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A boy watched TV in an appliance store window in 1948.                       Ralph Morse The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

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The introduction of the television (Patrick)

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The introduction of the television (Patrick)

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At the end of World War II, television burst onto the scene as the latest technological innovation that would revolutionize media in the United States and abroad. By the early 1950s, millions of homes possessed one, and took the nation by storm. Revolutionizing the way people took in news, the TV was different because being able to use live images to spread information, meaning that "flashier" news stories worked better on television. Marshall McLuhan, a media theorist, claimed in 1964 that "the medium is the message," meaning that content is shaped by which type of media it passes through. Therefore, the increasing popularity of the television and its quick spread throughout America resulted in a shift in the types of news stories being pumped out. This meant that people who got their news from different types of "mediums" could have different perspectives on particular world events. Therefore, the growth in the popularity of television resulted in the change in the way that people took in news, affecting individual perspectives on news and society.

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Charlie Girl Ad: Positive Portrayal of Women in 1970s Media- (Anya)

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Charlie Girl Ad: Positive Portrayal of Women in 1970s Media- (Anya)

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A Revlon Perfume Commercial featuring actress Shelley Hack revolutionized the portrayal of women in advertising, aligning with the growing feminism movement during the 1970s. When released in 1973, this was the first ad that depicted Hack as an independent, confident woman striding through the streets, breaking free from traditional gender roles and stereotypes (where they were usually portrayed as subservient housewives). The "Charlie Girl" image resonated with feminine ideals of empowerment and self-reliance instead of the notion that a woman's worth was to attract a man. The commercial's success demonstrated that women embraced their newfound liberation and purchasing power, buying perfume for themselves rather than waiting for it as a gift. By presenting a self-assured female persona, the Charlie ads helped popularize and reinforce the feminist movement's impact on mainstream culture and advertising, where perspectives on women's roles could evolve as the improved media allowed these ads to reach wider audiences.

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Shelley Hack 1970's Charlie By Revlon Perfume Commercial

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Good Times is a sitcom displaying the life of an African American urban family in the housing projects of Chicago. It is credited as being one of the first TV shows to cater to African Americans and as one of the first to display African Americans in a positive non-stereotypical light. This breaking of racial barriers in television led to a greater acceptance of Black people in the general culture and led to unique new perspectives and culture being brought to a wider audience that was previously limited to Black spaces. This show also served to break stereotypical views held by people by displaying black people in a more humanizing way.

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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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“Television as I See It: A Force That Has Changed the Political Scene." TV Guide Article by JFK- (Anya)

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“Television as I See It: A Force That Has Changed the Political Scene." TV Guide Article by JFK- (Anya)

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During his run for the presidency, JFK published a TV Guide article discussing television's effects on the political process. He states that "TV has altered drastically the nature of our political campaigns, conventions, constituents, candidates, and costs." Television empowered politicians to forge profound connections with citizens and voters, even more so than the radio. Before TV, the electorate had few opportunities to witness presidents or candidates deliver speeches or engage in interviews. With television, people can decode body language and tone to decide whether candidates or politicians are sincere. Leaders could also directly convey emotions like anger, sadness, or hope during addresses. During the 1960s-1990s, television became a powerful tool for presidents to connect with the American people directly. The major broadcast networks and their local affiliates would carry these presidential appearances live, and with limited channel options at the time, viewers had little choice but to tune in. This period represented the "Golden Age of Presidential Television," where presidents and politicians could leverage their control to rally support for policies and initiatives. Through the medium of television, they had an incredibly influential platform to shape public opinion.

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FDR's Fireside Chat on the Recovery Program

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During the 1930's and 40's, almost every american home had a radio. FDR utilized this new innovation in technology to make a deeper connection with the american public. he did this by having evening radio talks that seemed more informal and relaxed. these talks helped calm the american public and make them feel like FDR was talking to them on a personal level.

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The introduction of cable television (Patrick)

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The introduction of cable television (Patrick)

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Cable television gained popularity in the 1980s. Before then, viewers were limited to only a few channels for their media consumption. However, as the advertisement shows, cable positioned itself as allowing for more niche programming, resulting in a greater viewership distribution across many channels. This gave viewers more control over the types of media they were taking in. While before the limited amount of channels meant that there were only a few ways to access media through television, this changed as cable's popularity grew. The introduction and subsequent growth of cable television in the 1980s resulted in the increasing ways that Americans could use television to access information, which promoted more competition among media sources.

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"That Certain Summer" was the first movie to display a openly gay couple in movies and the first to portray gay people in a non stereotypical, multidimensional way, a genre breaking change for the media industry at the time. It is to this day regarded by New York Times reviewer Marilyn Beck as, "one of the finest pieces of drama you’ll see this year on large or small screen.” It won awards like an Emy, Golden Globe, and many others, becoming a beacon of LGBTQ+ culture. This movie lead to a greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ people.

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Alternate Channels - LGBTQ Images on Television - Steven Capsuto

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Clip: THAT CERTAIN SUMMER - 1972 - 1st US TV drama to put a gay couple front and center | The first time a same-sex couple were the central roles in a U.S. TV drama was in the 1972 TV movie THAT CERTAIN SUMMER starring Hal Holbrook and Martin... | By Alternate Channels - LGBTQ Images on Television - Steven CapsutoFacebook

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The first time a same-sex couple were the central roles in a U.S. TV drama was in the 1972 TV movie THAT CERTAIN SUMMER starring Hal Holbrook and Martin...

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Color Television was invented sometime between 1946 and 1950, but wasn't profitable until the 1960's. by the early 1980's, colour television had nearly replaced all black and white television. The introduction of colour made it easier for companies to sell their products as it inspired a new level of attentiveness and emotional engagement amongst consumers, making them more likely to buy advertised products. color television altered the way Americans saw the world as it brought a new aspect of realness to the television.

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Image by Upton Sinclair of inspectors at a Meat Packing facility

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The Pure Food Movement, which began in the 1880s by food scientists, attempted to promote change in the food manufacturing industry. Because food manufacturing was unregulated, business owners would prioritize maximizing their profits over ensuring food safety for human consumption. As this became more well-known, Muckrackers, pre-WWI journalists who sought reform through investigative journalism and popular publications, started to speak out about the disgusting realities of the food packaging industry.

Perhaps the most famous of these Muckrackers was Upton Sinclair, whose photographs depict the disgusting truths of the food packaging industry. The most famous of his publications were "The Jungle", a fictionalized account of a Lithuanian family whose dreams of making a life for themselves in America are ultimately crushed by capitalism. The Jungle was published originally in a socialist newspaper "Appeal to Reason" and was later published in 1906. The book immediately became a success, sparking public outrage and disgust.

The result of the publication of The Jungle was a mass increase in the public awareness for the disgusting nature of the food packing industry. Further, Upton Sinclair used "Appeal to Reason" and the eventual publication of the book as a means to convey information. In a time before televisions, Sinclair's use of print media demonstrated how information could best get passed around the turn of the 20th century.

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The nation experienced new deregulation laws under the Reagan administration which made new business developments possible. This also resulted in the broadcasting industry becoming more competitive. for example, in the 80's Fox was founded becoming the fourth major competitor amongst the broadcasting stations. This new competitiveness forced business and companies to portray their ideas more aggressively and innovate more in order to beat their competitors.

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The improvements in media during the 1950-1990 time period resulted in a  lower “barrier to entry”, leading to an increase in diverse ideas and perspectives portrayed and spread.

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Our museum’s three level layout symbolizes the progress and evolution of media and technology in America through different eras.  The first level features our 2 artifacts from before the 1950s, showing the initial utilization and access to the little technology. The second level highlights the 1950s-1960s era, with exhibits on the introduction of the television and colored television, both turning points in media. The third level focuses on the 1960s-1990s period, where media became a powerful tool for representing minorities and political figures to widespread audiences, furthering movements like African American, women's, and LGBTQ rights. Each step upward represents the progress made in access to media and with the evolving marginalized and diverse voices in alignment with improvements of technology.