1932 Crosley World Radio 819M

[ITG]

My dad went to an auction for arcade games and saw an unusual piece he just had to have. He's not into the Golden Era but was telling me about his purchase and I had him look for a model number. Looking it up on the internet, I found a picture. This piece he says is about 4 feet high and maybe 2 feet wide. He plugged it in and it picks up radio stations from the around the world and still works! I'm looking forward to hopefully driving out there soon and looking at it. Does anyone know anything about this particular radio?

In the mean time here is a picture of one I googled:

 

[Wild Root]

Not 1932...

Hey Holly, if that's the radio your Father picked up, he's a lucky man! That radio is for sell on this site...

http://www.gingerbreadantiquemall.com/antique_radios.htm

But, here is the ad on the page with the photo:

Crosley 819M - $795

This is a 1940 model eight tube radio with three bands - Broadcast, Police,
and Shortwave. It also has eight mechanical station presets.

The cabinet incorporates an interesting and unique design feature in that
the speaker is mounted horizontally with a curved panel to deflect the
sound. The cabinet incorporates some bold design aspects common to its era
and features beautiful burl walnut veneers.'

Cool radio! As you can see, it's worth some money!

=WR=

 

[ITG]

Oh my gosh! That link says they are in midlothian, which is right next to my dad's town. I just sent him the link. Thanks!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Beautiful styling on the cabinet.

Great find!

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Okay, I'm studying the wood grain on each of the two pics. Is it just me, or do they look like the same radio?

 

[CharlieH.]

What a fabulous radio!

I wonder if the stations on the mechanical presets still exist...

 

[ITG]

Whoa, Bink, I think you're right. Sure looks like it. What would be really interesting if these people in Midlothian were the ones that put the radio up for auction where my dad was and if this was the same one my dad has. I'll have to bring my camera with me when I go to visit him.

 

[Wild Root]

Okay, I'm studying the wood grain on each of the two pics. Is it just me, or do they look like the same radio?

They're the same model and the same make but, not the same radio.

The photo Holly posted belongs to the man's name at the bottom of the photo. She found that photo on The Radio Attic's Archives page under Crosley radios.

Same model, but, one of many that were made in 1940.

=WR=

 

[binkmeisterRick]

That's what I initially thought, too, but look at the knot in the wood grain on the bottom right of each image. They look an awful lot alike and close to be a mere coincidence to me. I started trying to match up wood grain in other areas of the two radios and found other similarities. If they're different radios, then maybe they came the same tree!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

It's possible the burl trim is photoprocess, which is not uncommon for the era.

My Zenith used photoprocess for the burl trim at the sides.

What ever the case is, it's still a beautiful radio, made in the day "When Radios were Radios".

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Photoprocess, eh? Never thought of that, though I guess I'd be surprised that they'd go through the liberty of matching the grain so perfectly from one radio to the next. Still, if it DOEAS happen to be the exact same radio, it's uncanny. If not, hey, it still looks good!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

It could also be book matched veneer, it's hard to say from the photos unless you had both side by side, and can see the details clearly.

Looking at them in person clears things up real quick when you get caught up in collecting these things

Like anything else, it can all vary with what day it was, what the guy building the cabinet had that day for lunch,....etc.

 

[Wild Root]

Like I said, one is in a personal collection and the other is in an Antique shop.

Book-matched veneer is a very good point. They did that a lot in those days. I have compared the two photos and see some things that are very close to each other but, it's really hard to tell because one photo is taken at an angle and is a smaller photo where the other one is taken straight on and closer up. Now, I'm not an expert on wood veneer but, I have seen many radios and I have a friend who has a 1937 Philco 37-116 (One of the biggest consoles they made) and there is one for sale at my buddies shop. They look identical! And if you took a photo of each, it be very easy to say they're of the same radio and not two of the same.

I guess we'll have to wait to hear from Holly when she gets the full story from her Father as to where he bought it.

=WR=

 

[binkmeisterRick]

I guess my question is would they make vaneer with an identical wood grain pattern to be used on the same panels of identical model radios, cabinets, dressers, furniture, etc., or is vaneer something which ends up with as unique a "finger print" as real wood grain? I really I don't know how wood vaneer is produced.

I understand that they produced many numbers of this exact make and model, but even with a bookmatched vaneer, I guess I would've thought there would be some difference in the pattern from radio to radio. For instance, would the same radios, side by side in the original showroom, have the same knot in the grain on the exact same place, or would there be some variety to make them a bit more "individual?" Is vaneer like your floor tile with an abstract pattern, though if you look around a bit, you notice the same "individual" tile all over the floor? Does that make sense?

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Without examing the actual radio it would be hard to say what was used or the method.

A little veneer info: http://www.woodriverveneer.com/veneer3.asp

 

[ITG]

I guess we'll have to wait to hear from Holly when she gets the full story from her Father as to where he bought it.

=WR=

If you reread my post I mentioned that it came from an arcade game auction. Maybe I misread the question. If so, let me know and I'll do my best to answer it.

I took a look at the piece this week and it's quite nice. The dial that changes stations doesn't work. Dad said he'd have to repair it. We got a few radio stations in, but the antenae didn't seem strong enough for getting the world stations in. That just amazes me that they could pick up stations around the world back then. The back panel is missing so I got to see the innards. There's the tin can looking thing that you rotate which is supposed to give you a better signal.

 

[shamus]

I'm no expert...

But in 1940 everything was AM which can bounce off clouds unlike FM, so an AM signal could go much further than an FM. And the AM stations probably broadcasted at 100,000 + watts. Today, most AM's are not allowed to do that as they would disrupt existing AM stations. Also most AM's today must change how much of their signals go (like a pie chart) at certain hours.

Radio was a different beast in the 40's.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I took a look at the piece this week and it's quite nice. The dial that changes stations doesn't work. Dad said he'd have to repair it. We got a few radio stations in, but the antenae didn't seem strong enough for getting the world stations in. That just amazes me that they could pick up stations around the world back then. The back panel is missing so I got to see the innards. There's the tin can looking thing that you rotate which is supposed to give you a better signal.

The radio may have a broken dail cord, you can get replacement cords, though rewinding some can be a pain.

You need to run a longwire, they were common during the radio age.
http://www.moonlightsys.com/otr/antenna.html

I'm not terribly familiar with Crosley's, but it's likely it didn't come with a back panel, all of the consoles from the era that I've seen (Zenith's) didn't have a back panel. (Most likely for air circulation to keep the tubes cool)

 

[ITG]

Thanks for the link. I'll pass it on to my father.

That makes sense about the back panel so tht teh bulbs can so

 

[Wild Root]

Am was a different band then that of "Short Wave" The Short Wave band wasn't really AM. It was a different ball of wax if I recall it right. You still can receive stations from other parts of the world on vintage short wave bands! I did with my 1936 Grunow console! You need a very long antenna and also it helps to try it late at night. It doesn't work very well in the day time. Short wave works way better at night. Get some copper wire, it works best!

Yep, there wasn't to be a back cover on that set! All the consoles I've seen never had a back cover but, I do have one 1930 Westinghouse that has a back cover but, it's more like an old screen door then a piece of board with holes in it.

=WR=