In the early days of public television, the medium was dominated by lectures given by instructors in front of plain backgrounds. One of the programs to break out of that mold was performer and historian Max Morath’s “The Ragtime Era” which was pioneering in its use of sets, costumes and make-up.
In this recently unearthed 1960 episode from the WNET archives, Morath delves into the history of Tin Pan Alley.
Morath’s contribution to the development of public television is matched only by his background as a ragtime historian and player. He was interviewed for the American Experience film “America 1900″ and spoke about ragtime music.
“One of the misconceptions of ragtime is that it was strictly a piano music. Ragtime was everything. By the time we get to 1900 and on, for 15 years ragtime is this, ragtime is theatre, ragtime is in orchestration. It’s — it becomes a term that, frankly, it becomes rather useless because everything was called ragtime, as, for instance, everything in the ’60s is called rock.”
Thank you for posting this! This program is one of my happiest memories of watching TV on Sundays with my family. Plus it began my love affair with old-time pop music (including ragtime–Max sings a lot of vaudeville tunes which may or not be ragtime).
I also became a lifetime fan of that great performer, educator and historian, Max Morath! I would live to see Thirteen rerun both of Max’s early-60s series for a summer run! What a treat that would be!
Again, many thanks!
I second Kerr Lockhart, in spades.
Morath’s series, which I watched as a kid on KAET in Phoenix, Arizona, sold me on Public Television as a medium. Morath was (hell, he still is) an American Treasure, and Public Television had the sense to see it.
I loved watching and meeting Max on KRMA TV in Denver where I too was an early public TV pioneer doing a program directed by talented Jim Case called FOLKSONG HERITAGE which featured local guests like Judy Colins, John Greenway, Sandy Payton. Those were fun times and Max was fabulous. Maggie Bennett
I was take to hear him as a kid several times. My parents got his albums. Made me wish I lived back then to hear that kind of music.
Nice video, interesting and entertaining!
Regrettably, I never saw this series with Max Horath. What a precious talent. It brought back many old memories. We had a Victrola that played 78’s and a great collection of old songs and operas, even those by Stephen Foster. I remember a Foster song in particular called “Old Black Joe”. Starting with: “Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay”, and ending with: “I’m coming, I’m coming for my head is bending low. I hear the angels voices calling old black Joe”. Foster had a marvelous way of having music express words. Further, it would take a hundred years before the word “black ” would come into common usage. Foster was a man before his time.
This was great program. my daughter and I would watch NET TV Michigan State Station It was wonderful
and fantastic to see one of the programs with Max Morath.. enjoyable music.. Thanks to Max