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Tag Archives: 1940s
Confronting Difficult History: Blackface in Wyoming’s Photographic Past
When I first encountered these photographs in the American Heritage Center’s collections, I was genuinely jarred. As a white person researching these images from 1920s-30s Wyoming, I found myself uncomfortable and unsettled. My immediate reaction was emotional rather than academic … Continue reading
Posted in Collections Highlights, Racism, Uncategorized
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, American Heritage Center, Bighorn Basin, blackface, Carbon County, CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps, difficult history, Encampment Wyoming, Hugo G. Janssen, Lora Webb Nichols, Lovell Wyoming, minstrelsy, New Deal, Photographic collections, race history, Wyoming history
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“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”: The Enduring Appeal of a Holiday Hit
As we enter the holiday season, it’s nearly impossible to escape the sounds of holiday standards warbling through PA systems and speakers wherever you go. Holiday music is an incredibly lucrative industry with a wide-ranging and enduring appeal, and many … Continue reading
Posted in Collections Highlights, Holidays, Music History, Uncategorized
Tagged 1940s, American Songbook, Armed Forces Network, Bing Crosby, Christmas traditions, Danny Kaye, film history, Fred Astaire, Holiday music, Hollywood, Irving Berlin, Jacques Kapralik, Nathan Van Cleave, Popular music, Robert Emmett Dolan, Rosemary Clooney, Tin Pan Alley, Vera Ellen, VistaVision, White Christmas, World War II, WWII
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Neutral Ground: FDR’s Man in Ireland During WWII
In February 1940, as war engulfed Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent an unlikely diplomat to Ireland – his wife’s 70-year-old uncle who had never held a diplomatic position. David Gray’s mission would become one of the most challenging diplomatic … Continue reading
Posted in Diplomatic history, Irish history, U.S.-Ireland Relations, Uncategorized, World War II
Tagged 1940s, American diplomats, American foreign policy, Éamon de Valera, David Gray, Diplomatic archives, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ireland, Irish independence, Irish Republican Army, Irish-American relations, Nazi Germany, Neutrality, Northern Ireland, Presidential correspondence, Roosevelt administration, Winston Churchill, World War II diplomacy
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On the Air and in the Aisles: How Kraft Music Hall Sold a Show and a Brand
A standard of the Golden Age of Radio, musical-variety radio programs surged in popularity in the early 1930s as consumers gained access to affordable radio units. These shows, often blending comedy with music, remained beloved throughout the Great Depression. Typically … Continue reading
Posted in Advertising, Entertainment history, Golden Age of Radio, Hollywood history, radio history, television history, Uncategorized
Tagged 1930s, 1940s, American Heritage Center, Bing Crosby, Brand Integration, Carroll Carroll, Hollywood, J. Walter Thompson, John Scott Trotter, Ken Carpenter, Kraft Foods, Kraft Music Hall, Miracle Whip, Musical Variety, NBC radio, Paul Whiteman, Radio Advertising, Radio Networks, Radio Sponsorship
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Designing the University of Wyoming: Knight Hall—Stone, Stories, Spirits
Welcome back to our series exploring the University of Wyoming’s architectural legacy. Today, we’re exploring the fascinating history of Knight Hall, a building with a story that weaves together tales of pioneering women, Depression-era public works, and even a touch … Continue reading
Posted in Campus Heritage, Uncategorized, University Architecture, University of Wyoming history
Tagged 1940s, Arthur G. Crane, Campus buildings, Campus haunting, Cemeteries, Emma Howell Knight, Gothic architecture, Great Depression, Knight Hall, Laramie history, Student housing, University of Wyoming, Wilber Hitchcock, Women's dormitory, Women's education, WPA projects, Wyoming Public Radio
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