Museum Artifact: Webster “Electronic Memory” Wire Recorder, Model 180-1, c. 1949
Made By: Webster-Chicago Corp., aka WebCor, 5622 W. Bloomingdale Ave., Chicago, IL
“The Electronic Memory is truly one of the most useful additions to the modern home. Not only does it afford the never-failing amusement of hearing one’s own voice or dramatic productions, but it is also invaluable for wire-recording outstanding programs and fine music from radio or record discs,
Museum Artifact: Big Beam No. 164 Sealed Beam Beacon Lamp and Big Beam No. 403 F Emergency Lamp, 1950s
Made By: U-C Lite MFG Co., 1050 W. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL
First of all, don’t call it a flashlight. This particular style of life-saving, portable illumination was known as a “hand lamp” (or “hand lantern”), and similar models are still being manufactured today—some of them by the very same company that produced the two mid-century artifacts in our museum collection.
Museum Artifact: Art-O-Lite Reflector Art Lamp, c. 1930s
Made By: American Reflector & Lighting Company, 100 South Jefferson St., Chicago, IL
“There are depths of feeling in every work of art that are lost to the beholder until they are revealed at their full worth with Art-O-Lite Reflectors.” —American Reflector & Lighting Company advertisement, 1923
For a business that spent roughly a century specializing in illumination,
Museum Artifacts: Rain King Model D Sprinkler, Sunbeam Mixmaster Junior, and Sunbeam Steam or Dry Iron, 1950s
Made By: Sunbeam Corp. / Chicago Flexible Shaft Co., 5600 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
“Whenever a Sunbeam appliance goes into a home, it isn’t long before others follow. That’s because Sunbeam appliances all give that extra measure of satisfaction that creates sincere enthusiasm and confidence.” —Sunbeam Mixmaster Junior instruction manual,
Museum Artifact: Cadet Bicycle Speedometer and Stewart-Warner Television + Stand, 1950s
Made By: Stewart-Warner Corp., 1826 W. Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL
“The ‘Cadet’ Bike Speedometer is not a toy! It’s a precision instrument, just like the one on your Dad’s car! It’s made by famous Stewart-Warner, the same company that has made millions of speedometers for cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles.” —Stewart-Warner advertisement,
Museum Artifact: “Swing Girl” Electronic Mantle Clock, c. 1950
Made By: MasterCrafters Clock & Radio Co., 216 N. Clinton St., Chicago, IL
The MastersCrafters Clock & Radio Company was a literal mom and pop shop through most of its 50 year existence—operated first by Ben Lerman and his wife Kate in the 1940s and ‘50s, then by their daughter Doris and her husband Bernard Ellman into the 1980s.
Museum Artifact: Shure 708A Stratoliner Crystal Microphone, 1940s
Made By: Shure Brothers, Inc., 225 West Huron Street, Chicago, IL
“We know very well that absolute perfection cannot be attained, but we will never stop striving for it.” —Sidney N. Shure, founder of Shure Brothers, Inc.
Introduced in 1940, the “Stratoliner” microphone in our museum collection finds the world famous Shure,
Museum Artifact: Industrial Signal Horn Siren, 1920s
Made By: Benjamin Electric MFG Co., 120-128 S. Sangamon St., Chicago, IL and Des Plaines, IL
“The clear, powerful tones of Benjamin Signals are preventing lost calls, lost time, and costly interruptions the country over. To the farthermost corners of the greatest plants they shout the call for attention, finding the wanted man wherever he may be.
Museum Artifact: Hallicrafters Model 5R34A Continental Radio, 1952
Made By: Hallicrafters Company, 4401 W. Fifth Ave., Chicago, IL
“For radio equipment that won’t be satisfied with the limits of the pre-war world, for radio that will go places and do things hitherto undreamed of and uncharted—look to Hallicrafters, builders of the radio man’s radio.”—Hallicrafters magazine advertisement, 1944
William J.
Museum Artifact: AMPRO Precision Projector, KS model, c. 1936
Made By: The Ampro Corporation., 2839-51 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL
“Everything that projection engineers could wish to achieve . . . everything that you movie-makers have felt should go into the ideal 16mm mechanism . . . everything you could possibly wish for, is combined in the AMPRO Precision Projector.” —advertisement in Movie Makers magazine,
Museum Artifact: Thordarson Amplifying Transformer, c. 1920s
Made By: Thordarson Electric Manufacturing Co., 500 W. Huron St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: SM-4 Power Fuse Refill Unit, 1960s
Made By: S&C Electric Co., 6601 N. Ridge Blvd., Chicago, IL
In 2012, shortly after Chicago’s S&C Electric Company marked its 100th anniversary, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) awarded the business special recognition for one of the “milestone” achievements in electrical engineering history—the 1909 invention of the liquid power fuse. During a special dedication ceremony at S&C’s Rogers Park headquarters,
Museum Artifact: Sun Volts-Ignition Tester + Sun 504 Distributor Tester Sign, c. 1960s
Made By: Sun Electric Corporation, 6323 N. Avondale Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Jensen Alnico Tweeters / Treble Speakers, 1962
Made By: Jensen Manufacturing Company, 6601 S. Laramie Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Admiral Deluxe Table Radio, 1955
Made by: Admiral Corp., 3800 West Cortland Street, Chicago, IL
“Here’s a radio you’ll get a tremendous thrill out of owning! So smart, with its golden-mesh metal grille and dial . . . so contrasting in choice of Ivory, Beige, Green or Mahogany cabinet colors. So low-priced for the performance it gives! This is the new radio you have been looking for!”
Museum Artifact: No. 45 “Hold Heet” Marcel Waver Curling Iron, c. 1920
Made By: Russell Electric Company, 340 W. Huron Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Bersted Electric Toaster No. 74, c. 1932
Made By: Bersted MFG Co., 5201 W. 65th St., Chicago, IL
The toaster of the future! The toaster for all times! The apex of toasterdom!
Looking like a miniaturized attraction from the “Century of Progress” World’s Fair, this majestic creation by Chicago’s Bersted MFG Company was actually a bargain basement brand for its day;
Museum Artifact: Monophone 1A – Desktop Rotary Telephone, c. 1930s
Made By: Automatic Electric Company, 1001 W. Van Buren St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifacts: Bell & Howell 8mm Magazine Movie Camera 172 (c. 1950), Filmo Auto Load 16mm Movie Camera (1940s), Filmosound 179 16mm Film Projector (1940s), Filmo Projector 57 Model GG (c. 1930s)
Made By: Bell & Howell Co., 1801 W. Larchmont Ave., Chicago, IL
“When you buy a roll of film, it is worth just what you pay for it, and no more.
Museum Artifact: Kellogg Redbar 1000 Series Masterphone, 1952
Made By: Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Co., 6650 S. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL
Widely promoted during the Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Company’s 50th anniversary in 1947, the 1000 Series “Redbar” Masterphone—like the one in our collection—is a bit of a postwar icon. It might not have the rich oak exterior of an early box phone or the brass shimmer of an old candlestick model,
Museum Artifact: Majestic Portable Radio 7P420 – “Mighty Monarch of the Air,” c. 1947
Made By: Majestic Radio & Television, 2600 W. 50th St., Chicago, IL and Elgin, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
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.
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,
