Posted 9 years ago
michaelr.g.1
(30 items)
I purchased this stunning radio cabinet at an antique store in Morton Illinois around 1993. It appears to have been refinished some time ago as the varnish had already turned yellow and cracked when I got it. At the time of its manufacture dark furniture was all the rage so this white oak? version was probably rare. Unfortunately, somebody had already removed the radio and the cabinet has no identifying marks. I still use it for keeping my stereo in, but wondering what it originally looked like and if it is possible to restore the radio. Can anyone tell me the name of this cabinet and the radio that originally went in inside it ???
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UPDATE: Apparently this radio cabinet was made between 1930 and 33 by the Rockford Peerless Furniture Company, of Rockford IL, which was an upper end cabinet maker catering to high end radio manufacturers. Three rivals in the early 1930's, McMurdo Silver Corporation, E.H Scott Radio Laboratories, & Lincoln Radio Corporation, in most cases used the same Rockford cabinet makers to install their radios inside. McMurdo Silver had the cabinet made for his Masterpiece 1 radio, and called it the "Sheraton Combination" (radio inside the cabinet and record player in the drawer). Scott coined the cabinet name, "Orleans" in his collection, which contained AC 10, AW 12 Dual & single dial sets. Lincoln offered the cabinet as the 4001 "Jacobean" which housed his "Deluxe 10" radio inside.
Their is some debate as to the possibility that a RCA Radiola 60 floor model was installed in this cabinet (different control mounting from that of tabletop 60 model)
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Now I am LOOKING for somebody with a damaged cabinet who is willing to sell me the Radio, speaker, amp and weighted door opening hardware so I can restore mine ???...If you have a completely original cabinet I am also interested in obtaining a set of inside & out pictures to help restore mine....or if you just have one of the above mentioned radios please get in touch with me.
GRILL...My cabinet was gutted out so I can not provide any interior pictures. The factory offered two different speaker grills so different radios could be installed, either on its upper shelf or bottom of the cabinet. The top mounted speaker systems, with corresponding arched grill, are the most common in this radio cabinet. This sort of configuration contradicts the usual radio cabinet setup that place the radio on top. The reasoning being the operator didn't have to bend over as much to tune in channels, and quite often the top would be hinged so it could be opened for observing the unit in operation, cooling purposes and radio maintenance. I have a reasonable facsimiles of the speaker grill that resembles a flower? (see pic), but I am also interested in obtaining the pattern for the bottom mount speaker grill that resembles a vine wrapped in a Celtic Knot type of design. Since I have not cut out my grill, if somebody converts my drawing to PDF or has the pattern for the bottom Celtic speaker grill please contact me. FYI- The black dots on my drawing indicate drill hole locations for inserting a scroll saw to cut out design.
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REFERENCES: Lincoln Radio Links I used as my primary source of information.
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http://pacifichydrologic.com/?q=content/lincoln-radio-cabinets
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http://pacifichydrologic.com/?q=content/lincoln-radio-corporation
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Thanks for your time
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Attention up-cycle, recycle people....STOP gutting radios to make whine racks, storage container, record cabinets, CD holders, etc........ Keywords, Mcmurdo Silver's Masterpiece I, II (1933), III (1934), IV (1935), V (1936), and VI (1937), scalloped arch design, McMurdo Silver's Masterpiece Receivers 1933-1937, E.H Scott AC AW 12, MP, Brass, nickel, chrome, vacuum tubes, tube, veneer, amp, hardwood, cabinetry, cabinet, box, antenna, vintage, antique, primitive, classic, test, repair, rebuild, recondition, strip, restore, refinish, plate, dial, speaker, speakers, cone, test, tombstone, face plate, dash, shelf, mount, turn table, plug in, wire, flood water damage damaged cabinet, etc...
I don't know anything about the radio, but I do love the cabinet.
The light wood color, makes me believe that it has been refinished, but it appears to be a great job.
What do you use the cabinet for?
scott
It's a magnificent cabinet. If it were mine and the circumstances were as you describe, I think it would be nigh on impossible to know what radio it contained.
Hello Michael,
Your cabinet is a very rare early 1930s cabinet named the "Orleans"
made exclusively for E. H. Scott in Rockford , IL. Yours is made of White Oak.
Google.... E H Scott "Orleans" cabinet..... for some images of the originals:
Yours is very nice,.. Most , and maybe all of the original equipment is still around.
Take care,
Kenneth Richmond
Richmond Designs Inc
richmonddesignsinc.com
THANKS for all the great info Kenneth !...You Rock