Museum Artifact: Oldsmobile F36 Glove Box Clock 6V, 1936
Made By: Geo. W. Borg Corporation, 469 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Electronics
Electric Clock Corp. of America, est. 1930
Museum Artifact: Lincoln Electric Clock, c. 1932
Made By: Electric Clock Corp. of America, 500 S. Throop St., Chicago, IL
What’s in a name? I suppose a 20th century Shakespeare might have said that an electric clock, under any brand name, would still tell the same time. To Henry T. Schiff, however, the name was the thing.
In the mid 1930s,
Allied Radio Corp., est. 1928
Museum Artifact: Knight Radio Tube, c. 1940s
Made By: Allied Radio Corporation / Allied Electronics, 833 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
General Television & Radio Corp., est. 1932
Museum Artifact: General Tube Radio 19A5, c. 1947
Made By: General Television & Radio Corp., 2701 N. Lehmann Ct., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Swedish-American Telephone Co., est. 1899
Museum Artifact: “Hercules” Telephone Box, c. 1908
Made By: Swedish-American Telephone Co., 5235 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL
There aren’t a lot of Swedish things left in Chicago’s original Swedish neighborhood these days. In just the past few years, Andersonville has lost its beloved Swedish Bakery, along with Ann Sather’s restaurant, Erickson Jewelers, Erickson’s Deli (no relation), and even the old iconic neighborhood water tower—painted for decades in the blue and gold of the Motherland (a facsimile has since been installed).
Chicago Electric MFG Co., est. 1902
Museum Artifact: Sterling Desk Fan, c. 1940
Made By: Chicago Electric MFG, Co., 6333 W. 65th Street., Chicago, IL
Some time in the early 1970s, the singer/songwriter Gram Parsons—pioneer of the genre later known as “alternative country”—was hanging out with his buddy Keith Richards, talking about song ideas.
“I’ve been writing about a guy that builds cars,” Parsons said—this according to Richards’ own account in his 2010 memoir,
Wm. Meyer Co., est. 1906
Museum Artifact: Eagle Speed Salon Hair Dryer, c. 1930
Made By: The Wm. Meyer Co., 1644 N. Honore Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Motorola Inc., est. 1928
Museum Artifact: Motorola Volumatic AM Car Radio, 1956
Made By: Motorola Inc. / Galvin MFG Corp., 4545 W. Augusta Blvd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Chicago Telephone Supply Co., est. 1896
Museum Artifact: Wood Wall Telephone, c. 1905
Made By: Chicago Telephone Supply Co., 28 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL. Relocated to Elkhart, IN, in 1902
In the August 1900 issue of everybody’s favorite McKinley-era trade publication, Telephone Magazine, the Chicago Telephone Supply Company is referred to as “one of the oldest of independent factories, manufacturing everything that enters into the production of Chicago telephones,
The Detect-O-Ray Company, est. 1940
Museum Artifact: Detect-O-Ray Photo-Electric Switch, 1940s
Made By: Detect-O-Ray Company, 2622 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
Its name sounds like a comic-book doomsday device and it looks more than a little like an evil robot owl, but sadly, the Detect-O-Ray is neither one of those things. In fact, this intimidating technological marvel of the World War II era was briefly marketed—of all places—in the pages of the F.A.O.
Portable Tube Radio Model 5P31A by Motorola Inc., 1957
Motorola Inc. / Galvin MFG Corp., 4545 W. Augusta Blvd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Archived Reader Comments:
“This radio is a Motorola Roto-tenna portable radio, Corsair model 5P31A, circa 1957. The case is metal, covered in Grey Tweed Miracle Fabric; with maroon plastic trim. The rotating handle, an exclusive Motorola design,
Western Fluorescent Light Co., est. 1950
Museum Artifacts: Chelsea Hotel “Fire Escape” Lighted Sign and Lighted “Exit” Sign, c. 1950s
Made By: Western Fluorescent Light Co., 3242-4 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Exit Sign by Western Fluorescent Light Co., 1950s
Western Fluorescent Light Co., 3242-4 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Excel Projector Corp., est. 1933
Museum Artifact: Excel Film Projector, c. 1940s
Made By: Excel Projector Corp. / Excel Movie Products Inc., 4234 Drummond Place, Chicago, IL
From the late 1930s to the early 1950s—in that pop cultural gap between the height of the movie palace era and the birth of television—film projectors emerged as the first great visual medium for home entertainment. Along with the ever-present Kodak, several Chicago companies became key suppliers in this new home movie industry,
Sterling Electric Heater by Chicago Electric MFG Co., c. 1940s
Chicago Electric MFG, Co., 6333 W. 65th Street., Chicago, IL
This impressive looking mid-century coil space heater is one of two items in our collection made by the Chicago Electric Manufacturing Company. You can read the full epic tale of Chicago Electric and its most famous president, Errett Lobban Cord, on our page for the heat lamp’s summertime sister, the Sterling Desk Fan.
Read the Full Company History of the Chicago Electric MFG Co.
Western Electric Co., est. 1869
Museum Artifact: Western Electric Model 500 Phone, 1960
Made By: Western Electric Co., Hawthorne Works, 22nd St. and Cicero Ave, Cicero, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.