The Radio History Society (RHS)

The Washington-Baltimore metro area is home to a large number of people enthusiastic about preserving this segment of our nation's history. The Radio History Society (RHS) is dedicated to the preservation of radio and television history. In June 1999 RHS' Radio & Television Museum in Bowie, Maryland opened its doors to the public, and since then has continued to grow in stature. Plan to visit soon. Click on "How to Join" for our mission and vision statements.

What's in it for you if you join RHS?

For starters, you would help support RHS' Radio & Television Museum. It's a gem, containing hundreds of rare artifacts relating to the history of radio and television technology and broadcasting. Visitors can stroll through the development of home receivers, listen to radio sound clips on sets from the 1920s to today's satellite radio era, and view vintage TV programs on restored television sets. Chances are good that every visitor will see a radio or TV set like the one parents or grandparents had.

In addition to permanent exhibits, the museum also features rotating exhibits. For instance, in recent years the museum presented an exhibit of early radio and TV stations in the Washington-Baltimore area, an exhibit of early transistor radios, and an exhibit of radio premiums. The museum maintains a ham station, W3R, which is on the air from time to time using a 1940s-vintage Collins AM broadcast transmitter operating on the 160-meter ham band. The museum's collection of early ham gear continues to grow.

For radio/TV collectors and radio/TV history buffs, the research library alone (see the card catalog on this website) might be enough incentive to join and support RHS. Imagine having an extensive research library of early radio materials available for you to use--Rider Manuals, Sams Photofacts, and numerous manufacturers' factory service data, plus several thousand technical books and books about performers such as Jack Benny and Fred Allen.

RHS has acquired many early technical journals such as Proceedings of the IRE, the RCA Review, and the Bell System Technical Journal from the World War I era to the modern era. Imagine being able to browse through old magazines like Radio Broadcast, Radio News, Popular Electronics and Radio Retailing and be able to copy articles that you need. Multiple filing cabinets contain ephemera such as dealer brochures, owner's manuals, and product catalogs.

As an RHS member you will receive a quarterly newsletter, filled with articles about radio and TV history as well as news of museum events.

From time to time members receive special publications free, such as a lengthy monograph about the history of the DuMont Television Network. Members are invited to special events, such as the grand opening reception for a special exhibit at the Library of American Broadcasting (LAB) at the University of Maryland (a joint effort of the LAB and the museum).

Memberships in RHS start at only $25 per year. (If you can give more, please do, and remember that all memberships are tax deductible.) Donations to RHS are welcomed (radios, TV sets, books, magazines, etc.).

Join RHS today to enjoy these benefits and help preserve radio and TV history.