Vintage 1940s/50s g.e.c bakelite valve radio fully working and very rare.
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Bakelite valve radio, fully working. This came from a radio enthusiast collection. It is in exceptional condition. This amazing radio has that vintage look and is fully working. It lights up and you even have to wait for the valves to heat up before any sound can be heard - amazing! Obviously with most radio stations now being digital there is a very limited amount of stations you can tune into ( you won't be listening to Oasis for instance 🤣) but that only adds to the charm. I have seen damaged bakelite cracked glass etc examples making £50 plus. I cannot emphasise enough the condition - lovely !
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44 cm wide 20 cm width 27 cm tall
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We have 3 vintage radios for sale separately and we may consider selling them together. If interested in this option please contact us for pricing etc (see pictures).
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Some age related wear.
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Bakelite was the first synthetic plastic, invented in 1907 by Belgian-born American chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland. It was a durable, heat-resistant, and insulating material that transformed modern life.
Discovery
Baekeland patented his process for making Bakelite in 1909.
He was searching for a synthetic alternative to shellac, a natural electrical insulator.
Bakelite was made from phenol and formaldehyde, which came from coal tar and wood alcohol.
Uses
Bakelite was used in many products, including:
Phones
Radios
Coffins
Medical training equipment
Cigarette boxes
Dinnerware
Cooking utensils
Knobs, dials, and circuitry panels
Automobile electrical systems
Popularity
Bakelite jewelry was popular during the Art Deco period from 1909 to the 1940s.
Bakelite's versatility and non-conductivity made it suitable for a wide range of uses.
Legacy
The beginning of the modern plastics industry is often dated to Bakeeland's first patent application in 1907.
Bakelite's success led major chemical companies to invest in the research and development of new polymers.
The General Electric Company (GEC) made radios during World Wars I and II, and also in the years following.
World War I
GEC was involved in the war effort, making radios, signaling lamps, and arc lamp carbons
World War II
GEC made significant contributions to the Allied war effort, including developing the cavity magnetron for radar
GEC mass produced valves, lamps, and lighting equipment
GEC made radios and other equipment for the military
After World War II
GEC made portable radios, including the battery-powered model BC4941, which was made from Bakelite
GEC made efforts to regain its pre-war position as a leading maker of high quality radios and televisions
Other GEC radio history
GEC merged with Radio & Allied Industries in 1961
GEC's history of military products dates back to World War I
GEC's defense businesses included Marconi Space & Defence Systems and Marconi Underwater Systems
GEC demerged its defense business in 1999
General Electric Company - Wikipedia
During the Second World War, GEC made several significant contributions to the Allied war effort, such as the development of the cavity magnetron for radar, var...
Wikipedia
HISTORY OF GEC
27 Jun 2024 — During World War I the Company was heavily involved in the war effort with products such as radios, signalling lamps and arc lamp carbons. In 1919, G...
Bobs Telephone File
GEC model BC4941 | V&A Explore The Collections
It was developed as an appealing, portable, second set for households, its 'handbag' form resulted from a perception by manufacturers that there would be a new ...
Explore the Collections
Marconi Electronic Systems - Wikipedia
The Marconi Company had been formed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 in Britain, originally under the name of The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company. Following GEC...
Wikipedia
Company History - McMichael
During a world tour in 1949/50, Leslie McMichael assisted in the formation of the Union of South Africa Section of the British Institution of Radio Engineers. H...
mcmichael.org.uk
Generative AI is experimental.
GEC was involved with lamp and radio manufacture during the First World War, and in 1919 was merged with the Marconi Company. By 1924 General Electric claimed to be manufacturers of 'everything electrical', and in the Second World War, they once again supplied the military with radios and other equipment.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk
GEC model BC4941 | V&A Explore The Collections
The history of radio began in the late 1800s with the work of scientists like James Clerk Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz, and Guglielmo Marconi.
Early radio history
1886: German physicist Heinrich Hertz proves the existence of radio waves
1895: Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi sends a wireless Morse code message over a kilometer away
1896: Marconi patents his wireless telegraphy system in England
1901: Marconi sends the first transatlantic signal
1920: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company broadcasts the first commercial radio broadcast in Pittsburgh
Radio's Golden Age
The 1920s to the end of World War II are known as the Golden Age of Radio
Radio became a household item in the 1920s
Radio became the first electronic mass medium
Radio's impact on culture
Radio defined a generation of mass culture along with newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures
Around 1945, the appearance of television began to change radio's role and content
In 1969, a Motorola radio transponder relayed the first words from the moon to Earth
