Most Awesome 1940's home entertainment system ever?

[Cousin Hepcat]

The OP's entertainment system is the Cat's Meow!

Just to make sure it's clear, this home entertainment system is owned, & entirely restored, by Ampico-kid.

Yes, I posted links to Bob's pics & videos here at the lounge, because it IS the Cat's Meow! Something you may only see once in a lifetime restored to Grade A condition like this.

I was amazed to see the restoration job Ampico-kid did on this unit; I've come close to buying these, but always shied away, thinking they would be impossible to restore...

You learn something new every day!

- CH

 

[martinsantos]

A great work of restoration - and a great radio and phono. The sound is just marvelous.

I got here in Brazil a model from 1938, in the same forniture, etc. But the Webster phono is very very simpler (just 78s, with usual needles). And by the brazilian laws at the time, heavilly taxing radios with lots of tubes, is a simpler version too, with less tubes. And probably it was very expensive anyway, at those days!!! Just started restoring it, but will be a work for a long long time.

Regards,

Martin

Most Awesome 1940's home entertainment system ever?

The 1941 Philco "Beam of Light" Radio-Phonograph-Recorder with the first wireless remote ever, the "Mystery Control" , which itself was a battery-operated radio signal transmitter, transmitting radio instructions to the entertainment system:

The "Beam of Light" pickup didn't use the ordinary record-gouging steel-needle heavy pickups of the era, but a feather-weight sapphire attached to a small mirror, which deflected a beam of light to play the record: "This Close" to being a CD player:

And of course, it cut records too (cutting arm on left), for home recording:


Demo #1 of beam-of-light phono playing Jo Stafford, "The Best Things In Life Are Free":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMYYGWmTw1c

Demo #2 of the Mystery Control remote being used to change stations, etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SDWNGrm9Gk

Niiice...
- CH

 

[LocktownDog]

The local salvage place has one of those for sale. $75. Its in non-working shape, however. I thought about buying it just to display.

 

[martinsantos]

A great work of restoration - and a great radio and phono. The sound is just marvelous.

I got here in Brazil a model from 1938, in the same forniture, etc. But the Webster phono is very very simpler (just 78s, with usual needles). And by the brazilian laws at the time, heavilly taxing radios with lots of tubes, is a simpler version too, with less tubes. And probably it was very expensive anyway, at those days!!! Just started restoring it, but will be a work for a long long time.

Regards,

Martin

Most Awesome 1940's home entertainment system ever?

The 1941 Philco "Beam of Light" Radio-Phonograph-Recorder with the first wireless remote ever, the "Mystery Control" , which itself was a battery-operated radio signal transmitter, transmitting radio instructions to the entertainment system:

The "Beam of Light" pickup didn't use the ordinary record-gouging steel-needle heavy pickups of the era, but a feather-weight sapphire attached to a small mirror, which deflected a beam of light to play the record: "This Close" to being a CD player:

And of course, it cut records too (cutting arm on left), for home recording:


Demo #1 of beam-of-light phono playing Jo Stafford, "The Best Things In Life Are Free":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMYYGWmTw1c

Demo #2 of the Mystery Control remote being used to change stations, etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SDWNGrm9Gk

Niiice...
- CH