The Greenbelt community, as well as the nation, in the late 1930's were captivated by the medium we know as radio. The four feet tall radio displayed above, that is located in the Greenbelt museum, was quite typical of the time. As my grandfather said "people sat and watched the radio". The people on the radio were part of the family. To learn more about the radio see Sean's webpage. Sean gives a good overview of the radio at this time. Sean also traces the history of the radio.
As with television today, the radio catered to all different segments of the population. There were children shows, comedy programs, music, and even day-time dramas catered for women many sponsored by soap companies which is how we get the name today soap operas.
Furthermore, radio offered the highly popular adventure programs which catered to a family audience. These programs would gather the family together and keep them on the edge of their seats. These programs included the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger.
This phenomenon can be see further in one of the most popular of all adventure programs, The Shadow. I am sure many of the families in Greenbelt would sit around the radio and watch this very popular program.
For
Further Information click on The Shadow: