Backtrack

WNYC Disc label

WNYC has been around for over 90 years... so there are 90 years worth of stories buried in the archives. In "Backtrack," the Archives team brings you some of that old audio footage, with a little context and content mixed in.  

Stories

Pennies for Kenny (Episode 5)

Sister Kenny had a new way to treat polio. She just needed enough money and support to get people to use it.
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This is the Truth! (Episode 4)

This is Our Enemy, a WWII era radio show about Axis activities, was less true than it claimed to be... but that doesn't make it less interesting.
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Object: Rehabilitation (Episode 3)

Toward Return To Society was a 1940s radio docu-drama about rehabilitating criminals through prison pig farms and plastic surgery.
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Listen and Learn (Episode 2)

Backtrack walks through some educational docudramas from the 1940s and 50s, including This is My Block and New York Queen of Commerce.
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A Nation of Immigrants (Episode 1)

Backtrack explores Americans All, Immigrants All, a 1938 series of radio dramas about immigrant contributions to the United States.
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WNYC Archives show image

WNYC Archives

Established in the year 2000, the New York Public Radio Archives are the station's physical link to its rich and storied past.

Be alert for scams. WNYC never asks for nor accepts money for coverage or interviews. Anyone making such a request does not represent WNYC.

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