GE Model 429 Brown Plastic Radio (1950s)

You may have heard stories about "Grandma's radio." Well, this literally is my Grandma's radio. It belonged to my Dad's mother and it sat on top of her refrigerator during her later years. I know that my grandparents owned other radios over the years, but this is the only one that escaped the landfill.

Before she and my Grandpa retired from the farm, their radio sat on a little wooden knick-knack shelf, in the dining room just around the corner from the kitchen. In earlier years, that corner was where we would sit and help them wash eggs for market and put them in crates. In later years, after they got out of the egg business, that corner had a little rug where the dog slept.

To the right of the picture, you can see a little red-and-white sticker identifying this as a "Dial Beam" set. The pilot light shines through the translucent red backplate, directly behind the dial pointer. As you move the dial pointer, the light follows it. A cozy effect, especially in a darkened room.

This radio worked fine when I got it, and still does. Judging from the internals, it was repaired more than once in the past.

©1995-2023 Philip I. Nelson, all rights reserved