Did you have your picture taken with Commander Tom at the Erie County Fair? Do you have a Grandparent who worked in Buffalo radio or TV during the “golden age” of broadcasting? Do you have an autographed picture of a local DJ from a high school sock hop collecting dust in your attic? If you do, two of Buffalo’s foremost “pop culture” historians need your help for a series of upcoming projects.
Steve Cichon, creator of StaffAnnouncer.com and Marty Biniasz, co-founder of ForgottenBuffalo.com, are asking for Western New York’s assistance as they search for images, artifacts and ephemera related to Buffalo radio & television. Items collected are to be used in future book, display and web based projects.
“We are looking for personal snapshots, studio publicity photos, letters, marketing rate sheets, membership cards, advertisements…just about anything that might assist us in telling the story of Buffalo broadcasting,” said Biniasz.
Pictures submitted will be considered for inclusion in an upcoming book project titled “Images of Buffalo Broadcasting.” The publication, currently being written by local historian Marty Biniasz, is to be published by Arcadia Publishing under its nationally successful “Images of America” series. A fall 2011 release is anticipated.
A second published project to be released during late 2011 and being written by WBEN anchor/reporter Steve Cichon is “Irv! Buffalo's Anchorman.” Through photos and stories the book will chronicle the life of Buffalo's most beloved media personality. Irv’s relationship with sports anchor Rick Azar and weatherman Tom Jolls, the longest running anchor team in American broadcasting history, will be emphasized as the trio became part of the historical and pop-culture identity of Western New York.
"There are plenty of staged publicity shots of most of these broadcasters," says Cichon. "But especially in Buffalo, the people we've watched on TV and listened to on the radio are really a part of our families. What better way to celebrate our special relationship than with our own actual snapshots and other documents."
Items collected will be scanned, documented and returned to their owner. The community can also following submission guidelines on the historian’s websites for options to scan and submit images on their own. People are asked to visit www.ForgottenBuffalo.com or www.StaffAnnouncer.com for information on how they can share items from their personal collections. Submission guidelines and contact information is posted on each site.
|
