Smithsonian Folkways Revives Young People’s Records

A Landmark Children's Label Returns with Timeless Songs for New Generations

Smithsonian Folkways has acquired Young People’s Records (YPR), a pioneering children's music label founded in 1946 by Horace Grenell, known for its innovative record club model and high-quality, educational releases. The acquisition, a 2021 gift from Susan Brown, Laura Maslon, and Francine Ringold, adds 135 albums and 300 tracks to Folkways’ archive, including 10 works by beloved folk singer Tom Glazer, now available for streaming and download. YPR, which shaped children's music from the 1940s–'60s with artists like Pete Seeger and Oscar Brand, focused on real-life themes and interactive learning, leaving a lasting impact. This acquisition continues Smithsonian Folkways’ mission to preserve culturally significant music and expands its rich legacy of educational recordings for new generations.

Founded by Juilliard-trained musician and educator Horace Grenell and owned by attorney Abraham Pomerantz, Young People’s Records quickly grew to sell over one million records annually to its 100,000-member mail-order club by 1949. With standout contributions from artists like Pete Seeger, Charity Bailey, and especially Tom Glazer—who recorded more than forty children's records—the label built a groundbreaking catalog rooted in everyday life, folk traditions, and music education. After its acquisition by John Stevenson and Milo Sutliff of the Children's Record Guild, YPR continued to thrive under Grenell's direction, becoming one of the first commercially successful record clubs. Its visionary embrace of vinyl, colorful interactive packaging, and sing-along formats, often crafted by educator Judith Sidorsky, made Young People’s Records a lasting force in children's musical learning, and today, select titles from the catalog are finally available to new generations through Smithsonian Folkways.

While the albums won’t be reissued on vinyl for now, select titles are available for digital purchase for around $1.99 on the Smithsonian Folkways website, though a recurring monthly donation is required to access them. For record collectors, it’s a striking reminder of how many of these historic children's records we’ve flipped past without knowing their true significance. It also begs the question: where did the original audio sources come from, and what was the process of transferring these old recordings to digital? The vibrant, imaginative cover art alone makes a strong case for why key titles from the Young People’s Records catalog deserve a full vinyl reissue treatment—something that would not only preserve their musical legacy but also honor their visual artistry for future generations.