Latest addition to my sub-collection of THE SHADOW radio show premia: the extremely rare 1945 (or 1947) Carey Salt ring (right), joining the far-less so 1941 Blue Coal ring (left).
According to the excellent Secret Squadron site:
Carey Salt, sponsors of The Shadow radio program, offered the "Magic Shadow Ring" for only 5c and proof of purchase of any Carey product. It was released in 1945 and again in 1947. The ring was promoted by Carey Salt in commercial breaks and during the Shadow radio show through both the 1945-46, and again in the 1946-47 seasons... "You will find only 1 of these rings for every 20 Blue Coal Rings."
Second of my two promotional matchbooks for THE SHADOW radio show, from 1945, joined The Collection today. While this latest procurement has far better and more inventive visuals, the first one still has some of the matches inside.
According to Martin Grams, Jr, in his definitive history of the radio show:
"For DL&W, in the summer of 1945, The Shadow graced the inside and outside of matchbooks... These matchbooks were velvet smooth and sold to Blue Coal dealers in multiples of 500. The price was $3.00 per thousand if the dealer wanted his name, address, and phone number printed on them.To promote the matchbooks, a marketing tie-in was featured in the broadcast of September 9, 1945, titled "The Shadow in Danger" ...
The aforementioned, still-combustible set…
Not sure if there are more variations of them or if I now have the only two variants. If so, very cool. If not, please correct me.
Stage and control room blueprints for the recording of a 1939 episode of THE SHADOW radio show, via Martin Grams Jr.’s incredible THE SHADOW: THE HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF THE RADIO PROGRAM 1930-1954:
Promotional photo for DETECTIVE STORY HOUR radio show featuring James La Curto as The Shadow, 1930.
Advert for THE SHADOW radio show and newspaper strip, circa 1940-42 | via
