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Video Yesteryear

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Video Yesteryear, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202511 sources


Video Yesteryear, Inc.
Company typePrivate
Industry
  • Mass media
  • Retail
Founded1965; 61 years ago (1965) in Croton-on-Hudson, New York
FounderJ. David Goldin
DefunctTemplate:End date and age
FateAcquired by Audio Book Club, Inc.

Video Yesteryear, Inc.,[1] was a U.S.-based distributor and retailer specializing in public domain movies, vintage radio programs, and film soundtracks. Established in 1965 by J. David Goldin, the business initially operated from his residence in Croton-on-Hudson, New York before relocating to Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Originally named Radio Yesteryear, the enterprise offered classic radio broadcasts on formats such as LP records, audio cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, and briefly on 8-track tapes. Starting in 1978, they expanded into distributing public domain motion pictures via VHS, Betamax, and 8 mm film.[2]

History

Founded in 1965 as Radio Yesteryear,[3] J. David Goldin (born October 20, 1942) launched the operation from his home in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.[4][5]: 59  A lifelong aficionado of radio, Goldin obtained a bachelor's degree in radio production from New York University, where he gained experience as a disc jockey at WNYU.[6] After completing his studies, Goldin relocated to Sitka, Alaska, where he served as both DJ and engineer at KSEW, a low-power station broadcasting in English and Tlingit.[7] It was during this time that he acquired his initial collection of 16-inch transcription discs, which the station no longer required and allowed him to keep.[5]: 59  Returning to New York later on, Goldin took engineering positions at major broadcasters including WNBC, WOR, and the CBS Broadcast Center.[8][3] During his tenure at these stations, Goldin expanded his collection of transcription discs by retrieving neglected archives or obtaining them from seasoned employees.[2]: 54 [7] By the mid-1960s, with thousands of transcription discs accumulated, he launched Radio Yesteryear as a mail-order business offering audiotape reproductions of these recordings on professional-grade reel-to-reel tapes.[7][5]: 60 

In the late 1960s, Goldin was contracted by Viva Records to compile a collection of radio show theme songs from the 1930s and 1940s aimed at nostalgic audiences. Released in 1969 under the title Themes Like Old Times, this compilation achieved significant success, reaching number 23 on VarietyTemplate:'s best-selling LP chart.[2]: 54  This accomplishment led to a contract with Columbia Records to produce W. C. Fields on Radio with Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy (1969), which received a nomination for Best Comedy Recording at the 12th Annual Grammy Awards.[2]: 54  Following these achievements, Radio Yesteryear began issuing LP records under their Radiola Records label.[6] At the 24th Annual Grammy Awards, their remastered version of Orson Welles' 1944 performance of Donovan's Brain for Suspense won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording.[7]

Subsequently, Radio Yesteryear created another LP imprint named Sandy Hook Records dedicated exclusively to music releases rather than full radio programs. This label featured music broadcasts, film soundtracks, and reissues of long-unavailable commercial recordings. As vinyl declined in popularity, Radiola and Sandy Hook transitioned to cassette-only formats. Shortly before the company's sale, they began exploring releases on the new Compact Disc format.

They offered "custom tapes" allowing customers to compile personalized selections from their archive at a rate of $12 per hour of audio content. Additionally, they developed the Goldin Radio Library catalog containing hundreds of pre-curated shows available on cassette.

Another initiative was their cassette/CD reissue series titled Stack of 78s, which drew from their extensive collection of 78 rpm records.[9] Most selections were previously out-of-print recordings that had not been accessible for many years. The company did not perform sound restoration; consequently some releases contained noticeable scratches and surface noise.

As Video Yesteryear, they gained recognition for presenting silent films at slower frame rates than typical 16 mm projectors would use. This approach aimed to approximate authentic silent film running speeds and was branded as Video Accu-Speed.[10] Their silent film offerings often included original organ scores composed and performed by Rosa Rio (1902–2010), a former theatre organist from the silent era.[3] By 1990, Video Yesteryear's catalog comprised approximately 1,200 films including around 350 silent titles.[10]

In December 1998, Audio Book Club, Inc., acquired Video Yesteryear for an undisclosed sum.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Video Yesteryear, Inc". OpenCorporates. n.d. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Moses, Nancy (2015). Stolen, Smuggled, Sold: On the Hunt for Cultural Treasures. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780759121942 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kemper, Steve (June 19, 1994). "Conversations: Reminiscing through recordings". The Hartford Courant: 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Birdsall, Carolyn (2023). Radiophilia. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 182. ISBN 9781501374982 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Angus, Robert (April 1974). "Old-Time Radio Is Alive and Well in a Croton-on-Hudson Garage" (PDF). High Fidelity and Musical America. 24 (4). Billboard Publications: 59–63 – via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Anonymous (n.d.). "Goldin, J. David". Special Collections and Archives Finding Aids. UMKC University Libraries. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Wilber, Del Quentin; Lisa Rein (May 3, 2012). "The sleuth, the Babe and a radio mystery". The Washington Post. p. A1. Template:ProQuest.
  8. ↑ Sterling, Christopher H., ed. (2010). The Concise Encyclopedia of American Radio. Taylor & Francis. p. 470. ISBN 9781135176846 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ Frederick, R. D. "Gus"; Whitty, Jim M. (n.d.). "Re-Recordings & Reissues: Your Source for New Old Music!". Wolverine Antique Music Society.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Nichols, Peter (April 8, 1990). ""Fast Forward: A Matter of Entrances and Exits" ". "The New York Times" : A32. {{cite journal}}: no-break space character in |journal= at position 21 (help); no-break space character in |title= at position 48 (help); no-break space character in |url= at position 44 (help)
  11. ↑ Feder , Robert  (December 16, 1998 ). "Channel 2 profits from ad that looks like news ". Chicago Sun-Times : 55. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); no-break space character in |date= at position 18 (help); no-break space character in |first= at position 7 (help); no-break space character in |journal= at position 18 (help); no-break space character in |last= at position 6 (help); no-break space character in |title= at position 47 (help); no-break space character in |url= at position 44 (help)

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