Eighty years ago this month, the May 1939 issue of Popular Science carried the plans for this two-tube set, which was said to “bring in London, Rome, and Berlin as easily as local broadcasts.” The circuit was very efficient, since the two 6C6 tubes ran on a B+ voltage of only 3 volts for shortwave, or 1.5 volts for standard broadcasts. The tubes, although nominally 6-volt filaments, used 3.4 to 3.8 volts, as adjusted by the 10 ohm rheostat.

For those desiring a slightly different radio experience, the same magazine also showed how to put together this three-tube “dressing table radio” concealed within a Marie Antoinette doll. The radio itself is concealed under Marie Antoinette’s dress. Atop is affixed a ceramic figurine. While the exact replacement is apparently no longer available, this Marie Antoinette salt shaker would undoubtedly work perfectly: