Photos From The First Ever Network Telethon

On October 7, 2014 - TV History

Speaking Of Telethons…Here Are Photos From The First Ever

After posting the Martin & Lewis video from the 1952 Olympic Telethon, it occurred to me that it’s been a few years since we’ve seen these rare pictures from the first telethon in May of 1949.

Milton Berle hosted the 16 hour event on NBC and raised $100,000 for The Damon Runyon Memorial Cancer Fund. Among the celebrity guests…Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I think it’s safe to say that no one in the world has more experience and ability with teletoons than Mr. Lewis. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee




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3 Comments

  1. Scott Comstock October 8, 2014

    I fondly remember working the local portions of the ’94 and ’95 MDA telethons, as TD and graphic operator. During the ’94 Telethon, I came across an unencrypted satellite feed of _Star Trek: DS9_, and left it up on one of the monitors while I continued to bang out graphics. I got a tap on the shoulder, only to turn around and see the owner of the company flashing me a Vulcan salute with a huge grin

  2. Terry Drymon October 7, 2014

    i loved the “smell” that came out of our B&W tv set…guess i am really a TV nut !

  3. Art Hackett October 7, 2014

    Another camera with the side open to cool the tubes.Kids today just don’t know how hot they got.