I'm assuming his shoes are shined.

The eyeglass frame he is wearing has come back in style since about 2000.

Our gent appears to have a backup tie handy, presumably dangling from the curtain rod (perhaps a branch, just to stay with the outdoor theme). It's also hard not to notice that the lamp wiring isn't exactly up to code. Roughing it!

Truthfully, I think he looks like Harry S. Truman.

Would that be Tweedy Pie?

is a Universal Velocity Microphone model M4 from the 1930s.

What are you wearing?

That suit says nothing but "suffer."

I have a five-note set of those Deagan chimes seen on the wall just above the ham's noggin. Mine were used in a railroad dining car to announce dinner. The NBC bing, boing, bong (I think that's right?) was presumably the notes G, E, C for the owner at the time, General Electric Company.

for his call letters? Like the "G, E, C" tones for NBC?

I'm loving the chimes on the wall above the operator. Can anybody comment on why they are there? Did ham radio operators have their individual call chimes as well as call signs?

I saw the chimes and immediately heard the NBC sounds - G, E, C.

I see the chimes on his wall. I wonder if he had his own signature three-tone sign-on or sign-off like NBC back in the day.

I wonder if this was his man-shed with the woodsy trim. Also somewhat unbelievably, the Stancor transformer company is still around.

This gentleman appears to be operating a Hummarlund Super Pro, which debuted in 1936. They finally gave up the ghost in 1973, winning the distinction as the oldest radio equipment company. However, Stancor (manufacturers of transformers and that fancy calendar) is still around today.

Or am I wrong?

[I thought *exactly the same thing* -- it's Gus Fring! - Dave]

So many things to note in this photo. 1937 call book (sort of a phonebook for Hams), the open splice on the overhead lamp cord, back issues of QST magazine -- still an ARRL publication today.

The Hammarlund Receiver Super-Pro is still sought after today. What's not seen in the picture is the operator's transmitter. I suspect it is a Pre-War "homebrew" rack mount to the left and out of frame. The equipment to the right of the receiver looks to be a speech amplifier or "modulator" -- a common modification to enable the use of "AM Phone" with a older "CW" (code) transmitter. The Stancor calendar is indication this Ham built his own equipment, as was common.

-- Steve W1TAV

Not just the reception - or his suit - but the equipment itself: the set, the microphone base, whatever-it-is at his feet -- all seem to be coated in that faux hammered-finish paint (once very popular, for some reason, on electrical equipment) that inevitably got scratched, and was then nearly impossible to touch-up cleanly. And it usually got scratched when you tried to loosen some factory (over)tightened fastener, and the screwdriver would slip and go wild -- a subtle way to discourage DIY repairs, perhaps.