JI Fuiul~~A\IL Uol.5 No
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Clll2~ ()fflclal JI fUIUl~~A\IL Uol.5 No. 2 June 1980 Cti~ ()fflclal JI ~u1u 112~A\ IL Uol.5 No.2 June 1980 THE SOCIETY: The California His CONTENTS torical Radio Society is a non-profit corporations chartered, in 197 4, to promote the restoration and preserva tion of early radio and radio broadcas History of the Rola Company ....... 3 ting. CHRS provides a medium for members to exchange information on Tube Column . ...... ... .. ..... 7 the history of radio, particularly in the west, with emphasis in areas such Spotlight Collector .. ........ .•. ... 10 as collecting, cataloging and restora tion of equipment , literature and pro Marconi 106D Receiver ... ....... 12 grams. Regular swap meets are sche duled at least four times a year, in Servicing shortcuts .......... .. 13 the San Jose area. Foothill Museum . .... .. .. ..... 14 Mt. Vernon Museum .......... ... 18 Novelty Nook .. ..... ......... 20 President : Norman B erge Secretary : Charles Byrnes Treasurer: Frank Livermore Legal Counsel: Eugene Rippen Contents © 1979, CHRS, Inc. Publisher & Printer: Don Stoll Journal Editor: Allan B ryant Dr. Charles D . Herrold Award: T ec hnical Editor: Floyd Paul Bruce Kelley ( 1978) Tube Editor: Russ Winenow Joe Horvath ( 1979) Publications Editor: Dave B rodie Bob Herbig ( 1980) Spotlight Editor: Edward Sage Honorary Lifetime Member: Photography: George Durfey Paul Courtland Smith ( 1978) Circulation Manager: Larry LaDuc The OFFICIAL JOURNAL of CHRS is CHRS Official Journal is published published quarterly and furnished free by California Historical Radio Society to all members. The first issue ( pub Box 1147, Mountain View, CA 94040. lished in September 1975 ) is still avail Address membership correspondence able ( $ . 00) , other early issues are to Ed Sage, Membership Chairman, $ . 00 each. Articles for the Journal 1781 Helane Ct., Benicia, California are solicited from all members. Ap 94510. Articles and non-commercial propriate subjects include restoration ads for the Journal should be submit hints, information on early radio broad ted to Allan Bryant, Editor, 38262 casts and personalities, anecdotes a Ballard Drive, Fremont, CA 94536 . bout the pioneers , etc. Anyone inter Historical data for copying or donation ested in assisting in producing the should also be sent to the Editor. Journal should contact the Editor. Our Boy's Wireless By Mary Barton Smith Submitted by "Sparky" Vinson our boy has made a wireless, And when we put the aerial up I tell you I am glad, I froze my self 'most blue, The thing is done and all set up : But I had helped him all along For sometimes I got mad, And I had to see it thru . He talked about it all the time, Some people passing in t h e street morning, noon and night-- Wondered what it could be, The dining room was upside down, Professor Budin stopt and asked: The rug was out of sight . "Is kitty up the tree?" There was saw-dust on the table But now it's done and all set up And shav ings on the floor, And we can hardly think. I didn't g et to sweep the room It's--"Hush! be still! I hear it buzz! For three whole days or mo re It's Arlington I think. " He'd plane and hammer, saw and file, Then d~d, he looks at me and g rins, And scatter things about, - - You know we dassn't talk-- Then h e'd make a break for school and- And then we just float out the room, "Don't touch things," he'd shout. --You know we dassn't walk- - He'd prowl around and fret and hunt Oh Pshaw! we ' re just plumb proud of him, For things he couldn't find . We don 't care for the muss, And then he' d g et a spool of wire We want to keep him young in heart and wind and wind and wind . And always loving us. I think he wound a thousand miles- I'll send a wireless each day --Of course I can't be sure-- To our great God above; I know I held the spool for him 11 0 , always keep him sweet and pure- Until my arms were sore. Protect him with Thy love." He mussed up kettles, pots and pans Radi o News, August, 1920 To melt the paraffin; He even got some in the grease, This Picture first I had t o cook things in. appeared nn the f r ont He used up all of his dad's ink- cover of the A.W . A. 0.1.R. He took a china cup-- for December 1979. We To mix t he mixins in he used, are g rateful t o A. W. A. and To stain the thing all up. Bruce Kelley for permission to use the photo. 1 ONLY ROLA combines these three essential qualities in a single loud speaker. Volume without chatter, without discord, fo r dancing or outdoor reproduction. 'To11e-~alitymus icallysuperb-arcainable only by Rola's unmatched fre<juency range. SeruitiYity surpassing even the most sensi tive headsets. The new and wonderful Rola Re*Crearor is truly the " 3·Essential " Reproducer. A trial, on your own radio set, will prove a revelation. See your dealer. 00 Price complete with 14-inch horn and cord, $36 Phonograph Unit with adaptor . $zz5.0 cA Product of THE ROLA COMPANY SEATTLE, WASHINGTON · USA /oebm: Foe sales 1nfonn.1.txm Witt 8.o.XD-SMn'H CoJ.U>A."<T. G I! Building, S.n Fnncun;•. N.n-1 ~(a Rff'•nnit4/'1Ya. {imtlnr.m · Pleau wnd complete info.mauon n guding the nrw Ro!.. Rc•Uenor. ?{amt·- --------- Strut. Ci:y ______________ _ fJdy dtaleT's nt:mc 2 I~ r=eatur-e ~I THE HISTORY OF THE ROLA A few months later, speci COMPANY (1923-1980) fically , June 7, 1923, the By business was suddenly con verted into a corporation Charles A. Perry WBCEM** due to the fact that a per and Floyd A. Paul W6THU sonal creditor of Ben Eng holm levied an attachment on the business for a very The Rola Company, one of the minor claim. oldest loudspeaker manufac turing companies in exis The business made slow pro tence, made a humble begin gress, largely for want of ning in the Spring of 1923. capital and experience, Ben Engholm, working in the until the occurance of a back room of a radio store somewhat successful fire- on the second floor of a which resulted in the under building in Seattle, Wash writers over-estimating the ington; decided one day that damage to a second-hand the reproduction of sound lathe and two drill presses, from early radios could be which constituted the total substantially improved by plant equipment. It seems utilizing a device that that directly under their would provide a listener operation was a drug com with a wider range than pany that was involved in what was available with the re-cooking denatured alcohol early head sets and basic and their still blew up! speaker designs of that The insurance company paid day. Ben went to work and them $400 for the damage, came up with a new design. and this was what got Rola Details of this desig n are Company moving , and it has not known specifically, but been moving ev er since. it is known that he took and demonstrated a working model The name "Rola" has no spe at home before a number of cific meaning. It is not his friends . Present at the name of a person, it is this time was a well-to-do not the name of a location, man who listened to it, and nor is it the name of any said, "I want one of those, particular process. The how much will it cost me?" name was arrived at by Ben thought, rather quickly, successiv ely trying various and said "$50". The man by-syllable combinations, said, "Go to work" . In with L A as the second syl order to further this par lable. This was done be ticular endeavor, Ben en cause of the wide-spread listed the aid of a second use o f this syllable as a gentleman by the name of suffix to trade names of Henry Tenny. A partnership musical devices . The fact was f ormed with initial that the word Victrola in capital of $200 . 00, which cludes Rola is pure was supplied by Henry Tenny. coincidence. **Vice President, Engineering, Ro la Company Continued on Page 4 3 The Rola Company continued owned subsid iary of the in Seattle, Washington, Muter Company . until May 16, 1925, when it mov ed to Oakland, California Rola continued to be opera and was incorporated in the ted as a subsidiary until State of California on the approximately 1971, when Les 12th of Ma y , 1925. The Muter died and the property Rola Company of Seattle was settlement involed selling continued as an entity until the Muter Company to a firm J uly 1, 1931 when the at that time engaged in el Seattle connection was ectrical distribution work, dissolv ed. by the name of Potter-Engle wood. A new name was formed In the early days of 1927, for the corporation at this management came East to find time and it became known as a location f or the business Pemcor, Inc. The word Pem which would be closer to the cor is an acronym standing heart of the radio industry. for Potter-Englewood-Muter Sites were considered in Corporation~ The company Chicago, Detroit, Clev eland, continued to grow through and New York. A decision this period and became high was made, electing the site l y successful in the speaker in Cleveland, Ohio.