Upright Radio

Manufacturer / MakerCreated by Radio Corporation of America RCA

Date1929

Mediumwood

Dimensions43 3/8 × 26 3/16 × 13 11/16 in. (110.2 × 66.5 × 34.8 cm)

ClassificationsAudio, Film, & Video

Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of Elizabeth Hansbury

Object numberPC1980.80.1

DescriptionThis wooden radio encompasses a rectangular form throughout. The central, front-facing panel includes a speaker grille with a diagonally overlapping wooden guard. Above the speaker grille, two rounded dials sit. Decorative, vertically spanning columns sit on either side of the speaker grille. The backside of the radio is open-backed, showcasing the electrical inner workings of the device, while also including several light bulbs and power wires attached to a powerboard. Additionally, the backside includes a rectangular label announcing its undergoing of testing with RCA radiotrons. Similarly, faint, obscured remnants of another rectangular label are visible beneath it. Moving downwards, the bottom portion of the radio includes four ridged legs connected with three wooden slats.

On View

Not on view

Text Entries

Label Text

News for the People: Local Journalism in the 1970s
on view August 12, 2023 - March 3, 2024

Imagine the crackling sounds emanating from this vintage radio. Picture listeners of all ages from nearly a century ago congregating around the radio, listening intently for the latest news and events. Radios were crucial tools to spread messages to a wide range of communities locally, nationally, and internationally.

Terms