Everyday radios of the war years

[Sharpsburg]

Everyday radio of the war years?

I am putting together a wartime homefront display and want to feature the "everyday" or typical radio of the war years. What tabletop radio would be most appropriate - a cathedral style or something like a philco transitone? Not too expensive, if you please.

Thanks! Mary
(posted in radio forum and no answers)

 

[dhermann1]

I just picked up a very simple GE L-661 that's identical to one my great aunts had.

It came out in 1941. A simple contemporary "dashboard" style radio. 6 tubes.
(Sorry for the fuzzy cell phone picture.)
It could also depend on the social context. A family with not much money might have an older cathedral style radio. But there were MANY styles to choose from. There were farm models that ran on batteries, among many other types.
Check out Ron Ramorez's Philco archives. It has every model of Philco made up till about 1955.
http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/index.htm
It should give you a good idea of what might have been around during the war years.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

My favorite is the 1940 Fada Model 115

 

[MPicciotto]

Mary,

I would ask Kim. He's a radio junky. He configured one for us at Ft. Miles that the speaker can be plugged into a walkman or ipod and we listen the world series on it at events.

Matt

 

[filfoster]

A Crosley would be a common one.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The most popular brands of the prewar era (and all radios in homes during WW2 would have been prewar designs, with domestic manufacturing ending in early 1942) ---

1. Philco
2. RCA Victor
3. Zenith

The most "typical" sort of table radio would have probably been one of the small, inexpensive, rather nondescript wooden table sets of the mid/late thirties --

 

[dhermann1]

This website can give you a quick education on the diversity of styles of old tube radios.
http://radioattic.com/gallery_portal.htm

 

[kpreed]

Everyday radio of the war years?

I am putting together a wartime homefront display and want to feature the "everyday" or typical radio of the war years. What tabletop radio would be most appropriate - a cathedral style or something like a philco transitone? Not too expensive, if you please.

Thanks! Mary
(posted in radio forum and no answers)

Mary,
I have done this very thing for a local historical group's display. P.M. me and I can tell you what was done.

 

[Warden]

Not sure if these chaps are still going, but lovely images on the website

http://www.radiocraft.co.uk/