45 Records and Teen Canteens 

Both HHS and the city of Ft. Thomas were vigilant in trying to create opportunities for Highlands students to socialize, dance, and have parties under the watchful eye of adult chaperones.  Either the school or the Parks and Recreation Dept.  held a “Teen Canteen” every so-often in the Highlands Canteen (basement of the basketball gym), in one of the elementary school gymnasiums, and in the armory.  Music was played on the record player (by a volunteer DJ), refreshments were served, and kids socialized and danced. 

A 45 RPM Phonograph Record 

Although phonograph records first appeared in the late 19th century, when Highlands welcomed its first students in 1888, there were probably few, if any, who actually owned records. Recorded music, the little there was, generally appeared on wax cylinders, produced by Edison, Bell and others. The first “records” became generally available around 1910, and gradually became the medium of choice. By 1925, many families, including teenagers, were listening to 78 RPM records made of shellac, the standard of the day. 

After WWII, record companies began to develop new formats, including the seven-inch 45 RPM disk by RCA Victor in 1949. The existing 10 or 12 inch 78’s were somewhat brittle, and could play only two or three minutes of music. The 45 “single” was much smaller, more manageable, more durable, and could contain twice as much music per side. In addition, the larger hole in the middle of the disk allowed it to be more easily handled by jukebox mechanisms, an important piece of the music industry in the mid-20th Century. Although the 33 1/3 “Extended Play” format was coming along at about the same time, the importance of individual songs and the willingness of parents to support such collections, took things by storm. By 1954, 200 million 45s had been sold.  

The common expression “flip side” originated with 45 RPM records. Each side typically contained a single song. The song that was expected to be a hit, the one for which the record was released, was on the “A” side, and the “B” or “flip” side was a sort of throwaway song, usually by the same artist but not expected to be a hit. Once in a while, of course, the public surprised the record company and preferred the flip side. Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” for example, was originally a “B” side.    

The last 45’s were released in about 1990, supplanted by new technologies, including cassette tapes.  

The record in our display has a yellow plastic adapter in the center.  This adapter could be inserted or removed depending on the type of turntable it was being played on.  Some turntables had a wide center spindle (especially juke boxes), while others had a slim metal spindle, both of which hold the record in place at it spins.  Thus, the need for small plastic adapters, so the record could be adjusted to fit the spindle of any record player.  Yes, the music industry has been booming ever since consumers got the ability to control what music they can listen to, by purchasing their own records and sound systems.