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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)
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.
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Biographical Note

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.

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Content Description

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.

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Use of the Collection

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

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Administrative Information

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.3.5

Location of Collection

3a.3.7-10

Location 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.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

  • "Herring Highlights", 1951-1967

    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

  • The Overseas Report, early 1950s

    16 reels : sound, black and white ; 16 mm

    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.

  • Washington State Reporter, circa 1951-1956

    22 reels : sound, black and white ; 16 mm

    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.

  • KING-TV News

    12 reels film : sound, black and white ; 16 mm
    1 reel videotape (Scotch VR); 2 inches

    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.

    • Description: 2006.10.44: "October 14, 1960"
      1 reel
      Dates: 1960 October 14
      Container: Box 2
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.45: "Athletic Alphabet Crisis"
      1 reel

      Includes 16 page transcript

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 7
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 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

      Dates: circa 1957
      Container: Box 4
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.47: "CHH newscast"
      1 reel
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 4
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.48: "Early Edition"
      1 reel
      Dates: 1957 July 5
      Container: Box 5
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.49: "Herring news"
      1 reel

      Preservation work performed in 2007-2008.

      Dates: 1955
      Container: Box 4
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.50: Seattle earthquake
      1 reel (70 feet) : negative

      Preservation work performed in 2006.

      Dates: 1965 April 29
      Container: Box 4
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 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."

      Dates: circa 1966
      Container: Box 7
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.52-53b: "Lake Chelan promo"
      2 reels : negative
      1 reel : positive
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 4
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.54: "Man in Space" ("School Special")
      1 reel
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 5
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 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

      Dates: circa 1964
      Container: Box 4
      Location: KING-TV News
    • Description: 2006.10.55: "Chicken Eggs"
      1 reel videotape (Scotch VR) 2 inches
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 8
      Location: KING-TV News

  • Miscellaneous films, circa 1951-1957

    20 reels : sound, black and white ; 16 mm

    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.

  • Sound recordings, 1947-1994

    5 audiocassettes
    8 audiotapes
    3 radio transcription discs
    • Description: 2006.10.76: King-TV 5 "Celebrate with us: 35 years of Broadcasting"
      1 audiocassette

      Audiocassette composed by Dan Dean

      Dates: 1983
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994

    • 2006.10.78-79: National Public Broadcasting banquet roast, 1993

      Container: Box 5

      2 audiocassettes
    • Description: 2006.10.80-81: National Public Broadcasting Convention--Dave Richardson and Bill Brubacker
      2 audiocassettes
      Dates: 1994
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.82: King-TV telecast "What's the Story," with guest Dave Beck, teamster's President
      1 audiotape
      Dates: 1957 March 18
      Container: Box 6
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.83: End of Victor Meyers farewell speech at legislature
      1 audiotape
      Dates: 1965
      Container: Box 6
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.84: Evans on Chuck Herring
      1 audiotape (44 seconds)
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 6
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.85: ABC reports, Ma poster winner
      1 audiotape
      Dates: 1967 May 4
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.86: King-TV Seattle, Washington; Ken Jones, NBC, Los Angeles
      1 audiotape
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 6
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.87: Braman--2 sound cuts
      1 audiotape
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 6
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.88-89: Untitled
      2 audiotapes
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 6
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 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:

      • Cut 1: Coverage of the Washington International Sprint Regatta, 1947
      • Cut 2: Coverage of the Washington-California JV crew race, 1951
      • Cut 3: Coverage of Huskies-Bears-Stanford Indians Varsity crew race
      • Cut 4: Wire recording from scene of a halibut fish oil plant explosion in North Seattle, July 6, 1948
      • Cut 5: Description of above area and explosion, in retrospect
      • Cut 6: "Main Street America," a show written and narrated by Herring but never sold, included "as an example of dramatic narration"
      • Cut 7: Air check of Herring's morning newscast, April 5, 1950

      Dates: 1951 August 21
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 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.

      Dates: 1950 April 5
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994
    • Description: 2006.10.92: "Press Club News Conference"
      5a.1.4
      1 radio transcription disc
      Dates: 1947 April 30
      Location: Sound recordings, 1947-1994

  • Other material

    • Description: 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.

      Dates: circa 1965
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Other material

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

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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