Radio Set Collection

A crowd of people huddle around a wireless to listen to the Abdication Speech of King Edward VIII on December 11th 1936. The broadcast was worldwide

FAMILY, 1930s. A family in Jerusalem seated around a radio, reading. Photographed between 1937 and 1941

GUGLIELMO MARCONI (1874-1937) with his coherer radio receiver: oil over a photograph, 1896

FARM CABIN, 1939. Interior of a new one-room cabin in Bonner County, Idaho with plants from the farmers home in Montana. Photograph by Dorothea Lange, October 1939

FARMER AND SON, 1937. A farmer with his son at home in Crosby, North Dakota, during a drought year. Photograph by Russell Lee, November 1937

NORTH DAKOTA: HOMESTEAD. Mother of a farmer in Williams County, North Dakota, during a drought year. Photograph by Russell Lee, October 1937

TEXAS: HOME RADIO, 1939. A farm couple listening to the radio at home in Hidalgo County, Texas. Oil over a photograph, 1939, by Russell Lee

ATWATER KENT RADIO AD, 1925. American magazine advertisement for the Atwater Kent radio, 1925

ATWATER KENT RADIO AD, 1926. American magazine advertisement for the Atwater Kent radio, 1926

JACKIE COOGAN (1914-1984). American actor. Coogan tuning an RCA Radiola IV radio, c1923

RADIO, c1920. Two boys listening to a radio with headphones. Photograph, c1920

RADIOLA RADIO, c1925. Woman tuning an RCA Radiola Super VIII radio. Photograph, c1925

RADIOLA RADIO, c1926. People listening to an RCA Radiola portable radio. Photograph, c1926

LIVING ROOM, c1927. Scene in an American living room, with one man tuning the radio. Photograph, c1927

RADIO-GRAMOPHONE, 1925. An American Radiola, a cabinet containing a combination radio-phonograph, manufactured in 1925

RADIO FACTORY, c1925. Worker Mary Ramsey beginning the assembly of a radio set at the Atwater Kent factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photographed c1925

RADIO FACTORY, c1925. Young women at work in the assembly room of the Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photographed c1925

MIDWESTERN FARMER, 1921. A midwestern American farmer tuning in the weather forecast on his crystal set radio receiver. Oil over photograph

MIDWESTERN FARMER, 1921. A midwestern American farmer tuning in the weather forecast on his crystal set radio receiver. Photograph, 1921

RADIO ADVERTISEMENT, 1930. American catalog advertisement, 1930, for radio receivers sold by a Chicago, Illinois, distributor

RADIO ADVERTISEMENT, 1956. American advertisement for a Motorola radio, 1956

Radio set made by A. S. Popov in 1895
Popovs radio. View of an early radio set, attributed to the Russian physicist Aleksandr Stepanovich Popov (1859-1906). This photograph was taken on 7 May 1946, the second annual Radio Day in Moscow

Radio sets from the 1940s and 1950s. Photographed in 2000, at the exhibition Good-bye to the 20th Century in the Novy Manezh exhibition hall, near Moscow, Russia

MAJESTIC RADIO AD, 1929. American magazine advertisement, 1929

CAR RADIO, c1940. Radio set built into a motorcar. Photographed c1940

CAR RADIO, c1940. The Crosley Safety-Tune Fiver Roamio Automobile radio receiver. Photographed c1940

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In the early 20th century, the radio set revolutionized communication and entertainment, bringing people together in ways never before imagined. A crowd of eager individuals huddled around a wireless device, their eyes fixed on its speakers as they anxiously awaited the Abdication Speech of King Edward VIII. It was moments like these that showcased the power of radio to unite communities and share important news. In a humble family home in Jerusalem during the 1930s, another scene unfolded. The family gathered around their cherished radio, engrossed not only in listening but also reading along with whatever program was playing. This simple yet profound act demonstrated how radios became more than just devices; they became portals to knowledge and imagination. Traveling across continents to Bonner County, Idaho in 1939, we find an interior view of a new one-room cabin adorned with a radio set. In this rustic setting, technology bridged gaps between isolation and connectivity for those living on remote farms. Similarly, in Crosby, North Dakota during the same era, a farmer shared precious moments at home with his son while tuning into their beloved radio set. These intimate scenes highlight how radios brought comfort and companionship to even the most isolated corners of society. Heading back to Williams County, North Dakota during homesteading times reveals yet another facet of radios' impact on families. Here we see a mother immersed in her thoughts as she listens intently to her farmer son's voice crackling through the airwaves. Radios provided solace by connecting loved ones separated by distance or circumstance. Venturing southward brings us to Hidalgo County, Texas where farm life took on new dimensions thanks to radios' influence. The image captures a farm couple finding respite from their daily chores as they listen attentively at home—a testament to how radios offered brief escapes from laborious routines. The historical significance of radio sets is further underscored by advertisements promoting brands such as Atwater Kent.