Norman Blumenthal papers

Collection

Identifier: 123.4310

Staff Only

The papers consist of materials from the career of Norman Blumenthal, including rebuses used to screen constestants for Concentration, and question and answer cards fromTic-Tac-Dough.

Concentration is an American television game show created by Jack Barry and Dan Enright which was broadcast in several versions from 1958 to 1991. The game is based on the children's memory game "Concentration," combined with rebuses. Norman Blumenthal developed the rebuses for the original series.

Tic-Tac-Dough is an American television game show created by Jack Barry and Dan Enright which aired on NBC from 1956 to 1959, CBS from 1978 to 1986, and in syndication in 1990. Two contestants competed to fill in a board based on the paper game of tic-tac-toe by correctly answering trivia questions from various categories

Dates

1958-1991
Majority of material found within 1978-1990

Creator

Blumenthal, Norman (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The Norman Blumenthal papers are open for research use by staff of The Strong and users of its library and archives.

Conditions Governing Use

Though the donor has not transferred intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) to The Strong, they have given permission for The Strong to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes.

Extent

1.0 Linear Feet (1 flat box)

Additional Description

Overview

This collection consists of program development documents for the television game shows Concentration andTic-Tac-Dough. The papers date from 1958 to 1991, with the bulk of materials dating from 1978 to 1990. The papers are comprised of rebuses and question and answer cards.

Biographical Note

Norman Blumenthal (1925-2022) was a television producer known for his work in children's shows and on game shows including Concentration andTic-Tac-Dough. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, Blumenthal attended the Brooklyn Museum Art School and worked for commercial art agencies before beginning his TV career at CBS in the 1950s. He and his wife, Sylvia, had three children, Howard, Bob, and Lori.

System of Arrangement

Series I: Concentration, 1958-1991

Series II: Tic-Tac-Dough, 1978-1990

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were donated to The Strong in January 2024 as a gift of Howard, Robert, and Lori Blumenthal, in honor of their father, Norm. The papers were accessioned under Object ID 123.4310. The Howard Blumenthal papers were also included in the accession.