{"id":10898,"date":"2014-09-24T11:35:10","date_gmt":"2014-09-24T15:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=10898"},"modified":"2014-09-24T11:35:10","modified_gmt":"2014-09-24T15:35:10","slug":"1930s-refrigerator-had-built-in-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/1930s-refrigerator-had-built-in-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"1930s refrigerator had built-in radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to Andy Sennitt for sharing this fascinating piece of radio nostalgia<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"RefrigeratorRadio\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Gizmodo<\/a> columnist, Matt Novak, writes:<\/p>\n

Jesse Walker<\/a>, author of the book Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America<\/a><\/em>, pointed me to this rather novel invention from 1937 \u2014 the refrigerator-radio combination unit. This may seem like an odd marriage of tech, but it makes perfect sense when you realise that it in the 1930s it was becoming harder to sell new radios and much easier to sell new fridges.<\/p>\n

Despite the Great Depression, America saw an explosion of mechanical refrigerator ownership during the 1930s. In 1930, just 8 per cent of American households had a fridge. By the end of the decade, nearly half<\/a> of American homes had one.<\/p>\n

But the market for radios was pretty saturated in the late 1930s. Over 80 per cent of American households had a radio by the end of the decade. So radio set manufacturers tried to insert their products into new places that from the vantage point of the future, we can see didn\u2019t pan out (like refrigerators) and others that did (like cars).<\/p>\n

Continue reading on Gizmodo…<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to Andy Sennitt for sharing this fascinating piece of radio nostalgia: Gizmodo columnist, Matt Novak, writes: Jesse Walker, author of the book Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America, pointed me to this rather novel invention from 1937 \u2014 the refrigerator-radio combination unit. This may seem like an odd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,3,305,288,26],"tags":[3269,1324,4094,4081,3268],"class_list":["post-10898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-radio-history","category-radios","tag-fridge-radio","tag-gizmodo","tag-nostalgia","tag-radios","tag-refrigerator-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-2PM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37948,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/the-audimeter-a-1939-solution-for-measuring-radio-audiences\/","url_meta":{"origin":10898,"position":0},"title":"The Audimeter: A 1939 solution for measuring radio audiences","author":"Thomas","date":"May 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Gizmodo) [...]The February 1945 issue of Radio-Craft magazine included an article titled \u201cRadio Audience Meter\u201d which looked at the machine that was revolutionizing audience measurement. First installed in homes on a trial basis in 1939, the Audimeter was placed next to a family\u2019s existing radio. The article included photo\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Radio-Audience-Meter-1024x634.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Radio-Audience-Meter-1024x634.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Radio-Audience-Meter-1024x634.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4320,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/gizmodo-shortwave-radio-deserves-a-place-of-prominence-in-the-home-of-any-audiophile\/","url_meta":{"origin":10898,"position":1},"title":"Gizmodo: “shortwave radio deserves a place of prominence in the home of any audiophile”","author":"Thomas","date":"August 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Gizmodo) Classic turntables may get all the glamour, but the shortwave radio deserves a place of prominence in the home of any audiophile. For a stylish way to surf the airwaves, try this stunning late 1950s\u00a0Trans-World T-9, produced by Philco (that's the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company, for those who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Philco-300x168.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49864,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/bob-colegrove-on-the-joys-and-challenges-of-tuning-analog-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":10898,"position":2},"title":"Bob Colegrove on “The Joys and Challenges of Tuning Analog Radios”","author":"Thomas","date":"August 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, who recently shared this excellent article and has kindly allowed me to share it here in the the Post. Bob prefaced it by saying, \"Being a retired technical writer, I started the attached article some time ago for my own amusement, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14852,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/gizmodo-preppers-who-are-ready-for-next-solar-storm\/","url_meta":{"origin":10898,"position":3},"title":"Gizmodo: Preppers who are ready for next solar storm","author":"Thomas","date":"September 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to several SWLing Post readers who shared a link to\u00a0this post\u00a0on Gizmodo which focuses on preparations\u00a0for a major solar storm like the 1859 Carrington Event. Gizmodo\u00a0touches on several preparedness basics and specifically mentions tucking away a shortwave radio with your survival gear: Several preppers suggested keeping shortwave receivers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BC-348-Q-Dial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/BC-348-Q-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/BC-348-Q-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/BC-348-Q-Dial.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/BC-348-Q-Dial.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40186,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/1961-film-tuning-in-radio-sarawak\/","url_meta":{"origin":10898,"position":4},"title":"1961 Film: “Tuning In Radio Sarawak”","author":"Thomas","date":"October 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adid, who writes: Hi Thomas, I just watched this very interesting DX film about RADIO SARAWAK. It's a behind the scenes look at radio in the tropics, with great vintage gear. I don't think it was FM as it's was much expensive and coverage\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-16-at-07.18.06.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-16-at-07.18.06.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-16-at-07.18.06.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-16-at-07.18.06.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5455,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/video-r1155-radio-as-fitted-into-a-lancaster-bomber\/","url_meta":{"origin":10898,"position":5},"title":"Video: R1155 Radio as fitted into a Lancaster Bomber","author":"Thomas","date":"January 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"If you like military radios as much as I do, you'll love this video of Andy's (GW0JXM) R1155 WWII era military HF receiver: Hat tip to my good friend, Mike, for sending this video!","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10898\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}