What do hit records tell us about life and business in post-WWI Wisconsin?
After World War I, factories and mass production were booming—and so was the record business! People had income to buy records and record players, and companies took notice. Paramount Records, started by the Wisconsin Chair Company based in Port Washington, sold records by well-known musicians of the time until the Great Depression crashed the party.
Let's take a look
Questions to consider
What was the Wisconsin Chair Company making before they started Paramount Records?
How have the materials used to make records changed over time?
What happened in the late 1920s and 1930s? How did this impact people’s lives, the recorded music industry, and Paramount?
Meet the historians
Get to know the historians. Each historian in this episode has a card with information about that historian.
There are 3 cards to read.
Taylor L. Bailey
Public Historian
I get to look at things and moments in history and teach others about them!
Tom Caw
Music Librarian
I help people access resources to learn about music, musicians, and music history.
Sergio González
History Professor
I research and teach about the history of Latinos in the Midwest.
Quote from a historian
“The whole notion of recorded sound, that you could play back and hear yourself or others … was kind of mind-blowing to people, especially in the early 20th century.”
Tom Caw
Episode credits
Producer
David Boffa
Coordinating Producer
Mia Forslund
Hosts
Taylor L. Bailey
Sergio González
Special Guest
Tom Caw
Research and Writing
David Boffa
Sergio González
Director of Photography
Ryan Hendricks
Videography
Ryan Hendricks
Ian Glodich
David Boffa
Editing
David Boffa
Ian Glodich
Captioning
Catie Pfeifer
Translation Services
Rev
Educator Support Materials
David Boffa
Mia Forslund
Kate Melberg
Web Design
Charles Barrows
Erika Kachama-Nkoy
Web Development
John Vieth
Graphic and Motion Design
Charles Barrows
Ian Glodich
Danielle Riseley
Additional Production Support
Philip Ashby
Al Barcheski
John Dachik
Angie Hause
Kurt Kaspar
Andy LaValley
Doug May
Will Salzmann
Executive Producer
Director of Education
Megan Monday
Director of Television
Jon Miskowski
Project Partners
Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History
University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries
Wisconsin Historical Society
Special Thanks
Tom Caw
Jeanette Casey
Natasha Veeser
Mills Music Library
Educator advisors
Debbie Burmeister
Neenah, WI
Peoria, AZ
Erin Ermis
Neenah Joint School District
Neenah, WI
Toni Heinowski
Muskego, WI
Tanya Schmidt
Oshkosh Area School District
Oshkosh, WI
Barb Shaver
Kettle Moraine School District
Wales, WI
Funding provided by
Timothy William Trout Education Fund
a gift of Monroe and Sandra Trout
Eleanor and Thomas Wildrick Family
Focus Fund for Education
Friends of PBS Wisconsin