Category Archives: Christmas

Motorola Playmate Junior, 1947

Seventy-five years ago, these youngsters, shown on the cover of the January 1947 issue of Radio News, had been especially good, since Santa had brought them, among other gifts, this Motorola Playmate Junior portable radio (Model 51M1U).

The four-tube (1R5, 1U4, 1U5, 3S4) portable covered the broadcast band, and ran off batteries or AC. On AC, the set used a selenium rectifier.

Actress Jeanne Crain had apparently also been a good girl, since she is also shown with the same model in the ad below, which noted that the set was the company’s most compact portable and had excellent signal pickup and shock-resistant tubes. It also notes that the antenna is conveniently built in to the cover. Since the ad mentions the film “Take Care of My Little Girl,” it must have been from about 1951, meaning that the set remained in production for quite some time.

Wikimedia commons image.

Party Game Idea

Sixty years ago this month, the December 1961 issue of the British publication Radio Constructor gave some ideas for devices to liven up a Christmas party or, for that matter, any party. According to the author, the self-explanatory design here was an “oldie,” but was largely forgotten. To play the game, one needed to move the ring from one side to the other without touching the metal rod. According to the magazine, this feat required a remarkably steady hand, and was no doubt good for many hours of fun as the guests made an attempt.

The magazine noted that if the party was one for charity, then the guests could be charged a fee to play, earning a refund if they were able to successfully move the ring from one side to the other without sounding the bell.

Perhaps if Junior is looking for a science fair project, this one could be used as a basis for determining which of their classmates had the steadiest hand.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from OneTubeRadio.com!

We present the 17th Century French Christmas Carol Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle (Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabelle).

It’s sung in French at the video above, but here are the lyrics in English:

Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella!
Bring a torch, to the stable call
Christ is born, tell the folk of the village
Jesus is born and Mary’s calling.
Ah! Ah! Beautiful is the Mother!
Ah! Ah! Beautiful is her Child

Who is that, knocking on the door?
Who is it, knocking like that?
Open up, we’ve arranged on a platter
Lovely cakes that we have brought here
Knock! Knock! Open the door for us!
Knock! Knock! Let’s celebrate!

It is wrong when the Child is sleeping,
It is wrong to talk so loud.
Silence, now as you gather around,
Lest your noise should waken Jesus.
Hush! Hush! See how He slumbers;
Hush! Hush! See how fast He sleeps!

Softly now unto the stable,
Softly for a moment come!
Look and see how charming is Jesus,
Look at Him there, His cheeks are rosy!
Hush! Hush! See how the Child is sleeping;
Hush! Hush! See how He smiles in His dreams!

Santa Claus Beacon Activation

Once again this year, to assist him with precision navigation, Santa Claus has asked OneTubeRadio.com to activate its non-directional beacon (NDB). We will, of course, be complying with this request, and we have activated a beacon on 1610 kHz. Santa will use the automatic direction finding equipment (ADF) installed in his sleigh to home in on the beacon. (He is currently employing equipment more modern than shown above in a picture from the December 9, 1922, issue of Radio World.) We expect that while aloft, Santa will be able to pull in the signal from the North Pole.

Even though COVID-related travel restrictions have eased, Santa Claus is still required to adhere to a flight plan, and this beacon will allow him to navigate very precisely. To view his progress, we recommend visiting the official NORAD Santa Tracking website. (We previously wrote about the history of this project here.)

At ground level, the signal will have a range of about one mile. If you are located close to the OneTubeRadio.com world headquarters, you can tune in to this special broadcast. If you are further away, you can listen online:

We are transmitting with our InfOspot Talking House transmitter, which I previously reviewed at this link. It is an FCC-certified transmitter for the AM band and operates with 100 milliwatts to a 3-meter antenna. It has fairly solid coverage for about two blocks, and in a few spots, can be heard over a mile away. During COVID-19, I have used this transmitter for drive-in educational programs for my continuing legal education business. It is also suitable for other socially distanced activities, such as church services and meetings of community organizations. It could potentially be an important community resource in emergencies. And tonight, it is assisting Santa Claus in performing his duties.

Reception reports are welcome. You can contact us at como-radio@usa.net.

1941 Homemade Toys

Chances are, the hot new toy that you planned on buying Junior for Christmas is stranded somewhere in a flotilla of container ships off the coast of Long Beach. Maybe they’ll break the logjam before Christmas, but as our Secretary of Transportation had to admit, we probably shouldn’t count on it.

But despite the official concessions of gloom, there’s no reason why ineptitude needs to spoil Christmas. If you get to work now, you can make toys that are far superior to the unobtainium Chinese imports. And for the younger children on your Christmas list, you can’t go wrong with these colorful animals from the October 1941 issue of Popular Science.

All you need is a band saw or jig saw, and a single piece of 3/4 inch plywood 12 by 24 inches. The plywood might be more expensive than usual this year, but it’s probably sourced in North America, and you shouldn’t have much trouble tracking it down. If you don’t already have the saw, keep in mind that they’re also waiting off the coast of California, so you’ll want to get that right away before everyone else gets the same idea.

Complete plans are found on page 178 of the magazine, which you can read at this link. Instructions are also given for the bases and storage box, as shown below. The pattern for cutting the animals is shown at left (click on the small image for the complete full-size version). You simply trace the design onto a piece of 1/2 inch graph paper and use that to cut. When you’re done, the animals should be painted in bright colors, and the magazine reminds readers to “be sure to use nonpoisonous, washable, enamel” paint.

When finished, the set will keep youngsters happily occupied for many hours. As the magazine points out, the toy teaches how to discriminate between colors, recognize the various animals, develop creative instinct, and rewards the child with a sense of accomplishment, all factors recognized as essential to proper development. Chances are, the Chinese toy doesn’t have all of these advantages.

Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on the link.

Christmas on the English Home Front 1944

This photo from the collection of the Imperial War Museum was taken 75 years ago today, Christmas 1944, and bears the following description:

In the living room of their home at 28 Marsworth Avenue, Pinner, Mrs Devereux and her daughter Jean enjoy a Christmas tea party, with four of Jean’s friends. The table is laden with sandwiches and mince pies. In the background, the Christmas tree which is a gift from her father, serving in Italy, can be seen. The tree was purchased through the ‘Gifts to Home League’ of the YMCA. A portrait of Trooper Devereux is just visible decorating one of the branches, near to the top of the tree.

In the photo below, twelve-year-old Jean cuts the cake.

Christmas 1919

Merry Christmas from OneTubeRadio.com!

This photo establishes conclusively that Santa Claus has been placing radios under the tree for a full century, since the photo was taken on Christmas, 1919.

Shown is the family of U.S. Secretary of War Newton Baker. From left to right are his daughter Betty (Elizabeth Baker McGean), son Jack (Newton D. Baker, III), daughter Peggy (Mrs. Fulton Wright), and wife Elizabeth. The younger children were obviously extra good that year, since Peggy is shown playing her Schroeder-style toy piano, and was probably also the recipient of the doll bed shown in the background.

But young Master Jack had obviously been very deserving, since Santa brought him a radio! Not only was he probably the first on his block (child or adult) to have a radio, it was probably one of the first ever received as a Christmas present. The wartime ban on private radio receivers (presumably ordered by his father) had only ended on April 15 of that year. (The transmitting ban ended on October 1.)

The site from which this picture is taken, Shorpy.com (see more information below) has a high-resolution copy,which allows more detail of the radio to be seen. Unfortunately, there’s not enough to be able to positively identify the set, but it does appear to be a fairly high-end crystal set, not unlike the A.C. Gilbert model 4007 shown at the right (from the January, 1920, issue of Electrical Experimenter). According to another ad for that set, the list price was $25, and it was said to have a range of 200 miles. The one in the picture looks comparable. Since Master Jack lived right in Washington, he certainly would have been able to pull in the strong signals of station NAA in Arlington. Of course, any voice modulation was extremely rare at that time, so he would need to sit down and teach himself the code. And he wouldn’t hear anything with the set under the tree, since it doesn’t appear to be hooked up to antenna and ground. But since he was right in Washington, only a modest antenna would have been required to pull in the powerful government station. So I suspect he was hearing sounds out of the headphones Christmas night.

Shorpy.com

The image above is courtesy of Shorpy, an amazing archive of thousands of historical American photographs from the 1850s to the 1950s. The Washington Post describes the site as one which offers a chance to time travel. We hope the same can be said about OneTubeRadio.com. As you celebrate Christmas today, enjoy this opportunity to visit a young radio listener a century ago. If you gaze closely enough at the photo, perhaps you’ll be able to hear the buzz of NAA’s arc coming through those headphones.

Christmas Eve 1939

Eighty years ago tonight, Christmas Eve 1939, these French soldiers attended midnight mass on the Maginot Line.

SS Léopoldville: Christmas Eve Tragedy

On this Christmas Eve, remember the American soldiers and Belgian sailors lost in the sinking of the SS Léopoldville, a Belgian ship chartered by the British Admiralty to transport American soldiers to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. The ship sailed from Southampton across the English Channel to Cherbourg. About five miles from its destination, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. About a hundred men were killed instantly.

The captain and crew spoke no English, and the American soldiers didn’t understand the abandon ship instructions given in Flemish. Some soldiers boarded lifeboats, but many did not realize that the ship was sinking. Various errors prevented other vessels from being notified, and many went down with the ship or succumbed to hypothermia in the icy waters of the Channel. Approximately 763 American soldiers, as well as 56 members of the crew, died.

The military kept the details of the incident a secret, and discharged soldiers were even told that they couldn’t speak of the incident lest they lose their GI benefits. Documents regarding the incident remained classified until 1996.

References

The North Russia Intervention and Christmas 1919

US troops guard Bolshevik prisoners. Wikipedia photo.

I had never known until recently that the soldiers of the U.S. Army had battled communists, on Russian soil, but they did, just over a hundred years ago. In fact, 83 U.S. soldiers were killed in action, and another 84 died of disease or accidents. An additional 29 were missing in action, and 12 were captured.

The U.S. entered the First World War after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. The Russian Provisional Government pledged to keep fighting, but the Bolsheviks came to power in October 1917, and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) signed a peace treaty with Germany and the Central Powers a few months later.

The British and French felt the need to intervene and support the White Russians, who would continue the war on the eastern front, and keep supplies in Arkhangelsk from falling into German hands.

In July 1918, they persuaded President Wilson, against the advice of the War Department, to send U.S. troops as the American North Russia Expeditionary Force. The campaign was known as the North Russia Intervention, or informally as the Polar Bear Expedition. Allied troops sailed in to Arkhangelsk in August 1918. The Americans ultimately withdrew in April 1919, leaving the White Russians in a most precarious position.

A hundred years ago, a small band of those White Russians set off on skis to Finland, hundreds of miles away. Among their number was Anatol von Spakovsky. In a Wall Street Journal article, his son recounted the Christmas Eve spent during that retreat. It’s reprinted a number of places, including the Heritage Foundation, and it’s well worth reading.