Eighty years ago, portable radio receivers were all the rage, as shown by the pages of the August 1939 issue of Radio Retailing.

Above, for example, these listeners are happily pulling in a program as they travel in luxury aboard an all-metal Pullman car, thanks to the Zenith portable with detachable antenna.  The magazine notes that many consumers are amazed by the sensitivity of portables, even though just a few years earlier, portables were lacking in pickup.  The set shown here appears to be a 5G500, which included a detachable “wave magnet” antenna to pull in stations in difficult situations such as an all-metal car.

And below, New York dealer Haynes-Griffin put together this window display featuring a Westinghouse portable.  The magazine noted that the simple backdrop, artificial grass, two summer hats, and a bag gave the scene a human interest.