(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Museums 301: Radios (photo diary) [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-12-16
The first broadcast from a licensed radio station in the United States occurred on November 2, 1920 when KDKA in Pittsburgh went on the air at 8:00 PM to read the result of the presidential election. About 100 people listened to this first broadcast.
Radio actually began in the 1890s and by the 1910s amateur radio operators were transmitting both music and voice broadcasts. There were very few radio receivers at this time, and in 1920 the employees of George Westinghouse came up with the idea of increasing radio receiver sales by providing people with interesting and entertaining programs which would make people want to turn in, therefore increasing the sales of radio receivers.
By 1922, there were 556 radio stations run by a variety of electrical goods manufacturers, corporations, churches, schools, and department stores. To listen to radio, of course, people had to buy radio receivers and in 1924, one-third of American spending on furniture was spent on radio receivers.
By 1927, 55% of American homes had radios and by 1931 this had risen to 82%.
Shown below are some radios displayed in museum exhibits.
Oasis Bordello Museum, Wallace Idaho
Shown above is Westinghouse ‘Columnaire’ model WR-15 grandfather clock radio. It is 62” tall, 14” wide, 11.5” deep, and weighs 72 pounds.
According to the Museum:
“Designed by Raymond Loewy, circa 1931. This clock has an Art Deco geometric body modeled after a skyscraper, three controls up front and a speaker along the top.”
The radio shown above was originally owned by Lana Turner’s parents.
WAAAM West, Vancouver, Washington
Note: this is actually a car museum.
LeMay Family Collections, Tacoma, Washington
Lustron House, Ohio History Center, Columbus, Ohio
Museum of Mental Health, Salem, Oregon
Lake Chelan Historical Society Museum, Chelan, Washington
World of Speed, Wilsonville, Oregon
East Benton County Historical Society and Museum, Kennewick, Washington
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, Spokane, Washington
Shown above is a Farnsworth Model CT-59 Portable Radio.
Upper Swan Valley Historical Society, Condon, Montana
More museum exhibits
Museums 201/301/401 is a series in which similar displays from several museums are shown. More from this series:
Museums 201: Bicycles (photo diary)
Museums 301: Medicines (photo diary)
Museums 301: Telephones (photo diary)
Museums 301: Washing machines (photo diary)
Museums 301: Bathrooms (photo diary)
Museums 301: Kitchens (photo diary)
Museums 401: Typewriters (photo diary)
Museums 401: Shoes (photo diary)
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/16/2211704/-Museums-301-Radios-photo-diary?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
