Radio Receiver
date: label: date made
content: ca 1940
name: label: maker
content: Emerson Radio Corporation
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: During the 1930s radio makers introduced many designs for both radio circuits and receiver styling. As engineers gained better understanding of how radios work they refined component technology, especially radio tubes. Smaller tubes and better condensers improved performance of a radio and lower the power consumption. Meanwhile industrial designers like Raymond Loewy and John Vassos took advantage of new plastic compounds to bring artistic flair to radio styles.
label: Description (Brief)
content: This Emerson "Baby" radio receiver, made around 1940, shows both aspects of advancing radio design. The compact unit squeezes several small vacuum tubes into the case. The flat loop antenna is mounted on the inside of the wooden back plate. The red case is made with a plastic called catalin, a refined version of Bakelite phenolic and shows a marbled effect popular at the time.
topic: label: web subject
content: Radio
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Communications
label: Exhibition
content: Object Project
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1988.0304.02
label: accession number
content: 1988.0304
label: catalog number
content: 1988.0304.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: radio receiver
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 13.6 cm x 17.6 cm x 11.3 cm; 5 3/8 in x 6 15/16 in x 4 7/16 in