Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Charles Herring collection of news broadcast films and other material, 1947-1994
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Herring, Charles H., 1922-2006
- Title
- Charles Herring collection of news broadcast films and other material
- Dates
- 1947-1994 (inclusive)19471994
- Quantity
- 77 film reels, 3 video recordings and 16 sound recordings, (8 boxes, 6 cubic feet)
- Collection Number
- 2006.10 (collection)
- Summary
- Films, videos and sound recordings of news broadcasts by former KING-TV anchor Charles Herring.
- Repository
-
Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library
P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
- Languages
- English.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Charles Herring was born on August 18, 1922 and raised on a farm outside of Walla Walla, Washington. Herring attended Washington State University briefly, and graduated from Whitman College in 1941 with a degree in English. While at Whitman, Herring worked for a radio station in Walla Walla, then he served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater during World War II. On his return to Seattle, Herring took a newscasting job at the radio station KJR for two years, before becoming the first news director and anchor at KING-TV Channel 5 in 1951.
With his first newscast on the two-year-old KING-TV, on September 10, 1951, Charles Herring became Seattle’s first live television news broadcaster. Herring worked for KING-TV for 16 years, covering stories in Washington State, Alaska and abroad in Europe and Asia. Herring covered memorable Northwest moments such as the historic test flight of the Boeing 707 prototype in July 1954, the riot at the Walla Walla state penitentiary in 1955, and Burt Thomas’s swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca in July 1955. Initially, the entire news department consisted of Herring and a cameraman, and the first newsroom was jury-rigged in an old grocery store on Queen Anne Hill. The crew would create, rehearse and edit the show in the newsroom then drive to the South Lake Union studio, sometimes arriving minutes before the airtime of the nightly 15-minute newscasts.
Herring’s broadcasts also marked technological milestones in the fledgling television industry. His Washington, D.C. coverage of the McClellan Committee hearing into the affairs of controversial teamster's president Dave Beck marked the first time Seattleites saw news televised live cross country; TV signals were sent live across the Atlantic for the first time with the coverage of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, beamed to Europe aboard the satellite Telstar.
Herring left KING-TV in 1967, and with his wife, Mary Bemus, purchased KAPY-AM in Port Angeles; the couple ran the radio station until 1978. He then worked for Boeing as a video producer until retiring in 1987.
Charles Herring died in Seattle on January 23, 2006.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of 16 mm films, videotapes, audiotapes, and radio transcription discs from the news broadcasting career of Charles Herring, 1951-1967, primarily for Channel 5 KING-TV in Seattle.
The first series consists of a compilation of the highlights of Charles Herring's career from 1951 through 1967, featuring nine segments. Two series include films related to the Overseas Report and Washington Reporter broadcasts, with footage from various Washington State locations as well as locations in Europe. These include coverage of the 1965 Seattle earthquake and reports from various Washington cities such as Forks, Lynden, Richland and Quincy. Other films include footage of an interview with teamster's president Dave Beck, commercials for Alka-Seltzer voiced by Herring, and films from Alaska.
Sound recordings including audiotapes of some of Herring's television broadcasts as well as recordings of other events, such as National Public Broadcasting roasts and the farewell speech of Washington Secretary of State Victor Meyers. Three radio transcription discs provide samples of Herring's work at radio station KJR in Seattle, prior to his becoming a television broadcaster.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Charles Herring Collection of News Broadcast Films and Other Material, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The films were arranged into series based on inscriptions on film cans and reels; possibly some of the miscellaneous films belong within named series, but were not labeled as such.
Arranged in 7 series:
- "Herring Highlights"
- The Overseas Report
- The Washington State Reporter
- King-TV News
- Miscellaneous films
- Sound recordings
- Other material
Location of Collection
3a.3.5Location of Collection
3a.3.7-10Location of Collection
5a.4.5 (radio transcription discs)Preservation Note
Due to the lack of viewing equipment at the repository, access to films limited to items for which a viewing copy on VHS exists. Duplication from film to VHS on demand is also possible.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Charlie Herring, Charles Herring's son, April 13, 2006
Processing Note
Processed by Melinda Snarr, 2006
Preservation work was performed on ten of the 16 mm films as part of the Washington Film Preservation Project at the University of Washington between 2006 and 2008. Specific films on which preservation was performed are noted in the inventory.
As part of the preservation work, each film was inspected, cleaned, cored and canned. The original information was recorded from the reel/can and leader and the original leader was replaced.
Related Materials
The Seattle Public Library Moving Image Collection at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library includes 16mm films of Herring broadcasts of The Washington State Reporter.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
"Herring Highlights", 1951-1967Return to Top
Compilation of highlights of Charles Herring's news broadcasting career, featuring 9 segments:
- Overseas Report, 1951
- Washington State Reporter, 1952
- "Fairbanks Gold Mining," 1953
- "Alka-Seltzer News," 1957
- "Beck Award Presentation," 1957
- "Jenny's Birth," 1960
- "CHH 39th Birthday," 1961
- "Seattle Earthquake," 1965
- "CHH Swan Song," 1967
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | 2006.10.6a: Viewing copy
1 videocassette
(VHS) (1 hour 50 minutes) :
sound, black and white
|
1951-1967 |
| 1 | 2006.10.5-.6: Videotape
2 videotape reels (1 hour 50 minutes) :
sound, black and white
;
1 inch
Videotape made from 16 mm film reels on August 1988. Videotape
reel 1 contains film reels 1 and 2; videotape reel 2 contains film reels 3 and
4.
|
1951-1967 |
| 1 | 2006.10.1-.4: Film
4 reels (3926 feet) :
sound, black and white
;
16 mm
Preservation work performed on reels 1 and 4 in 2006.
|
1951-1967 |
| box:reel | ||
| 1/1 |
Overseas Report
1302 feet
|
1951 |
| 1/2 |
Washington State
Reporter
470 feet
|
1952 |
| 1/2 | "Fairbanks Gold
Mining" 440 feet
|
1953 |
| 1/3 | "Alka-Seltzer News" 415 feet
|
1957 |
| 1/3 | "Beck Award
Presentation" 433 feet
|
1957 |
| 1/3 | "Jenny's Birth" 75 feet
|
1960 |
| 1/3 | "CHH 39th Birthday" 60 feet
|
1961 |
| 1/4 | "Seattle
Earthquake" 415 feet
|
1965 |
| 1/4 | "CHH Swan Song" 415 feet
|
1967 |
The Overseas Report , early 1950sReturn to Top
The Overseas Report seems to have been a series filmed in Europe in the early 1950s, and was possibly a predecessor series to The Washington Reporter.
Titles were taken from inscriptions on film cans and reels. Titles which seem to be show titles or which are unclear are given between quotation marks.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 3 | 2006.10.28: Athens
1 reel (15 minutes 5 seconds)
|
circa 1953 |
| 3 | 2006.10.29: Berlin
1 reel (580 feet) :
negative
|
circa 1953 |
| 3 | 2006.10.30: "F. Patterson shots" 1 reel
Possibly Fred Patterson of the National Bank of Commerce
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.31: Frankfurt
1 reel (15 minutes 15 seconds) :
negative
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.32: Frankfurt
1 reel (15 minutes)
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.33: London 1 reel
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.34: National Bank of Commerce Europe
report
1 reel :
negative
|
1951 November 27 |
| 3 | 2006.10.35: Newsroom shots, intros,
Overseas Report
composites 1 reel
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.36: "Kintile"
1 reel :
negative
|
early 1950s |
| 5 | 2006.10.37a: Paris 1 reel
|
early 1950s |
| 5 | 2006.10.37b: Berlin 1 reel
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.38: Paris 1 reel
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.39: Prestwick
1 reel :
negative
|
undated |
| 5 | 2006.10.40a: Prestwick
1 reel (17 minutes 36 seconds)
|
early 1950s |
| 5 | 2006.10.40b: London
1 reel (15 minutes 26 seconds)
|
early 1950s |
| 3 | 2006.10.41: Rome 1 reel
|
early 1950s |
| 5 | 2006.10.42: Tripoli (air print) 1 reel
|
circa 1951 |
| 3 | 2006.10.43: Tripoli 1 reel
|
circa 1951 |
Washington State Reporter , circa 1951-1956Return to Top
The Washington State Reporter news program on KING-TV was produced locally by the National Bank of Commerce (NB of C) from 1951 to circa 1956. The program featured a reporter on location throughout Washington state interviewing local business people, leaders, and citizens about industries, economic growth, and other issues. The series also covered Alaska and the Pacific Rim countries.
Titles were taken from inscriptions on film cans and reels. Titles which seem to be show titles or which are unclear are given between quotation marks.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 2 | 2006.10.7: Aberdeen, Washington
1 reel (10 minutes 37 seconds)
|
1954 |
| 2 | 2006.10.8: "D.P. Show"
1 reel (11 minutes 50 seconds)
This is possibly the show on displaced persons arriving to the
United States from Eastern Europe after WWII (circa 1952)
|
1952 February 19 |
| 2 | 2006.10.9: "Fairchild ?" 1 reel
|
undated |
| 2 | 2006.10.10: Fairchild Air Force
Base
1 reel (10 minutes 38 seconds)
|
1952 June |
| 2 | 2006.10.11: "Farm in a Day"
1 reel (10 minutes 55 seconds)
|
1952 June |
| 2 | 2006.10.12: Forks, Washington
1 reel (10 minutes 48 seconds)
|
circa 1952 |
| 2 | 2006.10.13a: Grand Coulee Dam 1 reel
|
circa 1953 |
| 2 | 2006.10.13b: Quincy, Washington 1 reel
|
circa 1953 |
| 2 | 2006.10.14: Longview, Washington 1 reel
|
1953 |
| 2 | 2006.10.15: Lynden, Washington--release
print |
circa 1953 |
| 2 | 2006.10.16-17: University of Washington medical
school |
circa 1953 |
| 3 | 2006.10.18: Port of Seattle
1 reel (186 feet)
Preservation work performed in 2006.
|
circa 1954 |
| 2 | 2006.10.19: Richland, Washington 1 reel
|
circa 1952 |
| 2 | 2006.10.20: Salmon institute
1 reel (11 minutes 27 seconds)
Probably about the Fisheries Research Institute of the
University of Washington
|
1953 |
| 4 | 2006.10.21: Woodland Park/Zoo
1 reel (155 feet)
Preservation work performed in 2006.
VHS available for viewing
|
circa mid-1950s |
| 2 | 2006.10.22: Yakima--full show 1 reel
|
1955 |
| 2 | 2006.10.23: Yakima--clips
1 reel (11 minutes 20 seconds)
|
1955 |
| 3 | 2006.10.24: Zoo
1 reel (480 feet)
Preservation work performed in 2006.
|
circa 1951 |
| 2 | 2006.10.25:
Washington State
Reporter--composite work print, part 1 1 reel
|
undated |
| 2 | 2006.10.26-27: Untitled 2 reels
|
undated |
KING-TV NewsReturn to Top
Titles were taken from inscriptions on film cans and reels. Titles which seem to be show titles or which are unclear are given between quotation marks.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 2 | 2006.10.44: "October 14, 1960" 1 reel
|
1960 October 14 |
| 7 | 2006.10.45: "Athletic Alphabet
Crisis" 1 reel
Includes 16 page transcript
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.46: Teamster president Dave Beck
interview, May 16
1 reel (64 feet)
Preservation work performed in 2006.
A second reel of this program, labeled "Dupe Sound," is in Box
5
|
circa 1957 |
| 4 | 2006.10.47: "CHH newscast" 1 reel
|
undated |
| 5 | 2006.10.48: "Early Edition" 1 reel
|
1957 July 5 |
| 4 | 2006.10.49: "Herring news" 1 reel
Preservation work performed in 2007-2008.
|
1955 |
| 4 | 2006.10.50: Seattle earthquake
1 reel (70 feet) :
negative
Preservation work performed in 2006.
|
1965 April 29 |
| 7 | 2006.10.51: "The Intruders" 1 reel
Label on can indicates this film was entered by Charles Herring
into the 1966 Washington State Competition for Awards for Excellence in
Journalism in the category "Spot News."
|
circa 1966 |
| 4 | 2006.10.52-53b: "Lake Chelan promo"
2 reels :
negative
1 reel :
positive
|
undated |
| 5 | 2006.10.54: "Man in Space" ("School
Special") 1 reel
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.59: Civil rights (?) 1 reel
Reel is in a box mailed to Mrs. A. Scott Bullitt from the U.S.
Conference of Mayors
|
circa 1964 |
| 8 | 2006.10.55: "Chicken Eggs"
1 reel videotape (Scotch
VR)
2 inches
|
undated |
Miscellaneous films, circa 1951-1957Return to Top
Includes films that were not labeled with a program series title, though some probably are probably related to the Washington State Reporter series.
Titles were taken from inscriptions on film cans and reels. Titles which seem to be show titles or which are unclear are given between quotation marks.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 4 | 2006.10.56: Alka-Seltzer
commercial 1 reel
|
1957 January 7 |
| 4 | 2006.10.57: Alka-Seltzer
commercial 1 reel
|
1955 December 22 |
| 2 | 2006.10.58: West Virginia
1 reel :
negative
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.60: Transportation in
Alaska 1 reel
Enclosed note: "This film is one of the "Alaskan Reporter"
series entitled "Transportation" or "Over mountain, tundra and sea."
|
1953 |
| 2 | 2006.10.61: "Josh 1:00 promo" 1 reel
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.62: Miser's Bluff
1 reel :
answer print
|
undated |
| 2 | 2006.10.63: "Number One Son" 1 reel
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.64: "Home Run" 1 reel
Preservation work performed in 2007-2008.
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.65: "Swansong" 1 reel
|
1954 |
| 4 | 2006.10.66: "Syncopated Clock"; "Ask Me";
"Dixie Jump"; "Please Mr. Sun" 1 reel
|
undated |
| 4 | 2006.10.67: Teamster election
film 1 reel
Note on film leader: "Paduano-Cavano from, UT"
|
1959 January 6 |
| 2 | 2006.10.68: Telstar (from Seattle World's
Fair?)
1 reel :
negative
|
1962 July 27 |
| 4 | 2006.10.69: "What's the Story" 1 reel
Preservation work performed in 2007-2008.
|
1956 January 1 |
| 4 | 2006.10.70: "What's the Story," Fairbanks
Goldmining 1 reel
|
1955 December 25 |
| 4 | 2006.10.71-75: Untitled 6 reels
|
undated |
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 5 | 2006.10.76: King-TV 5 "Celebrate with us: 35
years of Broadcasting" 1 audiocassette
Audiocassette composed by Dan Dean
|
1983 |
| 5 | 2006.10.78-79: National Public Broadcasting
banquet roast 2 audiocassettes
|
1993 |
| cassette-side | ||
| 1/1 | Chuck Morris roast |
1993 |
| ½ | Wendall Kinney, Merrill Mael,
Dick Harris |
1993 |
| 2/1 | Morris Gets Even |
1993 |
| 2/2 | Chuck's Favorite
78s |
1993 |
| 5 | 2006.10.80-81: National Public Broadcasting
Convention--Dave Richardson and Bill Brubacker 2 audiocassettes
|
1994 |
| 6 | 2006.10.82: King-TV telecast "What's the
Story," with guest Dave Beck, teamster's President 1 audiotape
|
1957 March 18 |
| 6 | 2006.10.83: End of Victor Meyers farewell
speech at legislature 1 audiotape
|
1965 |
| 6 | 2006.10.84: Evans on Chuck
Herring
1 audiotape (44 seconds)
|
undated |
| 5 | 2006.10.85: ABC reports, Ma poster
winner 1 audiotape
|
1967 May 4 |
| 6 | 2006.10.86: King-TV Seattle, Washington; Ken
Jones, NBC, Los Angeles 1 audiotape
|
undated |
| 6 | 2006.10.87: Braman--2 sound cuts 1 audiotape
|
undated |
| 6 | 2006.10.88-89: Untitled 2 audiotapes
|
undated |
2006.10.90: Samples of Herring's radio
work
5a.1.4
1 radio transcription
disc
A letter from Charles Herring to Vic Reed at the American
Broadcasting Company describes the content of this disc, which seems to have
been sent to ABC in consideration of potential work for Herring.
The cuts all appear to have come from his work at radio station
KJR in Seattle. Herring describes each cut:
|
1951 August 21 | |
2006.10.91: "Binyon Eyeopener
News"
5a.1.4
1 radio transcription
disc
"Binyon Eyeopener News" was Herring's early morning radio show
on KJR, which included news, music, weather and commercials narrated by
Herring.
|
1950 April 5 | |
2006.10.92: "Press Club News
Conference"
5a.1.4
1 radio transcription
disc
|
1947 April 30 |
Other materialReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 3 | 2006.10.76: "Early Bird Satellite"
transcript 5 pages
Transcript of first trans-Atlantic telecast originated by an
American independent television outlet employing the Early Bird satellite,
broadcasting from London, Paris, Washington, D.C. and Seattle on the subject of
Vietnam.
|
circa 1965 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Broadcast journalism--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Television news anchors--Washington (State)--Seattle
Personal Names
- Beck, Dave, 1894-1993
Corporate Names
- KING-TV (Television station : Seattle, Wash.)
- KJR (Radio station : Seattle, Wash.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Motion pictures
- Sound recording
- Video recording
Finding aid prepared by Jody
Hendrickson
2008
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
