Eighty-five years ago this month, the February 1941 issue of Popular Science showed how to put together this home recorder, which also doubled as a phonograph. The two-tube (plus rectifier) circuit could be connected to a microphone, or it could tap into the family radio to record programs. In that function, it could also serve the boost the volume of a weak station to play through the speaker.

The only part, of course, which is unobtainium today (along with the blank records) is the recording head.