What are some of your favorite "electronics" of the golden era?

[Shangas]

source: http://www.telephonearchive.com/phones/ae/ae21_stick.html
I like them and someday I want to have one on my desk even if I do only use my mobile today. It's just an atmospheric peace which needs to be in every office and reminds me about the good old detective stories.

"...I was in my office on a hot, summer's day in June, the kinda hot that has roast chickens laying fried eggs on baked sidewalks kinda hot. The Camel between my lips was lettin' out grey whisps of smoke that were being sliced up like pizza baloney by the blades of the fan over my head. It was so hot I didn't even have to light the smoke with a match. I had my feet up on the desk and my head on my chest, my arms resting like a pair of wet socks behind my head.

The bell started ringing. I kicked it with my foot and it toppled over. I reached out lazily for the telephone and dragged it to me, the mouthpiece in one hand, the earpiece in the other.

'Yeah?' I asked..."

I just adore those old candlestick telephones. My grandmother used to talk about them. She used them when she was a child. She told me she hated them because they were top-heavy and prone to toppling over...

 

[Forgotten Man]

I like them and someday I want to have one on my desk even if I do only use my mobile today. It's just an atmospheric peace which needs to be in every office and reminds me about the good old detective stories.

Well, let me tell you something here, once you get a candlestick, you'll want to use it... ALOT!

A friend of mine did some trading and I ended up with an early 20s Western Electric Candlestick... I ordered the proper cords for it and put it all back together... I have it by my bed as an extension (has no dial) and I'll pick it up when people call the house.
I strongly believe in land lines... every home should have one incase the cell goes south... and they do some times.

Why be satisfied dreaming of using one? Be like my friend and I, have vintage candlestick conversations!

My favorite electronic device in my collection would be... well, my electric Hoover Cleaner... I also do adore my radios; wait till I post photos of the Crosley I'll be getting before the end of the year! I did snap a photo or two of it; I may post it if I find the time.

 

[Hamilton_Honey]

"Designed to sit on ones Night-stand this Alarm Clock with built in kettle and tea pot, wakes you at the prescribed hour with a freshly brewed Pot of Tea, So necessary to replace the "evaporations of the night"

Now this is a mighty powerful argument for taking a shopping trip in your part of the world!!

 

[Fletch]

I would love to have a Crosley WLW Model Super-Power Radio Receiver. With its 37 tubes, six speakers, 75W of power, weight of 475 pounds, and a cabinet made of seven types of wood that stood 58" tall, 42" wide and 22" deep form me it would be the ultimate set to have sitting in the living room.

That thing had better have made its own records and tuned in all existing frequencies from VLF submarine channels to VHF television — with tone controls, selectivity filters, push-button tuning, a wired remote, and an AUDIO OUT jack ready for the first TVs to hit the street. lol

As for myself, I'd be perfectly content with a 1934 RCA Victor All-Wave Duo such as the one below.

 

[Forgotten Man]

That thing had better have made its own records and tuned in all existing frequencies from VLF submarine channels to VHF television — with tone controls, selectivity filters, push-button tuning, a wired remote, and an AUDIO OUT jack ready for the first TVs to hit the street. lol

As for myself, I'd be perfectly content with a 1934 RCA Victor All-Wave Duo such as the one below.

Sure, I'd be happy with that too! Now, that microphone was for recording records or just speaking over the speaker ala PA?

 

[Fletch]

Recording only, I believe. RCA sold the recording-capable units from 1931-'34, but the record market was too far gone for the system to catch on. What's more, they didn't bother working out the bugs. The recordings usually had speed problems, even tho the turntable worked fine playing back commercial discs. You needed proprietary, pregrooved blanks and styli, too.

Classic case of a technology brought out in a "beta" state, to be upgraded only if it makes a pile of money overnight. Of course, it doesn't, so it gets killed. Then people shake their heads and say, "it was too far ahead of its time." The next time RCA tried a new technology–television–they made sure no one even saw a picture until they had a decent system, and kept sets unavailable until they had a marketing plan.

Speaking of which, it's really be something to own this...one of their "RR" series field-test sets. RCA people got to take these home in 1937-'38. One story says the mirror-lid screen was because the tube was too long to face the front. Another says it was so the set could be disguised as a radio anytime visitors came over, because they weren't allowed even to see a picture, let alone a program.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Ah, I see, very interesting! I have seen microphones that you could hook up to your set (in the 30s) and use your radio as a PA so YOU can be on the radio! lol

RCA had some very lovely sets early on and they are very hard to come by... well, the fancier one's such as the one you posted!

I'll have to ad a photo of the Crosley I'm getting, it's from either 1930 or 1931. Has a semi deco cabinet with doors, the grill is round with lightning bolt cut outs! And it works... it's on Lay-Away right now.

 

[Unlucky Berman]

Well, let me tell you something here, once you get a candlestick, you'll want to use it... ALOT!

If I could get it for my office at work I surely would want to use it. But at home it can't be done because I no longer have a regular telephone connection since I only use my cell phone at home (is much cheaper at the conditions of the treaty I have).

Seeing old radios, that is something I really want too and I will try to get my hands on one someday.

 

[John in Covina]

Western Electric 202 model telephone tops my list, then many of the radios, especially the tombstone stlye. I have seen some early office phone / intercom set up that were neat-o!

 

[Viola]

My sister wants a big neon jukebox more than anything but I think I just want a little cathedral radio. Can people recommend a brand?

I'm still making up a list of electronics, I think our only ones at the moment are lamps.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If you want a simple, basic cathedral that won't break your budget, a Philco model 20 would be a good bet. It was the first of that style, introduced in 1930, and was also the most successful -- hundreds of thousands of them were sold, and they're still easy to find. I actually brought mine home from the dump.

 

[Viola]

Shoot, that sounds perfect. I would have been willing to consider a replica but to know the real deal isn't out of reach is even better - thank you, Lizzie.