May 1941. "Diamaxion [Dymaxion] house, metal, adapted corn bin, built by Butler Brothers, Kansas City. Designed and promoted by R. Buckminister Fuller." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.

My Grandfather would read the news of the day, then make comments about the news on a reel to reel tape recorder under the bed. I believe my uncle still has the tapes. The photo on the far wall is of my great Grandmother Lile. Fort Worth Texas. View full size.

1948, Ste-Anne-de-la-Perade, Quebec. Is it a car, a Plane? No, it's a snowmobile! View full size.

Washington, D.C. December 19, 1922. "Rep. Vincent Morrison Brennan, Republican of Michigan, listening in on the proceedings of the House, with a receiving set." National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "George Parezo & Co., Ninth Street N.W." An electrical appliance store in the early years of that retail category (top sellers included irons, coffeepots, vacuums, table lamps and toasters), on the eve of the emergence of a new a mass communications medium. "Wireless" transmissions, at first mostly marine and military telegraphy, now included civilian audio broadcasts heard on crystal-set headphones. Before long loudspeakers connected to vacuum tube receivers entered the mainstream, and "radio" was born. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

I was watching Ken Burns' "Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio" tonight and remembered a radio catalog that had belonged to my late Uncle that was sent to me by my brother when my husband and I were trying to buy a radio station some years back. Uncle was a certified pack rat and I recall actually listening to one of these old beauties in one of his ancient little resort cabins "up at the lake" back in the 60's. I have no idea when Uncle bought said "resort", but it became our family's blue collar Hyannisport of sorts, replete and rustic with outhouses, kerosene lamps, hand pumps and fabulous antiques of all strokes---stuff that I assumed everyone experienced on their own vacations. I was still convinced of it into the 70's. Even the soap was old.

Sadly, Uncle (born 1913) quietly sold the crazy little place just to get by in his retirement and live in a trailer down in Florida before he died.

Scanned from a 15 cent Sears catalog with a radio timetable.