Beaver Baby Grand
Beaver Machine and Tool Company produced a number of versions of this crystal radio during the 1920s, and also apparently supplied the radio to India Ivory Company. One of the smallest radios at the time at 3-3/4 x 2 x 3/4 inches, it was advertised as The Beaver Baby Grand Vest Pocket Radio Receiving Set.
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These are shown here in the order they may have been produced based on a progression of part upgrades.
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Version 1
Black painted wood case, 4-slot crystal holder, flat top knobs, small binding posts, simple engraved panel, and no ID of any kind.
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Version 2
Reddish brown colored wood, 4-slot crystal holder, flat top knobs, small binding posts, simple engraved panel, metal tag on cabinet.
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Version 3
Reddish brown colored wood, 2-slot crystal holder, flat top knobs, small binding posts, simple engraved panel, metal tag on cabinet. (detector arm is missing)
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Version 4
Reddish brown colored wood, flat top knobs, small binding posts, raised lettering on panel, no metal tag.
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Version 5
Reddish brown colored wood, flat top knobs, large binding posts, raised lettering on panel, Subirana metal tag.
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Version 6
Reddish brown colored wood, dome top knobs, large binding posts, raised lettering on panel, no metal tag.
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Version 7
Reddish brown colored wood, dome top knobs, large binding posts, raised lettering on panel, metal tag on cabinet.
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Version 8
Hard rubber cabinet, ribbed knobs, large binding posts, lettering molded into panel. A cover on the bottom protects the coil inside.
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Bethlehem Radio Corporation, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, made these two metal crystal radios during the 1920s, and may have also made other radio equipment under the BERACO name.
Bethlehem 'The Crystal Dyne'
It has a cast aluminum case, a glass-enclosed crystal detector, and a slide tuner. It is about 8-1/2 inches long x 4 inches deep.
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Bethlehem 'World Crystal Set'
It has a nickle-plated metal case, a glass-enclosed crystal detector, and a slide tuner. It measures about 5 x 4 inches. It is shown with its original box. These were also sold painted in various colors including red and green.
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BMS Pandora Crystal Set
The Brooklyn Metal Stamping Company, of Brooklyn, New York, manufactured a number of crystal radios in the 1920s, including the 'Pandora' which came in two styles and 4 or 5 colors. This example has the coil raised up on a small pedestal and has the original Russett Bronze paint.
It is in mint condition except the detector arm is missing. It is shown with its original instruction sheet and box.
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BMS Pandora Crystal Sets
These BMS Pandora sets are styled different from the one above, without the pedestal. Note that the red and green examples have a solid slider bar while the bronze one has a spring, the bronze and green examples have a ball slider while the red one has a slider with a knob.
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Also, the green example has fahenstock clip connectors while the others have binding posts. The Russett Bronze, red, and Medium Green colors are all original paint.
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Brush-McCoy 'Mystic'
In 1927 the Brush-McCoy Pottery Company decided to produce a unique pottery item that would appeal to radio fans all over the world, who were then called "Radio Bugs." It was a ceramic bug 9" long containing a crystal radio set. These were called "MYSTIC" Radio Sets. The bug itself is pottery. An article that was in The Zanesville Signal said, "The insulating properties of this material are so high that exceptional reception results."
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Cannon Ball 'Baby Grand'
1920s crystal radio with metal base.
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DeForest Everyman
This Deforest Everyman Radiophone Receiver, Type DT-600, was made in the 1920s and used different plug-in coils to receive different wavelengths. It has a glass-enclosed crystal detector.
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Federal 'Junior'
This Federal Jr. crystal radio was made in the 1920s. The cabinet is metal with a bakelite top. A slider control on one side is labeled 'Antenna', and a similar control on the other side is labeled 'Detector'.
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Fletcher 'Radak Wireless Set'
Made and distributed by Fletcher Electric Company at 34 West 36th Street in New York City in the early 1920s. The original operating instructions call this 'The Hand Camera of Wireless! A snappy little Radio Set! Small and light as a postcard camera'.
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Flivver
This little Flivver crystal radio was made in the 1920s. It has a metal cabinet and is identified as a Flivver on the underside.
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Freed Eisemann 'Marvel 101'
Freed Eisemann manufactured this crystal radio in the 1920s and housed it in a nice oak dovetailed cabinet.
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Gecophone Junior
1920s British crystal radio
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Gillet Marvel
1920s crystal radio
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Gundlach - Manhattan Optical Company
1920s crystal radio
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Hamburg Brothers - Pennsylvania
This little crystal radio was sold about 1926 by Hamburg Brothers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was endorsed by Radio News magazine. It is sitting on a box of Hamburg Bros. 'Pennsylvania' headphones.
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Hearever 'Midget Monitor'
This tiny crystal set was made in the 1950s or 60s and is built into a standard radio IF coil can. Sliding the antenna rod up and down tunes a station. This radio is mint in the original box, and is marked 'MIDGET MONITOR RADIO BY HEAREVER INC.' The instruction sheet gives the company address as: MIDGET MONITOR RADIO, Dept. 150, 623 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis 1, Minn.
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Howe: Early, Late
Two 1920s Howe crystal radios. The left one is the earlier version - it has 'Patents Pending' printed on the front plate, the detector arm has a wooden handle, and the crystal cup is larger.
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Howe - Liberty Central Trust Co.
This is a bank advertising the Liberty Central Trust Company of St. Louis Missouri, and it has a Howe crystal radio built into it!
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Howe - National City Bank
This is a bank advertising the National City Bank, and it has a Howe crystal radio built into it!
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India Ivory
A rare 1920's crystal radio, only documented with a brief reference in the Maurice Siever's Crystal Set books, and a photo in Morgan McMahon's Vintage Radio book, and 1 of only 3 I've seen in collections. This off-white celluloid clock case is inscribed 'Radio Clock Case, India Ivory Co., Pat. Apl'lied For'. The paper face of the wind-up clock is marked 'India Ivory Company, Providence, R.I., U.S.A.' The radio itself looks exactly like an early version of the 1920's Beaver Baby Grand chassis.
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Jubilee
Jubilee Manufacturing Company, which operated in Omaha, Nebraska from 1905 until about 1988, produced this Jubilee Crystal Radio Set in the later 1920's. The red label on the original box proclaims this to be 'The Best Buy in Radio'. Unique connectors allowed up to six pair of headphones to easily be connected to the radio!
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Kleer-Tone Model 100
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Kleer-Tone Model B
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Kodel Model S-1
Kodel's smallest and lowest priced radio, this originally sold for $5.
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Kodel Gold Star Model S-1
Kodel's Gold Star model S-1 is identical to the other version except for the front panel design.
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L&W Wonder
A cheaply made crystal radio in a cardboard box cabinet.
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Lawsam Electric Company
This 1920s crystal radio was manufactred by Lawsam Electric Company at 122 Fifth Avenue, in New York City. The recessed slider on the front of the cabinet is unique.
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Leon Lambert
This old crystal radio is shown with its original box. It has a very crudely designed detector that looks homemade, but this is original from the factory. It is identical to the wooden version, except with a less expensive cabinet.
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Leon Lambert
This crystal radio has a wood cabinet with a brass tag on top saying 'Lambert Radio, Leon Lambert Mfg. Co., Wichta, Kansas'. It is the deluxe version of the green Leon Lambert radio.
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Lombard Multiphone
An unusual old crystal radio in a masonite cabinet painted crackle green with cowboys on the sides. A Lombard detector is mounted below the tuning dial and there are connections for six pairs of headphones! Operating instructions are on the back side and earphone instructions are on the bottom of the cabinet.
Click the photo to see more!
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Marquette 'Mother's Oats'
This 1924 Mother's Oats premium catalog offered this crystal radio for 110 coupons, or 5 coupons and $1.00. The radio was made by Marquette Radio Corporation. It is shown with its original box.
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Marquette 'Quaker Oats'
This early 1920s radio is very similar to the Mothers Oats set. It was also made by Marquette Radio Corporation and was a coupon premium.
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Martian 'Big 4'
This is a unique and well-made crystal radio mounted on a tripod base. It has two sliders, a crystal detector, and enough binding posts to connect four sets of headphones. It was made in Newark, New Jersey, and stands 9 inches tall.
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Click to see more!
Mastaphone
This crystal radio was made in Great Britain during the 1920s, and is shown with its original box. It has a spring-loaded enclosed cats whisker detector.
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Click to see more!
Metro Junior
A 1920s crystal radio made by Metro Electrical Company in Newark, New Jersey. The same radio was also marketed under other names (see Pal). This is shown in its original box.
The base is aluminum and measures 6 x 5 x 1/2 inch.
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Click to see more!
Musio
A 1920s crystal radio made by Musio Radio Company. The small knob controls the internal catwhisker. The lid is held on only by spring clips so is often missing. A pair of Musio headphones completes the set.
It measures 8-1/4 x 6-1/4 x 6 inches.
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Novelty Radio Mfg. Co. 'Nickelette'
A 1920s crystal radio marked 'Trade Mark NICKELETTE'. The detector is under the metal cover marked 'STAYPUT DETECTOR, NOVELTY RADIO MFG. CO., ST. LOUIS, MO, PAT PND'G'. You need to remove the metal cover to adjust the wire cats whisker. Directions are on a paper label on the bottom of the radio.
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Click to see more!
Pal
A 1920s crystal radio made by Pal Radio Company in Jersey City, New Jersey. The same radio was also marketed under other names (see Metro).
The base is aluminum, has a cardboard instruction card riveted underneath, and measures 6 x 5 x 1/2 inch.
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Philmore Kompakt
Philmore made many types of crystal radios, and this is one of their more unusual models. The radio is a small square box with an earpiece on it, a tuning knob, antenna and ground wires, and with a detachable headband that holds the unit against your ear. It is shown with its original counter display box.
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Click to see the bottom label and more!
Philmore Selective
One of Philmore's earliest models. These came in various colors - the box is stamped 'SILVER', indicating the color of the front panel on this one. It is shown with its original box.
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Pocket Radio: Vest-O-Fone
This is a crystal radio made by Pocket Radio Corporation at 720 Grand Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, in the 1920s. It is basically a single headphone with a fixed cats-whisker crystal detector built into the headphone. It is shown with its original box.
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Pollak's Rocket Radio
Marked on the box as 'Made in Japan for Pollak's, San Francisco 3, Calif.' This is a cheap little plastic set with an antenna that pulls out to tune it.
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Radio Maintenance Company
A 1920s crystal radio made by Radio Maintenance Company (R.M.C.) in Minneapolis, at 31st and Snelling Avenue.
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Radioette
A cheaply made crystal radio in a cardboard box cabinet.
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RAO 'Double-Slider'
A 1920s crystal radio made by RAO Manufacturing Company in Minneapolis.
Two knobs on top move up and down to tune hidden slider contacts inside the coil.
'RAO' is stamped into the wood on the bottom.
Another variation of this radio has a large label on top calling it a 'Hidden Coil' and only has one internal
slider.
RAO Manufacturing Company still exists and is now located in Fridley, Minnesota.
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Rippner 'Monarch Radio Set'
A 1920s crystal radio made by The Rippner Bros. Mfg. Co., Cleveland, Ohio. This one has the rarer deep blue color can.
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Ritter Grand Crystal Set
A 1920s crystal radio made by Ritter Radio Corporation at 232 Canal Street in New York City.
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Rocket Radio - Model 5
Marked on the box as 'Made in Japan'. This is a cheap little plastic set with an antenna that pulls out to tune it.
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Click to see the radio.
Shriner 'Baby Jacqueline'
Mid-1920s crystal radio in 9-1/2 inch tall cast plaster figure of 'Baby Jacqueline' wearing a shriner fez. The radio chassis is very similar to the one in the 1925 Shriner Convention radio. It is unknown who Baby Jacqueline was or exactly when and why this radio was made.
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Shriner 1925 Convention radio
A crystal radio is embedded in this 9-inch tall cast plaster figure of a bear wearing a shriner fez. Molded into the base is '1925 SHRINERS CONVENTION, LOS ANGELES'. The Al Malaikah Temple in Los Angeles hosted the national shriner convention in 1925 and numerous souveniers were available. It is unknown if this radio was just a souvenier or if it was some sort of prize or award. The radio chassis is very similar to the one in the Shriner 'Baby Jacqueline' radio.
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Spencer Pocket Radio
This old crystal radio is still in mint condition. Click the picture to see the box and shipping carton it came in.
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Spencer Pocket Radio
This crystal radio is in excellent condition, with its original box and operating instructions.
Click photo to see more!
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Wezco 'DOL'
This crystal radio is shown with its original box.
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