The rise in popularity of podcasts has seen renewed interest in an artform that once attracted huge audiences. Before the coming of television, families would tune into radio stations to catch the latest episodes of their favorite shows. To celebrate the Golden Era of radio, the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation will host a Radio Roundup in the Lanterman House ballroom on Sunday, Feb. 2. The event is free of charge and will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The historic Lanterman House ballroom will be the setting for three live performances of vintage radio shows, complete with live accompaniment, sound effects, commercials and lots of audience participation. The genres performed will include mystery, science fiction and comedy. The performances will be held at 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:15 p.m. Between performances, visitors can enjoy a one-day exhibition of vintage radios from the collectors of the Southern California Antique Radio Society. 

“The Lanterman family were big fans of commercial radio broadcasting, and there are five of their old radios in the collection of the house, dating from the late 1920s through the 1960s,” said Laura Verlaque, executive director of the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation.

Admission is free and no reservations are required. Docent-led tours of the historic Lanterman House will also be offered that day.

The Lanterman House is located at 4420 Encinas Drive in La Cañada Flintridge. It is open for docent-guided tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit lantermanhouse.org or call (818) 790-1421.

The Lanterman House is a bungalow-style historic house museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The House was commissioned by Dr. Roy Lanterman in 1915 and was built by A.L. Haley, who was a prominent builder of both residences and commercial buildings in the Los Angeles area.

The Lanterman House also features a historical archive of the Crescenta/Cañada Valley. The archive is available for research by the public on Tuesdays and by appointment.