Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

RADIOLA

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

WOOD, STEEL, BRASS, PAPER, GLASS

No. Pieces

8

Height

29.2

Length

71.3

Width

48.2

Description

1. RADIO: RADIO IS IN THREE PARTS. THE LID, THE BODY AND THE FRONT WITH THE RECEIVER ATTACHED TO IT. BOX HAS BEVELED CORNICE AROUND BASE WITH FOUR WOOD FEET BUILT ONTO BOTTOM OF CORNICE. THE WALLS ARE BUILT TO FIT RADIO FRONT AND IS SLOPED DOWN THE FRONT. HAS THREE SIDES AND A CROSS PIECE AT FRONT. INSIDE BASE ELECTRICAL CORDS AND BRASS ELECTRODES ARE FASTENED TO BOTTOM. ON LEFT INSIDE WALL IS SINGLE PLATE WHICH HAS "J.C. OLESEN CABINET CO., INC. COHOES, N.Y." AND HAS "2780" STAMPED INTO IT. LID IS RECTANGULAR PIECE OF WOOD WITH BEVELED EDGES. ALSO HAS HOLE DRILLED IN MIDDLE WITH STEEL COLLAR. ON LOWER LEFT OF INSIDE IS STEEL SLIDE ARM RIVETED TO WOOD. BRASS PLATE IS SCREWED TO INSIDE AS WELL THAT HAS BLACK BACKGROUND AND GOLD WRITING. AT LEFT IS RED LOGO THAT HAS WARNINGS ABOUT "BATTERY SETTING" AND HAS SERIAL "NO. 86982". IN MIDDLE IN LARGE LETTERING IS "RADIOLA 25 REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. MODEL AR-919 RANGE 550-1360 KILOCYLCLES". BENEATH THAT IS EXTENSIVE "NOTICE" OF PATENT AND LICENSING CLAIMS. AT BOTTOM IS "RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA". AT RIGHT IS RCA LOGO WITH PATENT DATES FROM "JAN 14, 1913" TO "JUNE 30, 1925". AT RIGHT SIDE OF LID ARE 8 BRASS NAILS WHICH ONCE HELD CARDBOARD WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR RADIO. CARDBOARD IS STILL PRESENT AND HAS "BATTERIES AND THEIR CONNECTIONS IN RADIOLA 25 SUPER-HETERODYNE" ACROSS TOP. BENEATH IS PHOTO OF RADIO WITH ARROW AND PARTS LABELLED. AT RIGHT SIDE ARE A NUMBER OF WIRING OPTIONS FOR BATTERY. AT BOTTOM IS "RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA 233 BROADWAY NEW YORK CITY 10 SOUTH LASALLE STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 28 GEARY STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA" AND AT BOTTOM LEFT IS "JULY, 1925". ON BACK IS HANDWRITTEN NOTES ABOUT WIRING. CARDBOARD IS BADLY TORN, WATER STAINED AND WARPED. RADIO FRONT IS MADE UP OF WOOD FRONT WITH SLOPED TOP THAT HAS RADIO BUILT TO ITS BACK. RADIO FRONT SLIDES INTO BOX HOUSING. ON SLOPED PORTION OF FRONT IS BRASS PLATE WITH RAISED WRITING AND ROUGH BACKGROUND. AT TOP OF PLAQUE IS "RCA" INSIDE A CIRCLE WITH "RADIOLA 25 SUPER-HETERODYNE" BENEATH IT. BENEATH THAT ARE TWO TUNING WHEELS MOUNTED VERTICALLY WITH FLUTED BAKELITE GRIPS. BENEATH THAT "SEE LICENSE NOTICE INSIDE" AND "RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA" ARE RAISED FROM PLAQUE. ON BOTTOM OF FRONT ARE TWO BAKELITE KNOBS WITH BRASS ARMS AND CIRCULAR BRASS BACKING WITH RAISED NUMBERS AND "BATTERY SETTING" ON ONE, WITH "VOLUME CONTROL" ON THE OTHER. BETWEEN THOSE TWO ARE TWO BAKELITE SPEAKER JACKS AND ONE BAKELITE KNOB. FINISH ON WOOD IS WORN AND SCRATCHED. TOP LEFT CORNER OF VERTICAL FRONT HAS WOOD SPLIT AND PEELING AWAY. MOUNTED AT BACK IS STEEL FRAME WITH RADIO PARTS. TOP OF STEEL FRAME IS STAMPED WITH "119692". 2. RADIO TUBE: 8.8CM (L) X 2.7CM (D). SILVERED GLASS BULB ON CYLINDRICAL BAKELITE BASE. ON TOP OF BULB IS CIRCLE LOGO WITH "RCA" IN IT. BULB IS CYLINDRICAL WITH ROUNDED TOP. BULB HAS RED AND WHITE PAPER LABEL WHICH READS "TESTED BY RADIO ELECTRIC SUPPLY". BAKELITE BASE HAS "RADIOTRON UX-199" STAMPED INTO SIDE. RAISED ON BOTTOM OF BASE IS "RCA" LOGO AND "LICENSED ONLY TO EXTENT INDICATED ON CARTON". BASE HAS FOUR BRASS PINS SET IN SQUARE PATTERN. 3. RADIO TUBE: IDENTICAL TO (2.) EXCEPT "RCA" LOGO IS ON SIDE OF BASE INSTEAD OF BOTTOM AND IT DOES NOT HAVE PAPER LABEL. 4. RADIO TUBE: IDENTICAL TO (2.) EXCEPT LOGO ON TOP OF BULB IS WORN AND IT DOES NOT HAVE PAPER LABEL. ITS LENGTH IS 9.1CM AS WELL. 5. RADIO TUBE: IDENTICAL TO (3.) EXCEPT IT HAS A BLUE AND WHITE PAPER LABEL ON SIDE OF TUBE WHICH READS "TESTED AND APPROVED BY BUTTE ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO.". 6. RADIO TUBE: 9.6CM (L) X 2.7CM (D). IDENTICAL IN SHAPE AND STYLE TO OTHERS. ON SIDE OF BASE READS "RADIOTRON UX-120". BOTTOM OF BASE IS IDENTICAL TO (2.) BULB HAS BLUE AND PURPLE BURN HUE ON IT.

Subjects

TELECOMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

RADIO IS FROM DONOR'S COLLECTION AND HAS NO KNOWN HISTORY BEYOND HIS OWNERSHIP. HE AQUIRED THE RADIO FROM UNKNOWN PERSON FOR HIS COLLECTION.

Catalogue Number

P19940058000

Acquisition Date

1994-04

Collection

Museum

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