See more photos from the days of country schools. Recordings courtesy of Marjorie Goodman.

Presidents Past 08-14-2007
Sounds from the 1940s-70s, recorded in Guthrie Center, Cedar Rapids, Dexter, West Branch, and Des Moines.
There's nothing new about presidents and presidential candidates visiting Iowa. It has become tradition. The 31st President spent much of his life here. Thanks to the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.

Omaha Indian Music 07-30-2007
Sounds from 1895-96, recorded in Macy, Nebraska.
Omaha Indians dance to music recovered from wax cylinders at their 1983 pow-wow. A tip from a public radio listener led to in the oldest recordings yet in the Iowa Archives project. Learn the story behind the sacred songs at the American Folklife Center. Thanks to the Omaha Indians, the Federal Cylinder Project and the Library of Congress.

Jack Shelley, Radio Pioneer 07-10-2007
Sounds from 1945 and 1953, in Belgium, Guam, Tokyo Bay and Nevada.
Major news events related to the atomic bomb are closely linked to the early career of Iowa radio legend Jack Shelley. Sixty-two years after the A-bomb was used against Japan, we listen to Shelley's historic coverage. From WHO's original recordings, on file at the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting. Shelley's biography by Robert Underhill includes audio CD.

Iowa State Fair, a Sound Salute 06-26-2007
Sounds from the 1930s onward, at the fairgrounds in Des Moines.
Striptease shows and daredevil acts are part of the State Fair’s history, which dates back to 1854. Vintage recordings revive memories of some of the big attractions from Fair’s past. Audio clips courtesy of the State Fair Museum, Iowa Public Television, and desmoinesbroadcasting.com. Visit our photo gallery of historic memories.

Herb Plambeck, Foreign Correspondent 06-12-2007
Sounds from March-May, 1945, with the U.S. Army in Europe.
"The Greatest Generation" includes the veterans who fought WWII as well as the reporters who covered their harrowing stories. One of them was WHO Radio’s Herb Plambeck, who left behind a treasure of historic recordings. The original reports, broadcast across Iowa, are held by the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting at Wartburg College in Waverly.

Iowa Broadcasters 05-29-2007
Sounds from radio and television broadcasters from decades past, across Iowa.
The story is introduced by Jeff Stein, Administrator of the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting, at Wartburg College, who provided the various on-air sound-clips embedded in this report.

The Iowa Flag Song 04-24-2007
Sounds from 1949, Iowa Legislature, Des Moines.
Relatively unknown today, the Iowa Flag Song was adopted in 1949, when the legislature paused for poetry and a performance. Song composer Ester May Clark donated the recording to the State Historical Society of Iowa, in Des Moines.

Karl King 04-04-2007
Sounds from 1950 - 1971, New York and Iowa.
The voice, music and historical sound clips from the career of Iowa composer and Fort Dodge band leader Karl King. Reporting assistance from 6th grader Kristen Holvick. Various sound recordings from the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge.

Iowan sings for Library of Congress 03-21-2007
Sounds from 1938, Library of Congress.
His name is George Vinton Graham and while he is no American Idol, his singing is considered an important example of Anglo-American folk music. The Graham recordings were made by ethnographer Sidney Robertson Cowell and are found at Library of Congress (American Memory).

The Woman in American Gothic 03-14-2007
Sounds from 1976, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Grant Wood's sister, Nan, talks about the famous Iowa artist, and a fire at his studio that burned them both. The interview with Nan is held by the State Historical Society of Iowa, in Iowa City.

Christian Petersen 03-06-2007
Sounds from 1961, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
The voice of Danish born sculptor Christian Petersen. A new art museum bearing his name opens at Iowa State University. Recordings courtesy of I.S.U. Parks Library and University Museums. Petersen interview originally from WOI-TV.

Khrushchev's Gift to Iowa 02-20-2007
Sounds from September, 1959, Coon Rapids, Iowa.
Forty eight years after the Communist leader visited Iowa, the gift Nikita Khrushchev left behind has been rediscovered. The Soviet record collection was gifted to Iowa by former First Lady Amelia Loveless and is preserved at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City.

The Ortonville Story 02-12-2007
Sounds from July 1937, Ortonville, Iowa.
A seventy year old recording of dulcimer music leads to the story of an Iowa ghost town and an uncommon musical instrument. The Thomas Mann recordings are courtesy of the American Folklife Center, Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection, Library of Congress.

Riverview Park (Series Premier) 01-29-2007
Sounds from pre-1978, Riverview Park, Des Moines.
Forty years before Disneyland opened, central Iowa had Riverview Park. Original sounds from the arcade, the steam engine train and the Riviera Ballroom. Recordings are courtesy of Bill Kooker, who provides a wealth of information at his Riverview website. Kooker was the park's last General Manager.