Eighty-five years ago, the gentleman shown here spinning the records put his entrepreneurial skills as well as his tech savvy to work with this portable sound system he designed. He is one Fred Dingman, who authored two construction articles about how to build the sound system in the November and December 1939 issues of Popular Mechanics.

He reported that the investment was only about $25, as all parts are inexpensive, and he built the enclosures himself. The finished circuit put out 10 watts of undistorted sound to two 12-inch speakers, meaning that he could provide adequate volume for small halls or outdoors. It was designed as an inexpensive substitute for small dance orchestras, and he had no difficulty obtaining engagements for fraternity and sorority parties, dancing clubs, or lawn gatherings in a middle west university town.

At a reasonable rate, he provided the equipment, operator, and records. For those wishing to follow in his footsteps, the magazine could provide a complete set of blueprints.  The system could also accommodate a microphone.

If you were in the market for a phonograph in Omaha, then the place to go would be the Schmoller & Mueller Piano Company, as shown in this ad from the Omaha Bee, May 6, 1924.

It wasn’t unusual for piano dealers to sell phonographs.  This made sense, since they were hedging their bets–if phonographs meant people would stop buying pianos, they were covered either way.  But this dealer took it a step further–just in case radio marked the end of phonographs, they had that covered, too.  If you bought a phonograph from them, they would throw in a free crystal set.

Seventy-five years ago today, the January 17, 1949, issue of Life magazine showed these two FM offerings from RCA Victor.

The nine-tube model 8V90 stood only 33-1/4″ high and 31=1/4″ wide, but included standard broadcast and FM with “RCA Victor’s own simpler, more sensitive Frequency Modulation circuits.” The fine record changer featured a sapphire pickup with no needles to change. The 18th Century-style cabinet also featured a record storage compartment.

For those looking for an FM table radio, the seven-tube model 8X71 was beautifully styled in rich maroon or antique ivory-finish plastic.

A hundred years ago tonight on the radio, you could listen to the California Ramblers performing over WEAF, New York.  But it wasn’t just any broadcast, as seen from the clipping above, from the January 1923 issue of Talking Machine World.  Due to the radio. Columbia records noted that the lid of many a long forgotten phonograph had been frozen.  They fought back with radio, and purchased time on WEAF every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:15.  Each broadcast featured a Columbia recording artist, and was broadcast right from the recording studio.  If people liked what they heard, they could buy a record, enabling them to listen to it whenever they liked.

According to Columbia, listeners around the country had tuned in.  The group is shown here, in 1931, in the June 1931 issue of What’s On The Air.  You can hear them in their 1925 recording of “Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue”, below.

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