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Five-Tube Chassis: 1937
... Designed for mass production Compare these to the Atwater Kents of the twenties. The A-K radios were more like an Erector set, ... and a good ground could deliever quite a shock! Atwater-Kents And, nixiebunny, the Atwater-Kents were tuned radio frequency ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2013 - 7:57am -

March 1937. "Camden, New Jersey. RCA Victor. Five-tube chassis assembly line." Radio like Grandma used to make. Photo by Lewis Hine. View full size. Designed for mass productionCompare these to the Atwater Kents of the twenties. The A-K radios were more like an Erector set, all the little fiddly bits held together by screws and nuts. Every assembler had a tray of hardware from which to build the tuning assembly. The tuning capacitor and IF coils in these radios are made of stamped steel pieces, designed to fit together like puzzles and held together by bent-over tabs in slots. This style of construction was used through the sixties, when the Japanese replaced it with little molded plastic pieces. 1936 designed hardware ?Looks like a 5T7 model: http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_5t7.html CuriousWhy were all the workers women? This looks more like a shot you'd see from 5-ish years later in the midst of the war. Not all womenThat is either a man in the background leaning over with his thumb to his nose, or the lady needs an apology from me. Women were better suited (no pun intended) for these types of jobs since their hands fit the gloves better. And when you aren't working, you can pose like a model and no one will suspect your true ambitions. Female workersWomen in the workplace was not a WWII invention. Women entered manufacturing at the dawn of the industrial revolution. In Lowell, MA the mill owners recruited young women and built living quarters for them. When food processing evolved, it was common to see plants full of women performing the cleaning and canning operations. By the turn of the last century, most apparel sweatshops employed girls and women - remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911? Still using a power transformerThe venerable five tube concept would not long after this abandon the big power transformer on the right for a direct, non-isolated connection to the AC mains. Saved a lot of money, but could be a surprise for an unwary tinkerer. "Miniaturization" during WWII would shrink the light-bulbish tubes and large coils to something about 1/3 the size of what we see here. That lead way to legions of bread-loaf sized radios in the 50's on, some of which are now considered art pieces. Should have held on to those things! Ah, the All-American Five!The five-tube chassis was a classic, and many versions graced American homes. These seem to have a power transformer that made the chassis safer than the cheaper models that ran directly off 110 volt AC power lines. A touch to a transformerless chassis and a good ground could deliever quite a shock! Atwater-KentsAnd, nixiebunny, the Atwater-Kents were tuned radio frequency (TRF) receivers that were cranky to tune and pretty unstable. These radios used superheterodyne technology invented by Edwin H. Armstrong that made using a radio easy, stable, and reliable. Armstrong also corrected faulty vacuum-tube theory, invented the regenerative receiver, the Super-regenerative circuit, and FM radio. Five-tube CrosleyThe lady wearing glasses in the foreground seems to operating with a decent chassis but more importantly when I was a lad Pop owned a 5-tube Crosley superheterodyne receiver. We were on Long Island but at night that beast could pull in the race results from Bowie in Maryland and River Downs out in Ohio. (Technology, The Gallery, Factories, Lewis Hine)
Model 47: 1928
Philadelphia circa 1928. "Atwater Kent Factory for T.R. Shipp." Assembling the Atwater Kent Model 47, back when radios were the iPad of their day. National ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 7:52pm -

Philadelphia circa 1928. "Atwater Kent Factory for T.R. Shipp." Assembling the Atwater Kent Model 47, back when radios were the iPad of their day. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. The AK 47Is it an Assault Radio? The finished producthttp://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=78447 Powerful radio!By the look of the head gasket, it's a 4 cylinder model. I still call it the wirelessAlways makes the young people roll their eyes. I workedin this building in the early 90s when it was the home of the US Dept of Veterans Affairs Regional Office and Insurance Center. By then the interior of the original sawtooth roof had been coverd by a dropped ceiling, but it was accessible. It still had the original wooden floors, covered in most places with carpeting but visible in the aisles between offices and cubicles. The VAROIC demolished the builing in the late 90s. The building's footprint is now occupied by the parking lot for the replacement building. On a prominent corner of the property a large section of the sawtooth roof truss is mounted on columns as if it were a sculpture-like artwork. The site is bounded by US 1, Wissahickon Ave., and a regional passenger rail line. (Technology, The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo, Philadelphia)
Metropolis: 1925
Circa 1925, another scene from the Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia. National Photo Company Collection ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 10:57am -

Circa 1925, another scene from the Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Safety first, watch those fingers.No guard covers on the motor belts. Electrolytic!I always wondered how they made all those capacitors. Shades of the Triangle Shirtwaist CompanyLooking for the fire exit ... Hmm ... Maybe it's behind the guys in suits? CapacitatedLooks to me as though they're making capacitors - strips of metal foil separated by an insulating strip - all wound into a cylinder. Used for filtering they allow AC current to pass, but prevent the passage of DC current. BrazilThis is the first of these shots to remind me of Terry Gilliam's movie "Brazil." Just needs to be a little less well lit, but the machines are as imposing. Who needs Fire Exits?There IS a fire extinguisher in the room. (The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo, Philadelphia)
Street Life: 1925
... was good for shortwave. I used to love tuning the old Atwater Kent to BBC London or the English broadcasts out of Cairo or Istanbul, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2012 - 8:45pm -

"Rowhouses and moving company." Circa 1925, the furniture and hauling business of Sam Madeoy at 600 H Street N.E. National Photo Company. View full size. Not a dry eye in the houseEast Lynne! "Gone! And never called me mother!" The Other Side Just Hangin' AroundThat looks like a good place to sit and yap, hide from the wife, wait for the taverns to open, etc. You can almost hear what those rickety, wobbly cellar doors would sound like as he sat down on the edge of one. And that little fence falling apart looks like something the Little Rascals should be climbing through to go steal some apples. Car stopI presume "car stop" is a trolley car stop? You can see the rails in the street. 1925 IndeedAll the visible posters announce shows for either Dec 13th or 14th, 1925. William Ebs, ventriloquist opened at the Strand on Dec 13th. The burlesque Moonlight Maids starring Anna Toebe and Billy Hagen, opened at the Mutual, Dec 13th . East Lynne, an "old triangle theme- full of melodrama, heart interest, cross love, murder and what not" began playing the 14th. Thurston, "magician extraordinaire" made live horses vanish at the Belasco, Dec 14th. I'm not sure how long typical posters would have remained up in the 1920s, but since all advertise for such a narrow date range its seems safe to say that they were probably replaced often and therefore this photo is mid-December 1925 Samuel Madeoy was a Russian immigrant born circa 1880. According to the 1920 census, he lived at 600 H street with his wife Rose, three daughters and a son. In Dec 24th he remarried. In March 1925 he purchased (and moved?) properties at 12 and 14 E street Southeast. This corner is a few blocks from where I live - its now a parking lot for a grocery store. [Sam seems to have been a colorful character -- had a few brushes with the law running numbers and selling booze. And made the news when he spontaneously combusted one day. - Dave] Trolley reduxI'm not sure exactly when the street car was discontinued, but ironically they are trying to get a line reestablished on H Street. Hopefully it will be faster than the X2 Metrobus, which you can usually beat walking... Up on the roof Someone on the second floor was a radio buff, that antenna was good for shortwave. I used to love tuning the old Atwater Kent to BBC London or the English broadcasts out of Cairo or Istanbul, even the foreign language broadcasts were exotic enough to keep my brother and I listening as late as allowed. Then it was crystal radios under the blankets, tuning in to WWV, the Grand Old Opry and the Foggy Mountain Boys, yes, all the way up in Upstate NY, 1955. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Our New Life: 1936
... the sewing machine table) is from the shipping crate of an Atwater Kent console radio. Note, too, that 1936 was the year Kent closed the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:40pm -

July 1936. "Migratory workers' camp in Yakima, Washington." Displaced farm families from the Dust Bowl states working as laborers in the Northwest's fruit orchards, living in government-run tent camps. Medium-format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. The House That Kent BuiltIt's interesting to note that the wood used to make part of the tent wall (to the right of the boy sitting on the sewing machine table) is from the shipping crate of an Atwater Kent console radio. Note, too, that 1936 was the year Kent closed the doors of his Philadelphia factory and moved to California. Five will get you ten, the radio isn't inside the tent. You don't need a weatherman . . .Is that a wind vane in the left background? If it used to be a windmill, there sure isn't much left! Keep Calm and Carry OnMy heart goes out to these folks. Uprooting your lives and moving no telling where just to make it. I wonder how these people ended up, better or worse off. Looks like Dad and son are waiting for Mom to come in from the orchards, maybe for some mending to be done with that old treadle machine. Dads shirt sleeve and sons knee britches. I would love to have a treadle. No electricity needed! ThankfulPhotos like these remind me to be thankful that my parents, who were born the very end of the 1920s, were both from Washington. My father's hometown is Ellensburg, which is very close to Yakima, and my mother was from Walla Walla, down near the Oregon state line. Their families weren't totally unaffected by the depression, but the land didn't turn against them, like it did in much of the country. My mother's people were farmers. Although she and her parents had to live with Grandpa's parents until 1934, and things like new clothing were rare, they always had plenty to eat. I wonder how many of the people in these pictures stayed in the northwest, and how many eventually returned to their previous homes, once things there had improved. Dbell, that area is well known for wind! When my father was in college, it was customary for the young men to use egg white, like a precursor to hair gel! PropsThat weather vane is just for showing the direction of the wind—this one has a propeller on the front that would spin in the breeze. I have a Singer pedestal sewing machine just like that one in my small collection, and I once helped build a tent house virtually identical to that one for a museum display. It was surprisingly comfortable, but then, I didn't have to live in it. FedorasSome wear them well, others not so well. This man had looking debonair nailed even in a numbingly humble situation. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Camping, Great Depression)
Dept. of Life Rafts: 1912
... This was the Detroit Drydock factory at Orleans & Atwater in Detroit. Building still stands, albeit precariously. (The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 4:50pm -

July 10, 1912. "Detroit Ship Building Co., life rafts dept." Our second peek behind the scenes. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Rough Ride on the Great LakesThe attached picture is of a similar can style life raft used by the Great Lakes freighter Cyprus, which sank in October of 1907. The raft carried four crew members within sight of shore but began flipping, leaving Second Mate Pitt as the raft's sole survivor. The full story can be found here. Booming businessI'm guessing July 1912 life raft sales were pretty good, when photographed so soon after that April's legendary iceberg-related mishap. The Professor and Mary AnnDo they make one large enough for seven stranded castaways? Detroit DrydockThis was the Detroit Drydock factory at Orleans & Atwater in Detroit. Building still stands, albeit precariously. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)
White Dome: 1925
... "Golly gee, folks, It's just negative damage." Sales of Atwater Kent radios shot through the roof and area movie places were packed as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 6:41pm -

Another view of the Capitol Refining plant, "Home of White Dome Shortening," just outside Washington circa 1925. Note the Capitol "dome" atop the building. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. The Baseball Leagues Washington Post, Jul 25, 1920 Barber and Ross Wins The Barber and Ross team yesterday defeated the team representing the Capitol Refining Company by the score of 10 to 4. The game was featured by hard hitting of the Barber and Ross club. The HorrorGiant ameboas attacked many Washington, DC area landmarks today and mysterious mold grew in many locations. Panic set in as streetcars rolled over and cars plunged from bridges. Spokeman Shorpy Higginbotham stated, "Golly gee, folks, It's just negative damage." Sales of Atwater Kent radios shot through the roof and area movie places were packed as the populace attempted to keep up with events. Rumors that the Army will be deployed to city streets have yet to be confirmed. Boo.Also note the ectoplasm encircling the building. Naval Radio StationThe two radio towers seen on the hill mid left of the photo are two of the three towers at Navy Radio Station Arlington, call sign NAA. I believe the mold has obliterated the third tower. This station played an important role in the early days of radio communications. A brief summary can be found here. (The Gallery, D.C., Factories, Natl Photo)
Radio Men: 1928
The Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia in 1928 or 1929. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 10:44am -

The Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia in 1928 or 1929. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. Little StoveI think the final product can be seen at one of these links: http://www.atwaterkentradio.com/ak52.htm http://www.atwaterkentradio.com/ak53.htm This 27-inch tall pressed-steel console Model 52 radio was manufactured in 1928, painted crinkle brown. Along with Models 51, 53, 56, and 57, it became known by collectors as the "little stove." (The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo, Philadelphia)
Scavenger Truck: 1933
... and UNderhill. The Mission exchange on 25th Street had ATwater, MIssion and VAlencia. The Onondaga Street exchange near Balboa ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2014 - 8:37pm -

October 1933. "Kleiber motor truck -- Bay Shore Scavenger Co." An ominous-looking conveyance made all the more foreboding by that toxic telephone exchange. 8x10 acetate negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Well equippedSix state-of-the-art cadaver hooks at the back of this conveyance. Ready for anything, but rarely did they need all six unless the Barbary Coast got particularly rambunctious. One man's trash ...When I attended college in San Francisco, I learned that scavenger companies were called garbage collectors or waste management elsewhere. HemlockI am very impressed by the sharpness of this photo. Does anybody know the origin of the choice of Hemlock as an exchange name? If it was a locality why was it so named? I wonder why the windscreen on this truck (that looks new) appears to be grilled. I would have thought overhead protection of the cab might have been desirable rather than grilles here. [I suspect they are grab bars, for holding onto while riding standing up. -Dave] Early stair stepperIt appears that the trash collector would climb up he running board and go up two more steps to load the truck. Note the cutout behind the fender and the hand holds on the windshield. HEmlock et. al.In San Francisco there were several different Central Exchanges that each had their own set of local exchange prefixes. Many of these survive in phone numbers today if the users have had them for a long time. My own is KLondike-2 (552), which I've had since the 1970s. Originally there were seven central exchanges but by 1958 there were these four: In SF the downtown exchange on McCoppin Street had HEmlock, KLondike, MArket and UNderhill. The Mission exchange on 25th Street had ATwater, MIssion and VAlencia. The Onondaga Street exchange near Balboa Park had DElaware, JUniper and RAndolph. And the one at 21 Folsom Street near the Embarcadero (which connected SF with Oakland and points east) had ROchester, EXbrook and WEather. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Portrait of Caroline: 1939
A closeup of Caroline Atwater, seen earlier this week, in the doorway of her kitchen in Orange ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:49am -

A closeup of Caroline Atwater, seen earlier this week, in the doorway of her kitchen in Orange County, North Carolina. View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Portrait of Caroline: 1939Beautiful portrait of a lovely woman. The world would be a lesser place without the photographs of Dorothea Lange and the people who agreed to be photographed. Thanks for posting this bit of our country's history. Portrait of Caroline: 1939I don't know what it is about this lovely photograph that speaks to me. It's just so...real. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Rural America)
Radio Days: 1928
1928. Speaker grille assembly at the Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia. View full size. National Photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2016 - 11:14am -

1928. Speaker grille assembly at the Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Radio WaveWow, now that is a marcel wave! Radio Waves Those cellphone scare stories are right, that's what 840MHz does to your hair. (Technology, The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo, Philadelphia)
Mr. Speaker: 1925
Philadelphia, 1925. Atwater Kent radio factory. "Final inspection of loudspeaker after baking ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2016 - 11:51am -

Philadelphia, 1925. Atwater Kent radio factory. "Final inspection of loudspeaker after baking finish." View full size. National Photo Company glass negative. I can't wait....To get out of here and go fishing! (The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo, Philadelphia)
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