Eighty years ago today, the May 19, 1941, issue of Life magazine carried this ad for a Zenith portable. While the model number isn’t given, it appears to be model 6G601.  The six-tube set ran from a non-rechargeable battery pack, or from AC power.

The distinguishing feature of the Zetith portable was the Wavemagnet antenna.  This was a loop antenna contained in a cardboard cover that looked like a horseshoe magnet.  It came with suction cups to attach it to the window of a car, train, or building.  The compartment with the antenna also had a storage area for headphones for private listening or for the hard of hearing, although they were an optional extra.

The set retailed for $29.95 with airplane fabric cover, or slightly more for genuine cowhide.  Prices were also slightly higher in the west.  According to this inflation calculator, that works out to the equivalent of $544 in today’s money.

If the set looks familiar, it’s because we’ve featured it previously.

A demonstration of a nicely restored example of this set can be seen in the video below.