F is for Freddie Freihofer: My T.V. debut. Sixth of twenty-six posts in the April 2017 Blogging From A to Z Challenge on the theme “Whispering Chimneys: My Altamont childhood” — where my genealogy journey began. Wish me luck!
Home delivery was a way of life in the early 1950s before big supermarkets existed.
Milk trucks dropped off quart bottles with thick cream hovering at the top. Diaper services brought freshly-laundered weekly supplies right to the door of new mothers.
And for children like me — in New York’s capital district — there were bright red Freihofer’s Bakery trucks going house-to-house with the bread, cookies, pies and cakes!
They didn’t just deliver, either. Freihofer’s had a regular show on our local WRGB television station. The program’s official name was “Bread Time Stories” — but we all called it the Freddie Freihofer Show after the bakery’s mascot, a cartoon rabbit.
My T.V. debut
I was a huge fan, so my parents sent in my name — and in 1955 I made my T.V. debut on the program. Because the show taped on my actual birthday, I even got a frosted cake with my name on it — along with an 8-by-10 glossy photo of me with the other children.
A memorable event! And one that stays with me, along with the catchy Freddie Freihofer theme song. So please sing along as you watch the video below and enjoy a bit of upstate New York broadcast history.
Up next: G is for Gramps: Machinist and woodworker. Please stop back!
© 2017 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.