Archival Anecdotes: The sound of a golden age

Wireless radio communications were unheard of, until the end of the 19th century. It wasn't until 1983 that Nikolai Tesla demonstrated the wireless radio in St. Louis, Mo. Just three years later, the patent for the radio was granted to Gugliemo Marconi. In 1901, Marconi was the first person to transmit radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean.

For the next 40 years, radio took its place in the home and became the leading entertainment technology, paving the way for television, cellular communications and streaming services.

It was in 1919 when the first music was broadcast from a radio station in Pittsburgh, eventually driving an arms race between programming and home radio sales. In 1921, the same Pittsburgh station began broadcasting sports programming. In Detroit, the local newspaper debuted its first radio station, relying on advertising as a reliable revenue source.

The model pictured above and on display at the Eddy County Museum is the Philco 42-3501. Available in June of 1941, it was the first of its kind to be able to receive amplitude modulation signals (AM radio) and frequency modulation (FM radio.)

Philco sets were in production from 1928-1960, but were not produced for civilian use from 1943-45 due to war efforts.. This tabletop Philco set was known as "the Breadbox" measures 18.5 inches wide, 11.5 inches tall, and 10.5 inches deep. This radio had a knob for tone, volume, band select and tuning. The six push buttons were for station presets.