Pre war Radio Adverts. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

slidertogrid · 6th Dec 2021, 6:32 pm

I recently cleared out a load of old 'Picture Post' Magazines. Some were really rough with missing covers and pages so I have been recycling them as packaging. I found these interesting adverts. I thought I would post them on here. There is also one for a pre war TV which I have posted on the Television forum.
Rich

slidertogrid · 6th Dec 2021, 6:36 pm

A few more

G6Tanuki · 6th Dec 2021, 6:57 pm

Fasc-i-Nating!

In the early 20th-century the word "radio" was seen as a goldmine for advertisers; broadcast-radio was becoming a thing and 'radio-activity' was also in the news. Smart advertisers conveniently overlapped the two, leading to a whole range of disturbing products being shilled to the gullible.

"Radium Enemas" were apparently a big thing ih the early-1920s.

Radium-enriched cosmetics were also popular.

Alas the 1920s "Radium Girls" who stole the radium-based luminous-dial-paint they were using at work and used it to make their eyebroes/teeth/nails glow-in-the-dark suffered a horrible fate...

https://www.messynessychic.com/2015/...e-toothepaste/

kalee20 · 6th Dec 2021, 6:58 pm

Thank you! I'll be having a good look when beside my PC rather than iPhone!

kalee20 · 7th Dec 2021, 1:58 pm

Interesting to see the prices!

Radio Rentals, only 1/11d per week... I make that £4.98 per year (converted to decimal money).

The Ekco 'press button radio' from 10gns... £10.50.

So (neglecting breakdowns), payback is in a little over 2 years. You could throw away your radio and buy a new one every 3 years and you'd still be in pocket!

And the Plus-a-Gram - the first picture I've seen of one! - the claim is that every radio can be used with it... but surely not every radio had pick-up sockets? (Incidentally, was this not the company that went on to reinvent itself as Dansette?)

mister valve · 7th Dec 2021, 2:25 pm

Radio was the big thing in the twenties & thirties. It seems almost anything and everything was marketed with the word's Radio, Wireless or associated words, even Gramophone records :- "Edison Bell Radio", "Edison Bell Electron", "Broadcast" & "Broadcast Twelve" records. "Ess-O-Ess" Cigarettes. I'm sure there are many more, that I can't think of right now.

Although Television would eventually take over from Radio in popularity, it never seemed to enjoy the extraordinary popularity, almost 'hysteria', that radio had, in its infancy.

Ex Greeny · 7th Dec 2021, 8:41 pm

Apart from the satisfaction I get from renovating and repairing these vintage radios, I try to obtain copies of old adverts for the sets I have worked on.
Having recently completed an Ecko PBU179, it was very welcome to see an original advert for the self same set, here on the Forum, and this has now been added to my collection.
Many thanks indeed.

Alan.

Ex Greeny · 9th Dec 2021, 11:15 pm

further to my last post, if anyone has any old adverts for late 1930's Pye Radios, I would be interested in obtaining copies.

Alan.

6th Dec 2021, 6:32 pm	#1
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Pre war Radio Adverts. I recently cleared out a load of old 'Picture Post' Magazines. Some were really rough with missing covers and pages so I have been recycling them as packaging. I found these interesting adverts. I thought I would post them on here. There is also one for a pre war TV which I have posted on the Television forum. Rich Attached Thumbnails __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

6th Dec 2021, 6:36 pm	#2
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. A few more Attached Thumbnails __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

6th Dec 2021, 6:57 pm	#3
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,996	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. Fasc-i-Nating! In the early 20th-century the word "radio" was seen as a goldmine for advertisers; broadcast-radio was becoming a thing and 'radio-activity' was also in the news. Smart advertisers conveniently overlapped the two, leading to a whole range of disturbing products being shilled to the gullible. "Radium Enemas" were apparently a big thing ih the early-1920s. Radium-enriched cosmetics were also popular. Alas the 1920s "Radium Girls" who stole the radium-based luminous-dial-paint they were using at work and used it to make their eyebroes/teeth/nails glow-in-the-dark suffered a horrible fate... https://www.messynessychic.com/2015/...e-toothepaste/ Attached Thumbnails __________________ I'm the Operator of my Pocket Calculator. -Kraftwerk.

6th Dec 2021, 6:58 pm	#4
kalee20 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lynton, N. Devon, UK. Posts: 7,081	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. Thank you! I'll be having a good look when beside my PC rather than iPhone!

7th Dec 2021, 1:58 pm	#5
kalee20 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lynton, N. Devon, UK. Posts: 7,081	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. Interesting to see the prices! Radio Rentals, only 1/11d per week... I make that £4.98 per year (converted to decimal money). The Ekco 'press button radio' from 10gns... £10.50. So (neglecting breakdowns), payback is in a little over 2 years. You could throw away your radio and buy a new one every 3 years and you'd still be in pocket! And the Plus-a-Gram - the first picture I've seen of one! - the claim is that every radio can be used with it... but surely not every radio had pick-up sockets? (Incidentally, was this not the company that went on to reinvent itself as Dansette?)

7th Dec 2021, 2:25 pm	#6
mister valve Hexode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 311	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. Radio was the big thing in the twenties & thirties. It seems almost anything and everything was marketed with the word's Radio, Wireless or associated words, even Gramophone records :- "Edison Bell Radio", "Edison Bell Electron", "Broadcast" & "Broadcast Twelve" records. "Ess-O-Ess" Cigarettes. I'm sure there are many more, that I can't think of right now. Although Television would eventually take over from Radio in popularity, it never seemed to enjoy the extraordinary popularity, almost 'hysteria', that radio had, in its infancy. __________________ If you live, the chassis was dead; if you're dead, the chassis was live !!!!

7th Dec 2021, 8:41 pm	#7
Ex Greeny Tetrode Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, UK Posts: 65	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. Apart from the satisfaction I get from renovating and repairing these vintage radios, I try to obtain copies of old adverts for the sets I have worked on. Having recently completed an Ecko PBU179, it was very welcome to see an original advert for the self same set, here on the Forum, and this has now been added to my collection. Many thanks indeed. Alan.

9th Dec 2021, 11:15 pm	#8
Ex Greeny Tetrode Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, UK Posts: 65	Re: Pre war Radio Adverts. further to my last post, if anyone has any old adverts for late 1930's Pye Radios, I would be interested in obtaining copies. Alan.