|
|
||
| Viz radios were made by the
Molded Insulation Company, of Philadelphia circa 1947. They appear
to have used only one cabinet style, but they were made in a bewildering
array of marbleized colors, some quite bizarre, as well as solid white
and red, and usually with knobs in contrasting colors. One radio
book shows the model number as RS-1, though I have never seen one with a
model number on it.
The name plates on these radios was nothing more than thin pieces of metal bearing the name. At each end were fold-over tabs which fit through slits in the cabinet, making it a simple task personalize the radio for a particular reseller. Generally, this radio is seen with the Viz, Cavalcade, Modern, or Lafayette names on it, though there are surely others. One example shown here had been given away as a carnival game prize. The winner's name was crudely engraved on a piece of copper sheet that was applied in place of the normal name plate. This radio had originally been an odd shade of purple, but the color has faded on all but the bottom surface. The volume control knob has been replaced by one that wasn't quite a match. There were several chassis used in these sets, though all that I have seen have been 5-tube superhet circuits. Most sets had cardboard backs, but the red cabinets seem to have had red plastic backs, for some reason. The cabinets were made of a soft plastic of unknown type which tended to make them less crack prone (though not immune), but they also tended to melt as a result of tube heat. The tubes were in a straight line across the back, with the hottest ones in the center. So, they are most often melted along the back edge, in the center. Viz also made small coin banks that looked like miniature versions of the radios, in the same color combinations. These seem always to be marked only with the Viz name, and have tiny knobs that actually turn. |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
