Radios

This is a Roger's Battery less Receiver Model 130, built in 1925.  It is typical of radios in the twenties in that it is battery operated and has three dials and five identical tubes. 

    Most radio historians assert that radio broadcasting began in 1920 with the historic broadcast of KDKA.   The public was overcome by a radio craze after the initial broadcast.  Radio became a product of the mass market.  Manufacturers were overwhelmed by the demand for receivers, as customers stood in line to complete order forms for radios after dealers had sold out.  Between 1923 and 1930, 60 percent of American families purchased radios.  Families gathered around their radios for night-time entertainment.  As radio ownership increased, so did the number of radio stations. And by 1922, 600 radio stations had sprung up around the United States.  Chicago's first radio station, KYW, begun in 1921 by Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, was the first specialized radio station, broadcasting exclusively opera six days a week.  The radio station experienced immediate popularity and continued to be a favorite in Chicago.  After the opera season ended, the station owners saw the need to change their programming.  They began broadcasting things like popular music, classical music, sporting events, lectures, fictional stories, newscasts, weather reports, market updates, and political commentary.  Radio stations like KYW enhanced a sense of community among different ethnic groups as each group could listen to programming suited to their interests and needs. 

Crystal radios, like the one at left, were among the first radios to be used and manufactured.  These radios used a piece of lead galena crystal and a cat whisker to find the radio signal.  Crystal radios allowed many people to join the radio craze in the 1920s because they were easy to make from home. 

    The rapid spread of radio listeners and programs lead to inevitable confusion and disruption.  Radio waves were up for grabs, as stations competed with one another for time and listeners.  Many programs overlapped.  Listeners of one program were frequently interrupted by overlapping programs.  In addition, the public, the government, and emerging radio corporations viewed radio as a means of public service, rarely as a vehicle for personal profit.  Radio manufacturers alone experienced financial gain from the radio boom.  Radio announcers, deejays, and stations worked on a non-profit basis.  Advertising was not introduced until later in the 1920s, changing the public service face of radio, to one of private gain.

This radio is crafted in the cathedral style. 

Therressa Garthoff