1950s School Music Appreciation ~ 72 Records

By the Standard Oil Company of California

SOLD

Return to Item # 126 Record Albums

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The Standard Oil Company of California began its sponsorship of the "Standard School Broadcast" in 1928. This pioneering initiative, which spanned more than four decades, involved weekly radio programs designed to encourage in-class music appreciation and cultural studies for the children in the primary grades.

In 1964, Standard Chairman R. G. Follis described the sponsorship as "a useful and proper function of a company which benefits as we do from the existence of a well educated, enlightened and culturally aware people." At its peak, some 3 million pupils in 9,000 schools heard the broadcasts. Generally these records were transferred from school to school within each school district until each school had played all of that year's lessons. Therefore, there were a limited number of these records made. Most were either destroyed over the years or remained as School Property making these fifty-year-old records highly collectible today.

This lot is for Seventy-two (72) individual 33 1/3 R.P.M. record albums spanning a time period from 1951 to 1955. They were made by the Standard Oil Company for Schools of the West and many of the records and jackets state to return them to Standard School Broadcast, 225 Bush Street, Room 251, San Francisco 20 California. They are listed in the following series.

1951 ~ Series 23 ~ Music and The American Family
1952 ~ Series 24 ~ Music Portraits of Famous Americans
1953 ~ Series 25 ~ The World’s Music in America
1954 ~ Series 26 ~ Music – A Language and an Art
1955 ~ Series 27 ~ The Science and Drama of Music

Series 23, 24 and 25 are all black vinyl while Series 26 is red vinyl and Series 27 is blue vinyl. As you can see in our pictures the Red and Blue vinyl records are a bit thinner and are translucent whereas the Black vinyl records are a bit thicker and are opaque. These large records measure 16" in diameter and all but one of the 72 records are in their original paper protective sleeves. Some of the sleeves do have writing on them and some are torn but most are in excellent condition.

From what we understand each series consisted of 26 weekly lessons or records representing a half-year of lessons. Below are the record numbers that correspond with each year.

1951 ~ (16 Records) 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25 & 26.
1952 ~ ( 4 Records) 3, 21, 25 & 26.
1953 ~ (14 Records) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20 & 21.
1954 ~ (23 Records) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 & 26.
1955 ~ (15 Records) 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 19.

You may purchase the entire lot of 72 records for just $69.95 (less than $1.00 each) or if you would like to purchase any individually the price will be $3.95 each plus shipping. If you have any questions or would like to purchase just a few individual records please contact us at Sales@YosemiteAntiques.com. We will be happy to provide shipping rates for individual records.

Return to Item # 126 Record Albums

1950s School Music Appreciation ~ 72 Records

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