Beschreibung:

An extraordinary library of original files, scripts, letters, diary entries and photographs concerning the role of television at Alexandra Palace. The collection comprises seven scrapbook-style folios, each bearing Donald Munro’s hand inscribed title to frontispiece or spine, enclosing documents in date and event order, the volumes are as follows: 1) “Some of my personal 'scraps' during my mainly B.B.C. career:- 1926, 26 March to 1948, 30 September. Date 25 September 1946, Aberdeen, and to be continued et adfinitum!” The folio begins with a command performance programme dated 5th September 1924, hosted by Harry Lauder, with Munro as piano accompanist, through to 1949 with a note of thanks from an engineer, the volume with mainly newspaper cuttings, pictures and letters both internal and external from A.P., most later annotated and by Munro, some with humorous comments. 2) “Radiolympia 1936, Aug 26-Sept 5”, the inside front cover inscribed in pencil “TELEVISION COMES TO RADIOLYMPIA! IT CAME Veni Vidi Vici”, containing typed running orders, pencilled instructions, timing cues and reminders, both Baird and M-EMI system sets, rehearsal calls, telegrams, all-staff sign-in signatures for 'Baird' [Company], 'Marconi-EMI staff' and 'Staff'. 3) “Official Opening of the World's First Public Television Service at Alexandra Palace, 2 November 1936.” A very important record of the opening, including; running orders, cues, speech texts, breakdown captions, beginning with a small sample negative strip of Baird I.F. film, clipped to page 3, the original typed opening text with three-colour annotations, hand-drawn maps of studio camera positions and lights, transmission-written notes in pencil with cues to the second, margin on original typed text frames marked Baird, the carbon copy marked M-EMI due to the transmission sequence, some large and hastily-written notes such as “SLOW MIX, GIVE WRIGHT "OVER TO YOU" and “STAND BY TO USE CAMERA 3”, running order for the Baird programme for 9pm the same day, until 10.03pm, checklist at the very back, crossed out in 'done' blue, the very last entry on the last page of the opening day, in pencil, inscribed hurriedly and boldly with the historical words “Full length shot CAMERA 1. FADE OUT SOUND AND VISION!! GIVE STUDIO ALL CLEAR”, underlined with a flourish. 4) “Retrospective from Commencement 1936 December to 1937 31 December.” Inscribed in Munro's hand to first page “Alexandra Palace 1936-1937, Devised and Produced by [then full signature]”, some newspaper cuttings on broadcasting, telegrams sent from family members from Scotland to the Muswell Hill exchange, carbon script for 'Diary of 1937', 'End of Year 1937' programme running order, shot sequence list, artist appearance list and scenery change sheet, then the full pasted transmission order, including annotations for orchestral cues, telecine cues, mixing directions and floor and stage plans with camera track layout, running to many pages; 5) “The Little Father of the Wilderness - a costume drama - Prologue from "I Pagliacci", starring Margot Fonteyn Percy Heming and Robert Helpman, transmitted Sunday 9th April, 1939.” Studios A & B, floor plan with rather complicated scenery and camera track diagrams, routine, vision and mix running orders, photograph and stills from Little Father of the Wilderness, Interlude details, rehearsal sheet, and the full pasted transmission order with annotations. 6) “Studio Equipment Committee" - plans for the final resistance of the UK in the event of German invasion during WWII.” The Committee Minutes - both actual and carbon copies of minutes held at Council Chamber of Broadcasting House, and room 334 of The Langham Hotel, dates from April 1942-April 1946, with Munro listed as being present at most meetings, the minutes discussing the need to keep the airwaves live by transmitting from various bunkers around the country should the UK become occupied, planning involves full equipment details. 7) “Misc”, Drafts for BB