Cabinet Style: Table, Portable Tube Count: 1 Circuit Type: Regenerative Power: Battery Bands: Broadcast Tube: WD11 Speaker Type: Headphones Original Cost: $69.00* *What cost $69.00 in 1921 would cost more than $800.00. today!
"This is KDKA, of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We shall now broadcast the election returns."
Thus began commercial radio, the purpose of which was to make money selling radios.
Click here to read The Old Radio Almanac of 1921
About The Radio
This is a radio that was present at the very beginning of the radio revolution. Experimental radio broadcasting and home built receivers had existed for many years but 1921 was the year that radio started down the road to commercial success. In November of 1920 Westinghouse began station KDKA, at least partly as a marketing tool to sell radios. In 1921 they marketed the first factory built radio, a crystal set called the Aeriola Jr.. Later that year the 1 tube Aeriola Sr. was introduced. These sets opened up radio to people who did not wish to build their own receivers.