Joseph K. “Fritz” Emmet and the Building of Wolfert’s Roost

While not mentioned anywhere in the official history of the Club, the original Wolfert’s Roost was actually built by Joseph K. Emmett, a comedic stage actor.…

The Tuberculosis Sanatorium of Albany Hospital: 1912-1954

The Tuberculosis Sanatorium of the Albany Hospital was located on the west side of Tudor Road, between Western and Washington Avenues, closer to Washington. Tudor Road…

Thomas Edison visits Albany to promote his phonograph.

Thomas A. Edison visited Chancellor Hall on a January night in 1920 to give an invited audience a demonstration of his New Edison phonograph and flat…

John Keal’s Modern Music

John Keal’s Modern Music has had a long history as an Albany merchant. Keal opened his  music studio in 1930 at 315 Central Avenue. At first…

The Hotel Klondike

The Hotel Klondike once occupied 523 Western Avenue, on the northeast corner of Western and Allen. Built in 1891 by Frederick Bareis, it appears to have…

The Dingbats come to Albany, 1914.

Two acts I wish I’d seen. The Dingbats were a vaudeville comedy song and dance act based on a popular newspaper comic strip (which also spawned…

WXKW 850 AM, a “lost” Albany broadcaster

Here’s another Albany “lost broadcaster.” You may remember WXKW as the little soul station at the far right of your dial in the 1960’s, but the…

WMGT TV, Mt. Greylock, another “lost” Albany broadcaster

Another “lost” local broadcaster story. This may be stretching the “Albany” part a bit, but its signal was visible here and its programs listed in our…

The Indestructible Record Company

At one time, Albany was home to one of the four major labels in the recording industry. The first celluloid cylinders marketed in the U.S. were…

The Capital District’s Lost Broadcaster: W47A/WBCA

In 1940, to foster the growth of Armstrong’s new FM radio system, the FCC took the frequencies belonging to TV’s Channel 1 and assigned them to…