Ottumwa Public Library

From “Betty Boop” to the Mills Brothers, the music of the Great Depression delighted listeners and helped take their minds off their troubles as the nation sank into economic doldrums. Because regular records were too expensive to purchase, savvy entrepreneurs came up with a new type of recording on a cardboard backing—the Durium record—which were sold weekly at newsstands for 15 cents. Called “Hit of the Week,” these records were very successful, selling up to a half million copies per week by the summer of 1930.

This month, join the Reminisce Society for a trip back in time to the early 1930s as Ottumwa phonograph collector Dale Essick presents a program on the “Hits of the Week.” You’ll delight in the sound of these 80-year old recordings played on an “official” Hit of the Week wind-up phonograph. The Reminisce Society will be meeting on Tuesday, May 24th, at 10:00 a.m. in the Mary Ann Lemon Meeting Room. For further information, call the library’s Reference Desk at 641-682-7563, ext. 205 or e-mail the Reference Desk here .