Eighty-five years ago, this young woman was hospitalized. But she was in good spirits, thanks to the radio in her room. Despite her condition, she was able to listen to her favorite programs.

The notable thing about this photo is not the radio you can see, but what you can’t see. There is a wire headed toward the pillow, and under that pillow is a Hushatone crystal loudspeaker from the Brush Development Company of Cleveland, Ohio. It allowed her to listen without disturbing other patients. Wiring the speaker to the set was easy. It required tapping in on the primary side of the output transformer, and putting a switch in the radio to switch between the built-in speaker and the Hushatone. Volume could be controlled with the customary volume control on the set, or simply by shifting the position of your head in relation to the speaker.

While it is not visible in the picture, you can see what the Hushtone looked like at RadioMuseum.org.  The photo above appeared in the April-May 1938 issue of National Radio News.

The plans for this handsome little two-tube set appeared seventy years ago this month in the May, 1953, issue of the British Practical Wireless magazine. The set tuned both long and medium waves, and according to the construction article, it would pull in most of the BBC stations with reasonable volume.

Since the set relied on a transformer to run from the AC mains current, the design was quite safe. Tuning was accomplished by a switch attached to individual trimmers for each station.

The wide-awake service man 85 years ago could increase his profits by modernizing his customers’ sets with the addition of pushbutton tuning. It was a simple matter, since the pushbutton assembly was available as a unit, and installation consisted of connecting three wires.

After the unit was installed, the individual trimmers were set for stations. One button disconnected the unit and allowed the user to use the main tuning dial. This item appeared in the May 1938 issue of Radio Craft.

One hundred years ago this month, the May 1923 issue of Radio Topics magazine’s cover featured twenty-year-old actress Billie Dove, who was evidently a radio enthusiast. She had begun her career a few years earlier as part of the Zigfield Follies, and had moved to silent, and then talking, motion pictures.

She was later engaged to radio amateur Howard Hughes, W5CY, but it was she who broke off the relationship.  She died in 1997.

Seventy-five years ago today, the May 10, 1948 issue of Life magazine showed Philco’s lineup of radios. Offerings started with the model 200 for $19.95 and models 250 and 225 for $27.95. At the top of the line was the model 230 “flying wedge” for $29.95.

Two portables are shown, both capable of operating on AC or DC home current, or batteries. The four-tube model 602 was only $29.95, and the six-tube model 360, the “world’s favorite portable” was $49.95. Neither price included batteries.

Occasionally, we encounter a concept that is ungoogleable, and today is one of those times. Shown here from 1963 is the combination radio-cigarette lighter. But if you try to Google that phrase, it’s an exercise in frustration, since no matter how to phrase it, and no matter where you put the quotation marks, all you get are radios that can be run off 12 volts from a car cigarette lighter. But the May 1963 issue of Popular Science showed the real deal–a cigarette lighter, no larger than an ordinary cigarette lighter, but containing a two-transistor radio. The radio turned itself on when you plugged in the earphone, and the lighter came to life when you gave it a flick. As shown here, you could use both at the same time.

It was available by mail order for $9.95 from one L. Branvold, 5718 Troost Ave., North Hollywood, California.

Mr. Branvold was apparently a home-based entrepreneur, long before that was a thing, since the address is residential. He would have been successful advertising on our website, since he seemed to find the kinds of products our readers would like. For example, shown at left is another ad for a timer that attaches to the dial of your phone, to make sure those long distance calls don’t drag on past the first three minutes. It’s even self-winding, since it winds itself every time you dial the phone.

Speaking of such products, we’re sure that if any of our readers are looking for either a Kleenex®  holder, or a cell phone holder, then they will agree that the one shown here, which looks like a TV, is the perfect choice.  If they had cell phones in 1963, we have no doubt that Mr. Branvold would have sold these.  It looks like the perfect solution to your cell phone/tissue needs.

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Eighty years ago this month, the British Popular Wireless magazine carried the plans for this pocket-sized one tube receiver for the “ultra-short waves.” While the exact frequency range is not stated, the author reports having pulled in several American nd European stations on the 16 meter band, all with a four-foot aerial. The set was very sensitive, but like superregens in general, was not very selective. This, however, was said not to be a disadvantage, since the tuning dial need not be geared. Once the station was tuned in, it was tuned in.

The article warned that the value of the grid lead resistor must not be too low, as this would cause the set to radiate. In addition to being against the law, this would cause interference to other listeners.