Seventy-five years ago, the travelling businessman who wanted to keep in touch on the road couldn’t go wrong with this handsome 4-tube broadcast receiver described in the May 1947 issue of Popular Science.

As shown above, an average-size briefcase held the radio, with plenty of room left over for books, papers, and other articles. The chassis was an L-shaped piece of sheet metal, with a leather-covered jewelry box serving as cabinet. There was plenty of room inside to place the power cord and 25-foot antenna while travelling. It was then a simple matter to plug in the set and toss the antenna out the window or onto the floor.

The TRF circuit wasn’t as selective as a superheterodyne, but it would adequately separate the stations in most areas. For the budget conscious, a wooden box from a craft store could be used, or even a cigar box, although the end result would be considerably less handsome.

Since the AC-DC circuit had a “hot chassis,” the construction article warned that an external ground could not be used. And, of course, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to try tuning the set from the hotel bathtub.