MRT Collection

This is a list of all Radio - 1920s artifacts



Pieces in the 1920s Radio Room

Radio started in earnest in the 1920's. KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the first to do a commercial broadcast in November 1920 in the US. Within a few years there were dozens of radio stations all up and down the east coast of the US. The technology of radio was fast evolving so it was the engineers and tinkerers and rich folks who bought the pieces and tweaked until they could hear radio in their home.


The first radios were powered by batteries. Home AC power was uncommon and AC (alternating current) technology was just beginning. The A battery provided a low voltage (1.5 - 6 VDC), high current electron source for the tube filaments. The B battery provided high voltage (22.5 - 90 VDC), low current to amplify the signals. The C battery provided a different low voltage (1.5 - 4.5 VDC), low current to bias the tube grids.


The early “radios” also needed an external antenna, a separate speaker or headphone, and a good ground wire.



Equipment Type Manufacturer Model Number Description Inventory Number
Radio - 1920s Air-Ola Radio Co. Just-Rite Table Top Radio 613
Radio - 1920s AirLine B2 Table Top Radio 687
Radio - 1920s Akradyne built with Akracy Table Top Radio 1565
Radio - 1920s American Bosch Bosch Cruiser 66 One-Dial Radio. 1587
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 10A Breadboard Radio 650
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 10C Breadboard Radio 647
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 20 Table Top Radio 659
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 21 Early Table Radio 651
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 30 Table Top Radio 662
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 33 Table Top Radio 661
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 35 Metal Case Table Top Radio 713
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 37 AC Early Table Radio 1924
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 38 Table Top Radio 657
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 40 Early Radio 652
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 44 Early Radio 1930
Radio - 1920s Atwater Kent 9C Breadboard Radio 649
Radio - 1920s Cockaday LC-27 Radio in Cabinet 683
Radio - 1920s Crosley 51 Early One Dial Radio 1667
Radio - 1920s Crosley 52SD Table Top Radio 1588
Radio - 1920s Crosley Super Trirdyn Special Early Radio 1586
Radio - 1920s Day-Fan 5106 Three Dialer Receiver 1640
Radio - 1920s Day-Fan Daycraft Table Top Radio 721
Radio - 1920s Day-Fan OEM-11 Table Top Radio 722
Radio - 1920s Deforest D-10 Radio 398
Radio - 1920s Delco RB-3 RA-3 Farm Set Radio 1922
Radio - 1920s Eisemann Magneto Corp Type 6D Three Dial Early Radio 1605
Radio - 1920s Electric Appliance Co. Table Top Radio 615
Radio - 1920s Eveready 54 Highboy Radio 401
Radio - 1920s Federal Radio Corp. 141 Two Dial Radio 1672
Radio - 1920s Freed Eismann NR-5 Table Top Radio 703
Radio - 1920s Freed Eismann NR-6 Table Top Radio 704
Radio - 1920s General Instrument 671 3-Dial Radio 1585
Radio - 1920s Grebe Synchrophase AC-SIX Early Radio 686
Radio - 1920s Grebe Synchrophase MV-1 Table Top Radio 677
Radio - 1920s Gulbransen 161 Low Boy Radio 670
Radio - 1920s Hartman Electrical Sun Glow Melody Chest Highboy Console Radio 181
Radio - 1920s Kolster 6D Table Top Radio 400
Radio - 1920s Magnavox T Table Top Radio 1564
Radio - 1920s Murdock 75 Table Top Radio 684
Radio - 1920s Ozarka Senior Console Big Radio 668
Radio - 1920s Philco 96 Low Boy Radio 690
Radio - 1920s Precision Products Co. B-18980 Early Table Top Radio 1603
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola 18 Table Top Radio 682
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola 28 Radio with Table 681
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola 3A Early Radio 710
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola 60 Table Top Radio 399
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola 60 Table Top Radio 679
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola III Table Top Radio 709
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola III Early Tube Radio 1668
Radio - 1920s RCA Radiola III-A Table Top Radio 667
Radio - 1920s Roth-Downs Orpheus H Table Top Radio 706
Radio - 1920s Serenado AM Radio 424
Radio - 1920s Serenado 10019 High Boy Radio 612
Radio - 1920s Splitdorf R-500 Table Top Radio 664
Radio - 1920s Standard Radio Corp. S-27 Old Table Top Radio 1620
Radio - 1920s Steinite 261 Table Top Radio 712
Radio - 1920s Stewart Warner 305 Table Top Radio 700
Radio - 1920s Stewart Warner 345 Table Top Radio 1566
Radio - 1920s Stromberg Carlson 636-A (Art Console) High Boy Radio 701
Radio - 1920s Thermiodyne TF-6 Table Top Radio 1567
Radio - 1920s Thompson Radio V-50 3-Dial Radio 1589
Radio - 1920s Western Coil & Electric WC-19 Radiodyne Early Table Top Radio 1590
Radio - 1920s Western Electric 4B Table Top Radio 671
Radio - 1920s Westinghouse Aeriola Sr. Early Receiver 1613
Radio - 1920s Zenith 39A Beautiful Console Radio 663