Portable Broadcast Receiver
- maker:
- Roberts Radio Limited
Roberts Portable broadcaster receiver. England, 1955.
Portable broadcaster receiver made by English brand Roberts founded in 1932 by Harry Roberts and Leslie Bidmead. Originally located in Soho, Central London, the small factory was the first British manufacturer of radios using an integrated circuit. During the first years, Roberts focused mainly on producing portable radio receivers for domestic use, however, during the war it shifted its location to Surrey and its production line to morse code tappers.
After the war, Roberts resumed their production of radios for domestic use and in 1955 they received a Royal Warrant from the Queen. The Roberts R55 radio broadcaster receiver was introduced in 1954. Built from wood and covered in a leather-like material the receiver has four valves and two wavebands covering both medium and long wavebands. The R55 is an example of the portability of radio receivers during the 1950s following the advent of the transistor and the miniaturisation of value receivers. This model was later replaced by the R66 launched in 1956. This model was battery and mains operated and came with a small plastic handle emphasizing its portability.
Details
- Category:
- Radio Communication
- Object Number:
- 1966-247
- Materials:
- plastic (unidentified) and metal (unknown)
- Measurements:
-
overall (handle down): 175 mm x 260 mm x 150 mm,
overall (handle raised): 230 mm x 260 mm x 150 mm, 2.3 kg
- type:
- radio
- credit:
- Gilbert, K.R.