Pocket Transistor Radios #0066

The collector: Michael Jack, Recording engineer /music producter, Ontario, Canada.

The collection: I primarily collect pocket transistor radios dating from the mid 1950’s to the early 60’s that were made in Japan and the U.S. I also collect tube radios circa 1930’s, 40’s & 50’s.

80% of my collection consists of pocket transistor radios.  I have a small amount of early 1920’s sets and some “modern” radios (1970’s & 80’s) as well.

The story behind the collection...

I bought my first vintage radio at an antique auction. I was attracted to it’s art deco appearance and thought it would be a nice display piece. A month or so later I encountered another radio and thought that two radios on the shelf would be even better.

Before I knew it I had three radios, then four, five and so on. I began to research all aspects of radio and decided to build a collection that would represent the entire evolution of the technology.  Transistor radios are most important to me. I am intrigued by their influence on youth culture, rock and roll music and Top 40 broadcasting.

I have always been interested in history, especially anything to do with the 20th Century. That 100 year period saw enormous social and technological change which dramatically changed how we live and communicate. I am fascinated with the impact radio had on our culture. On a more superficial level I love the designs - from the art deco influence of the 1930’s through to the “atomic age” optimism of the 1950’s and 60’s.  Cabinet design was an art form. Lastly, I enjoy listening to them. Hearing old time radio shows, big band music or classic rock hits from the 50’s on an old AM radio (in mono) is the closest thing to time travel as one can get.I have been collecting for just over 12 years and presently have over 1100 radios in my collection.

I suppose my collection reveals many things about me. Firstly, it reveals my appreciation of the past and social/design/technological history. I suppose that since music is my passion and career there is a strong connection between that and collecting radios.

Also I think all collectors share a certain “obsessive” quest to acquire the next great find and lastly - to quote Moses Znaimer (a television pioneer from Toronto, Ontario who has one of the finest TV museums in North America)

“Society turns into a culture when it shows an interest in preserving its past. In the personality of an individual collector, such an impulse to gather, preserve, understand and pass along can be highly developed.”

A large part of my collection is displayed in my home office and I also have several hundred radios on shelves in my home recording studio. (I spend a great deal of time in both of those rooms thus I am able to view and enjoy the radios often)  There is no point in collecting if everything ends up in boxes or hidden away from view.

My most prized/rarest radios are displayed on an antique barrister’s bookcase. They are protected by panes of glass. It is fortunate that the majority of the radios are “pocket-sized” as they do not take up much space.

I am fortunate to have many historically significant radios such as the world’s first transistor radio, the Regency TR-1 circa 1954-55 (I have several examples in various colours).

I also have an incredibly rare Sony TR-5 which is a slight redesign of Sony’s very first transistor radio. (there are only about 10 known examples in the hand’s of collectors). At that time Sony was used as a brand name only, the company was actually called Tokyo Tshusin Kogyo. It was the success of their TR-63 (I have all four variants of that radio) which was one of the reasons that the company’s corporate name was officially changed to SONY.

Links

Michael's collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/transistor_radios

A friend and fellow collector in Japan. "Alan is one of the most knowledgeable collectors in the world." "http://tabiwallah.com/radiowallah/

 All images © Michael Jack and used with his kind permission.