Showing posts with label Marx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marx. Show all posts

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Between radios and TVs...there were combos

Combination TV/radio/phonographs were popular starting in the 1950's. Some units had only the radio/record player available, but as the popularity of television grew, many units had all three built into one cabinet. Here are some of the ones I am lucky enough to have in my doll houses....


The console on the left is a German music box that plays Kerzenwalzer, or Auld Lang Syne. On today's blog, http://diepuppenstubensammlerin.blogspot.com/ has a catalog picture of Bodo Hennig furniture showing this radio, so it's possible this is a Bodo Hennig product. On the right is a radio made by Lynnfield-Blockhouse during the late 1940's or early 1950's.


On the back row left is a Barton radio/phonograph console circa 1970's. Skipping the blonde model, the small dark plastic TV/radio unit was made by Plasco, 1948. The large dark plastic console on the end was made by Ideal for their Young Decorator series in 1951. Marx made the 2 red units, 3/4 and 1/2 scale, while the aqua console is Canadian Eagle. In front is a Lundby radio/phonograph.


In 1947, the Ideal Company produced and sold this dollhouse console as one of their specialty pieces.


The door on the left opens and the phonograph flips down; in the middle the TV flips up; and on the right the door opens to reveal the radio.


...and TVs for the younger set!

For you youngsters under 60 who never lived in a house without a TV, here are a few of the sets that furnish my little houses.....


All of these TVs are made of wood with stickers or plastic parts.
Back row from left, a 1970s TV from Hall's Lifetime Toys; white TV from Strombecker circa 1960; large cabinet TV made in Germany and imported by the toy store FAO Schwarz in 1966; this next TV came with Dol Toi furniture, but one very similar is shown in Marion Osborne's book, Barton's "Model Homes", circa 1959; last, unsure of maker but could be Barton or Dol Toi.

Front row on left also shown in Marion's book as being made by Barton 1970s; unknown maker on this TV, made of plastic with wood veneer strip casing.  UPDATE: Thanks to Sue Freebern who helped identify this last little TV as a Lundby product from 1960!

Marion has written 3 very informative dolls house books; in addition to the Barton book, she has Lines & Triang Dolls Houses and 1914-1941 A-Z of Dolls Houses. Information on purchasing these books can be found on the http://dollshousespastandpresent.webs.com magazine website.


I'm sure everyone recognizes the Lundby TV in the middle of the back row. The white TV on legs was made by Marx for their Little Hostess line. The tiny TV in front belongs to a 6" wide Japanese house that came free, room by room, with a soup/sauce mix.

Now to get all these little radios and TVs back into the right little houses.....