Very Rare DeForest-Crosley Model 81, the "EARL" - a 1935 Table-Top Radio in Daniel Knechtel Cabinet, with all-original Spray-Shield Tubes
In a Nutshell
The extremely Rare DeForest-Crosley-Rogers-Majestic-Hazeltine-Knechtel "EARL" Radio offered here is Art-Deco at its Best, and with its Complete Set of Spray-Shield Tubes an Authentic Technical Witness of the Great Depression Era
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Introduction:
This radio is listed and pictured in the DeForest chronicles (ref.1 below) as a 1934 Model B8. It is the only reference, since the radio shown at radioattic.com as well as the one at radiomania.com, which is the same as in Mark Stein's 2003 Price Guide are all the very same radio. The one at radiomuseum.org (ref.2) is the one (serial 81-1616) I had restored and sold a few years ago and there is no other sign of the relatives: Rogers Majestic, "Madelaine", TEN-45 or TEN-51 (pict.30) . There are a handful RCA Victor and Stromberg Carlson radios
from 1934/35, that use a similar tube line-up, except that the 88M (a Rogers spray-shield tube), is substituted by a 6K7 or a 6D6. En passant I note, that the receiver, like the Northern Electric 55 (also for sale, pict.28) works with an intermediate frequency of 175 kHz (pict.29) instead of the usual 455 kHz, which was introduced not until 1938.
Finally I mention that the cabinet has been made by "Knechtel",
the renowned furniture manufacturer Daniel Knechtel (1843-1936) in
Hanover, Ontario, who died only one year after the radio was made, and
who was honoured with a plaque by the Ontario Heritage Foundation in
2003 (pict.27 and ref.4).
Additional information:
ref. 1: http://www.deforestradio.com/
ref. 2: http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/deforest_earl_ch_81.html
ref. 3: http://www.geocities.com/justradios/typeM.html
ref. 4: http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/page_attachments/Library/1/1106125_Daniel_Knechtel_ENG.pdf
For techies and historians only:
The various writings on this radio combine the names of 4 radio pioneers and one famous furniture maker:
Edward Samuel ("Ted") Rogers (1900-1939):
kid telegrapher, invented the first A/C tube, in 1925 established
"Canada's First Rogers Batteryless" (CFRB) both, as a radio factory and
a broadcast station and in 1928 the Rogers-Majestic Corporation, in
1934 acquired Consolidated Industries, which built DeForest-Crosley
Radios in Canada, in 1933 created the Spray-Shield Tube which
eliminated the need for protective tube cans, and conducted the first
public demonstration of television in Toronto, died much too early.
Lee de Forest (1873-1961):
"father of radio" and "grandfather of television", invented the Audion
tube in 1906,
in 1934 established Lee de Forest, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., supported
for Nobel Prize for Physics, in 1959 received an honorary Oscar
instead, owned 180 patents, but needed Edwin Armstrong to understand
and David Sarnoff to commercialize them, married 4 times.
Powel Crosley (1886-1961):
together with business savvy brother Lewis made money with gadgets, and
from 1921 on with radios, after his son wanted one, by 1924 became
world's largest radio manufacturer, participated in fishing
tournaments, owned Nikassi Island in Canada and Bull Island off the
coast of South Carolina, and many houses.
Louis Alan Hazeltine (1886–1964):
American electrical engineer and physicist, invented the neutrodyne
circuit, which made radio commercially possible, in 1924 formed the
Hazeltine Corporation, which by 1927 had produced 10 million neutrodyne
radio receivers, in 1933 returned to his alma mater Stevens Institute
of Technology, Hoboken New York as professor of physical mathematics.
Daniel Knechtel (1843-1936):
started with 21 to work as a carpenter in Hanover, Ontario, in 1866
together with brother Peter made furniture by hand for newly arrived
fellow German settlers, in 1868 bought a sawmill, in the late 1890’s
established factories, sawmills and warehouses in Southampton,
Walkerton and Winnipeg, which were again closed in the mid 30's during
the Great Depression, which also caused production of small furniture
like radio cabinets. Knechtel was honoured in 2003 by the Ontario
Heritage Foundation with a plaque (pict.27).
About my radio:
The radio is in excellent
condition with no chips, cracks or veneer damages, and only a few
unoffending paint defects here and there, which were by far too minor
to motivate refinishing the whole cabinet. A former owner had added a handle to the 22 pounds heavy radio, which I removed, followed by refinishing just the top. The original knobs are in very good
condition, and the two dials have been touched up, after paint was
starting to rub off from the celluloid covers from using fingers. The
dials have been covered with a transparent cover to protect them for
the future. The radio works great with full volume
and tone control, as soon as a long wire is connected to the
antenna input. All moveable
parts were treated with contact spray. Please
e-mail
me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.
Here are the specifications:
Technical Description of Item |
| Manufacturer |
Rogers-Majestic Corp., Toronto, for DeForest Crosley Ltd. |
| Model |
81, the "EARL" |
| Serial Number |
81-1317 |
| Production Year |
1934/35 |
| Cabinet |
Wood with faux veneers, made by Knechtel Furniture Co. Ltd. Hanover, On |
| Dial |
2 celluloid dials for tuning and volume |
| Knobs |
3 original bakelite knobs |
| Frequency range |
BC: 550-1700kHz |
| Controls |
Tuning, volume, on/off - tone (on right side) |
| Tube lineup |
6A7M(mod.osc.), 88M(IF), 6B7M(AF det.), 41M(AF), all spray-shield, 80(rect.) |
| Size (WxDxH) |
13" x 8" x 10" |
| Weight |
10 kg = 22 pounds |
| Comment |
Working 1935 DeForest-Crosley radio with original spray-shield tubes in Knechtel cabinet |
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