RCA Model 75X11 Bakelite Radio (1948)

You have to see this radio lit up to appreciate the dial's subtle effects. The pilot lamp shines from behind the brass cone, reflecting back onto the gold background, then reflecting again through the clear dial cover.

I bought this radio in a Minnesota junk shop. It was a complete basket case, with big spider-egg cases filling much of the space behind the dial cover. After lots of cleaning, polish, and patience, it came back to life.

The metal trim around the front of the radio is brass. RCA made a similar model painted with Oriental designs.