Schenectady, New York, January 18, 2022 –– The Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci) will present an exhibition of more than fifty rare and historical photographs, ranging in date from the early 1920s to 1980, documenting the history of WGY, a groundbreaking radio station founded in 1922 and still operating today in the New York Capital Region.
WGY is the tenth oldest commercial radio station in the United States, the creator of the first broadcast drama, and a pioneer in the use of sound effects. It was the first affiliate of the NBC national network and regularly featured top national entertainers. WGY was also one of the stations that helped to unite the country during World War II by providing important news to the entire nation.
Photographs on view include an October 1926 image of Harry Houdini appearing on WGY to promote a performance in Albany, one of his last before his death a few weeks later on Halloween; a 1929 image of the famous aviator Amelia Earhart, who visited the WGY studio to give a talk and read letters to Admiral Richard Byrd’s Antarctic Expedition; an image of one of WGY's mascots Skip the Dog who, during a 1934 short-wave broadcast, started barking at a cat in Australia, starting the first international cat and dog fight; a 1930 image of Otto Gray and His Oklahoma Cowboys, the first nationally famous western music band; an image of long-time WGY announcer Earle Pudney interviewing puppeteer Burr Tillstrom, creator of Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, a popular children’s television show from 1947-1957; and a 1948 photo of legendary bandleader Duke Ellington who appeared on WGY as the featured performer of the Union College Gridirion Gala.
Admission to the exhibit is included in the price of general admission. Visit www.misci.org for more information.
