NYPR Archives & Preservation
Whisperings and Musings: Fan Mail from 1937
In 1937, WNYC's popular Sunday morning program was dedicated to the “shut-ins” of New York City. Whisperings and Musings spoke to those who were bound to the home or hospitalized and in need of a little entertainment, a word of cheer, and of course, "greetings upon the celebration of birthdays and anniversaries." Many listeners sent in their own poems about forgotten love, historical events, boyhood memories, and even about how cars were going too fast on the streets in the 1930s.
From the About Page in the program notebook:
Station chief, Commissioner Frederick Kracke, reached out to fellow Commissioner of Hospitals, Dr. Sigismund Goldwater, to promote the radio show in various hospitals.
Most listeners wrote they were pleased with the various poems read or the singers featured on the show. Among the most requested performers were: Dorothy Wood, Connie Alba, and the Chordsters. Who were they? We're looking into it.
While most letters praised the show, helping the lonely find solace with the radio program, some were displeased, like this letter from David:
David was dissatisfied with the way the song "Old Man River" was played on air. "Now I think that the song should never have been allowed to be played in such a manner. The song should be played in the original and only way, and records of the song can still be obtained!"
Some letters pleaded with program producer J. Berger to be given the opportunity to perform on the show, like this butcher who really just needed to catch a break:
This is just a brief glimpse of the many letters sent to Whisperings and Musings. Although there are no extant broadcast copies of the show, these letters do help provide the reader with a sense of program and what it meant to its listeners in 1937.
To see more fan mail, check out the Whisperings and Musings Tumblr Page!