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| The radios
shown here exemplify a series of radios sold under the Silvertone name
circa 1936. There are a number of variations, and a corresponding
variety of model numbers. They were called the election model, in
recognition of the 1936 Presidential race. These radios were made
for Sears by the Colonial Radio Corp. of Buffalo, NY.
These sets were housed in Bakelite or Plaskon cabinets which were unusual in that the rear of the set was nearly identical to the front, lacking only the knobs and the decorative grill cloth. Most sets of the day left the tubes and chassis exposed, or covered by an unsightly cardboard panel. With the introduction of this set, the radio was no longer a wallflower, but emerged as a bold statement in the streamlined, moderne home of the 1930's. As radios, however, they were technologically dated, and their performance is only mediocre. |
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| These
radios are common in black Bakelite, and are somewhat less so in white
Plaskon. There were also versions with four pushbuttons for preset
tuning which are quite unattractive. In any other color, however,
these radios are exceedingly rare and very much sought after. The
cabinet was designed by Clarance Karstadt, who also designed the
Silvertone Rocket.
The white example is a model 4502 (the black knob is incorrect), but the model number on the red radio is unknown. |
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