RCA News and Information Department photographs 2464.68 This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on September 14, 2021. Description is written in: English. Describing Archives: A Content Standard Audiovisual Collections PO Box 3630 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library RCA News and Information Department photographs 2464.68 Table of Contents Summary Information .................................................................................................................................... 3 Historical Note ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Content ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Arrangement ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Administrative Information ............................................................................................................................ 6 Related Materials ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Controlled Access Headings .......................................................................................................................... 9 Collection Inventory ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Early Radio .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Radio Broadcasting ................................................................................................................................... 11 Consumer Electronics ................................................................................................................................ 12 Television History ..................................................................................................................................... 13 General Electric ......................................................................................................................................... 17 RCA Communications ............................................................................................................................... 18 RCA Labs R&D ........................................................................................................................................ 18 RCA Divisions (excluding RCA Labs) .................................................................................................... 19 RCA Labs .................................................................................................................................................. 23 Carl Byoir & Associates ........................................................................................................................... 28 Negatives ................................................................................................................................................. 28 Prints and contact sheets ........................................................................................................................ 29 Annual Reports .......................................................................................................................................... 34 1984 ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 1985 ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 - Page 2 - RCA News and Information Department photographs 2464.68 Summary Information Repository: Audiovisual Collections Creator: Radio Corporation of America. News and Information Department Title: RCA News and Information Department photographs ID: 2464.68 Date [inclusive]: 1860-1985 Date [bulk]: bulk 1900-1983 Physical Description: 37.25 Linear Feet Physical Description: 3230 negatives : b&w ; 35mm. 5340 negatives : b&w ; 120. 87 negatives : b&w ; 70mm. 29 negatives : color ; 4x5 in. 8885 negatives : b&w ; 4x5 in. 161 negatives : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 1 negative : color ; 8 x 10 in. 9 photographic positives : color ; 4 x 5 in. 2000 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 28 photographic prints : color ; 8 x 10 in. 198 photographic prints : b&w ; 4 x 5 in. 211 photographic prints : b&w ; 9 x 11 in. 549 contact sheets : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. or smaller. 2866 slides : color ; 35mm. Language of the English . Material: Abstract: The RCA News and Information Department served a public affairs role for RCA corporate headquarters at Rockefeller Center in New York City. The collection contains photographs and negatives created or commissioned by RCA that document much of RCA's history and activities. Many of the photographs were organized by the News and Information Department into subjects that cover the history of radio, television, communications, and consumer electronics, with a particular emphasis on RCA"s role in that history. Additional photographs are grouped by RCA division and document their specific achievements, with the RCA laboratories being especially prominent. This collection also contains a large number of photographic negatives that were taken by the public relations firm, Carl Byoir & Associates, which showcase many of RCA's products, events, and facilities. ^ Return to Table of Contents - Page 3- RCA News and Information Department photographs 2464.68 Historical Note The RCA News and Information Department served a public affairs role for RCA corporate headquarters at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This collection is entirely photographic, with very few records to contextualize how they were used, let alone to help us better understand the operations or history of the department. One exception to this is a letter from RCA Photo Librarian and Staff Photographer, Frida Schubert, that is dated July 25, 1986, which was sent to Phyllis Smith at the David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey. In the letter, Schubert notes the upcoming closing of the News and Information Department on July 31 and looks back on her work of the past nineteen years. The noteworthy duties she describes are: photographing feature stories for news releases; in-house assignments for RCA's Communicate magazine and the annual report to shareholders; portrait and candid photographs of key executives and officers; product photography for press kits and periodicals; preparing slides for presentations; and documenting special events, such as press conferences, shareholder meetings, exhibits, and award ceremonies. Schubert also notes in an attached resume that she created and cataloged the RCA Photo Library, which contained 80,000 color and black-and-white images. A follow up letter outlines how these photographs were divided and shipped to different RCA divisions based on subject relevance. Therefore, the approximately 20,000 photographs and negatives found in this collection represent about a quarter of the original photo library. RCA also retained the services of the public relations firm, Carl Byoir & Associates for many decades. In addition to serving as their public relations counsel, Carl Byoir & Associates was hired to photograph many of RCA's public events and marketing efforts. ^ Return to Table of Contents Scope and Content This collection consists of photographs, negatives, and contact sheets that document much of RCA's history and activities. The collection spans the history of radio, television, communications, and consumer electronics, along with many additional technical achievements pioneered by RCA. Many of the photographs are accompanied by short news briefings or captions associated with the subject of the photo. Numerous events are also documented, such as corporate meetings, award ceremonies, product and technology demonstrations, celebrations, and World's Fairs. The collection is arranged into ten series: Early Radio, Radio Broadcasting 1920s - 1940s, Consumer Electronics 1920s - 1980s, Television History 1920s - 1980s, General Electric Co. 1917-1930, RCA Communications 1920s-1940s, RCA Labs R&D 1920s-1970s, RCA Divisions (excluding RCA Labs), RCA Labs 1960s-1980s, and Carl Byoir & Associates. - Page 4- RCA News and Information Department photographs 2464.68 The Early Radio series contains photographs that document the history of radio, which includes photographs of early pioneers, Guglielmo Marconi, Dr. Lee deForest, John Ambrose Fleming, and Reginald Fessenden. Also included are photographs of some early radio stations. The series, Radio Broadcasting 1920s- =1940s, contains photographs of early radio stations, performers and personalities, including conductor Arturo Toscanini. The Consumer Electronics 1920s-1980s series contains photographs of radio receivers and marketing materials, particularly for RCA Radiola receivers. One folder of cassette players and recorders from the 1970s and 1980s is also featured. The series, Television History 1920s-1980s, features photographs of television cameras and receivers, from both the black-and-white and color eras. The series also contains photographs that document