The plans for this slightly creepy looking radio appeared in Popular Science 80 years ago this month, January 1939. Billed as an “ideal playroom radio,” the set contained two magic eye tubes that winked when the regenerative tuner was tuned to a station. The mouth served as tuning dial, with the nose taking care of volume.  The set used headphones “so it cannot disturb the rest of the household.”

The 6N5 magic eye tubes were used in the circuit, one as regenerative detector and one as audio amplifier. A type 37 tube was used as a rectifier.

As long as C6 didn’t short out, the set could provide hours of safe fun for the youngsters in the playroom.