Free The Kinescopes!
Free The Kinescopes! is a page devoted to early television history. Be sure to check out our companion page 'The Media Stash'. We believe in universal access to all television. The kinescope process was one in which live television programs were recorded via a small video monitor onto 16mm or 35mm film. This was the only way to preserve live television for time-shifting, rebroadcast or sale of tv programs. Kinescopes were made secondary by the invention of videotape, which became commercially available in 1956/57. However, they were still used all the way up through the early 1970s as a means of videotape backup, or for preservation since videotape was frequently erased and reused, or to send to entities which did not have videotape equipment. This page will focus mainly on these early tv recordings dating from the late 1940s through the late 1960s. Kinescope also went by 'Teletranscriptions' in the USA and 'Telerecordings' in the UK
Voices From The Past (KDKA, 7-10-1958)
Civil Rights Panel Discussion (WTAE-TV 6/25/1966)
Your Hit Parade (March 24, 1956, NBC)
Climax: Jacob and the Angel (10/3/1957, CBS)
Eleanor Schano: Slim Mint Gum/Thrift Drug Stores (April 3, 1961, WTAE)
Peter Roberts Salute to Ned Rogers (circa 1966)
Gateway To Glamour with Eleanor Schano: Maternity Clothes, Telephone Manners, Make-up tips (1961)
Commercials/Promos for ABC and NBC TV Shows (1960s)
Texaco Star Theater with Milton Berle (February 5, 1952, NBC)
Your Hit Parade (March 24, 1951, NBC)
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (February 5, 1955, NBC)
Stamp Day For Superman (1954)
Vintage Commercials (1950s, 1960s, 1970s)
For Doctors Only (circa 1958 TV Pilot, WABD)
Eleanor Schano Sun Drugs Commercial (WTAE Sun Telecom News, 1/11/1960)
Senators John Sparkman and Jennings Randolph (circa 1958, WTRF)
Johns Hopkins Science Review: Courtroom Doctors (May 27, 1954, DuMont Network)
Suspense: I, Dan Krolik (CBS, 1959)
Learn To Draw with Jon Gnagy (1951, WABD, DuMont)
Boxing from St. Nick's (DuMont/WABD, November 5, 1956)
Boxing from St. Nick's (DuMont Network, October 10, 1955)
Boxing From St. Nick's (DuMont Network, September 26, 1955)
Electricity at Work: New Electric Motor Drive (Michigan State University Television, circa 1957)
Understanding Numbers: Episode 3, Big Numbers (1953, University of Michigan Television)
General Electric: Sightseeing At Home (1943)
Echo: Frontiers in Medicine (1970)
CBS Morning Show with Jack Paar, excerpts (1954)
Uncle Harry Show (Updated, WTRF-TV, 1956/1957)