Woody Smith was a regular performer on KMBC but he was never a member of the Texas Rangers. I have yet to uncover any other reference to Diamond City News, one of the series referenced in this review, in all my Texas Rangers research. I have some leads and will post more here as more is uncovered.
I am always on the lookout for memorabilia for Kansas City’s KMBC from the Arthur B. Church era, 1920s to about 1953 when he sold it. I was beyond thrilled to win this item on Ebay earlier this year. Some background on this item. The University of Missour – Kansas City has some of the Arthur B. Church KMBC archival material. In their collection are six of these oversize promotional portfolios for different series and artists that the station tried to sell on a transcription basis with mixed results. You can view scans of these portfolios here on the left-hand side of the page.
This is a seventh portfolio that is different from those in the UMKC collection though its content is the Texas Rangers who are also the featured content of the two above-linked portfolios “Gentlemen in the White Hats” and “Life on the Red Horse Ranch.”
These portfolios appear to each be unique items created by KMBC ca. 1940. Each one contains photographs, telegrams, letters, and blown up copies of trade magazine reviews. As you can see, these items are all glued to the pages so each portfolio appears to be a prototype that would then be copied and distributed to potential sponsors. In years of looking through different KMBC archives I have never seen a replica of these portfolios so I suspect either they never moved beyond the prototype phase or they were only used for in-person promotions. They are in such good condition, however, that I can’t imagine they were handled much.
Because of the location of this item’s seller I believe this portfolio likely came from the Arthur B. Church family at some point; why it was not donated with the other materials is unknown.
There is no new information in this piece that is not in my book on the Texas Rangers but the pictures sure would have been a priceless addition to it. At least they can be viewed here, better late than never.
Here is the cover; I can’t tell which member of the band that might be.
KLDS was a station run by Arthur B. Church in the mid-1920s that eventually became KMBC around 1927 and an outlet for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). This clipping is from 1925.
Some pictures of KMBC head Arthur B. Church from the early 1930s.
Arthur B. Church, ca. 1931. (Pity the poor fellow on the far left with a Hitler mustache).
Arthur B. Church, ca. 1932.
Arthur B. Church, ca. 1932.
Wistful Vistas 