The return of the Philco Radio Gallery

[Ron Ramirez]

You will be glad to know that as I write this note to you, my FTP software is uploading a brand new Philco Radio Gallery

The new Gallery has a consistent format throughout, and also has larger pictures than before. I hope this will make it easier for you to identify any particular Philco model.

At present, it is complete through all of the prewar years, and also includes a 1946 page. Over the next several weeks, I hope to complete the Gallery through 1950. And then I will add later years as time allows.

As always, if you can furnish better photos of any Philco sets than shown in the Gallery, please contact me - I would be happy to use these. My goal is to make this Gallery, as well as my entire website, the best resource for Philco information and history on the Web.

Enjoy!

[denver]

Alirigt your out of sight .Going to collage and stress of getting married again, And working on the gallery.
More than i could handle .Going to purchase another radio be nice to see pics.
I have the model 111 highboy how many do you think their is left around .
I have looked alot dont see any except on your site .
Thanks a bushel & a peck.
Denver in wise VA.

[DeckApe]

Ron, I really appreciate that you have taken the time to replace and enhance your photo gallery. I've spent an hour or two marveling at the 1939-1942 sections of the catalog, with their art deco glory. And making a mental checklist of units I'd like to own (40-150, anything with a Mystery Control... )

[Steve Chambers]

Wow! What a great resource. Thanks Ron!

Steve Chambers

[FStephenMasek]

I just discovered that it is back up while trying to help a guy identify a the Transitone he found. Excellent. The groupings are quite nice.

I will get you some photos as I finish radios. I've now got quite a few Philcos.

Two suggestions:

1) Photos of the chassis (top and bottom0, back, and so forth would be very helpful.

2) Later Philco model numbers include the year, but the radios for each year are split into two groups. Why not just combine them by year?

[Ron Ramirez]

Stephen

Thanks for your comments. I sincerely appreciate your offer to contribute photos, and I shall look forward to these.

Please allow me to address your suggestions:

Photos of the chassis.

Taking on this task would be prohibitively time-consuming for me. Not to mention the bandwidth required to host that many photos. Add to that the hard to find Philco sets where you're lucky to find a catalog illustration of the front of a set, let alone getting photos of the sides, back, chassis, etc. ...

In short: Sorry, but I am going to have to pass on this one. This is simply more work than I can do at present.

A comment on time: I'm in college full-time, and I've just spent six weeks rebuilding the Gallery in between classes. Just a little while ago I uploaded a page showing 1946 models which were never produced, and I posted a 1947 page last night. In the next few weeks I hope to put the 1948 pages back up, and then following that, 1949 and 1950. The rest will be posted as time allows. I have enough material in my files to put together pages through 1957 right now. Not complete, but enough for a representative sampling for 1951-1957.

Why not just combine them by year?

I chose to group the Philco sets in chronological order as they were introduced by Philco.

Philco did not introduce new sets at the same time. Normally, they introduced a new radio line each June, and then introduced a new line the following January. Sometimes they made variations from this schedule (August 1939 is one example). I felt it would be best to present the Philco models in the manner I have, to reflect how they were released by Philco.

[Uffda]

The new gallery is a nice improvement. I especially like the thumbnail grouping at the top of each page. And the larger pictures increase the "lust factor." Thanks, Ron.

[philco phan]

hi ron,i have a nice 660l if you need a picture[s] i can email them,it's over at the radio attic if you'd like to take a peek.
phil

[Ron Ramirez]

Pages are now up through 1948 (June 1947). I am now taking a break from it for awhile before adding more.

philco phan, check your PM. Thanks.

[Bill Cahill]

Interesting for me, I have original factory information on Philco kitchen ranges, refrigerators, and, washing machines. Not repair mannuals, but, information sheets giving specs.
I didn't even know Philco made any appliances. They must have not sold very well. Ahy opinions on this?
Bill Cahill

[Ron Ramirez]

Actually Philco did well with appliances. I don't have any facts or figures handy, but they entered the "white goods" market with the Philco-York air conditioner in June 1938. They began selling refrigerators the following year. Then after the war came ranges, freezers, washing machines...

It was diversifying into so many sidelines that eventually killed the company, and forced the takeover by Ford in 1961.

[Bill Cahill]

Thanks, Ron. By the way. I looked for the link to the photo gallery, and, couldn't find it. Where is it?
Thanks.
Bill Cahill

[Ron Ramirez]

http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/index.htm

Or just go to my site's home page:

http://www.philcoradio.com/

and click the GALLERY link in the left side navigation bar.

[Bill Cahill]

hmmm. Also, didn't the predicta help kill them?
That was the biggest belly flop ever!
It was a very troublesome tv, and, the models with the umbelicol cord going to the picture tube were very troublesome. Arcing was a big problem with that cable, and, there were a number of electrical house fires caused when people were following Philco's suggestion of puting the 25' cable under their carpets.
I'd like to find out more about the Predicta debacle.
Sadly, in the early days, Philco made alot of good stuff.
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

Interesting. Outside of certain models, such as the hippo, and, the 1201 series, and, a few transitones, I see almost no earlier consoles. Looks like the 1946 line produced some really nice console combinations.
Bill Cahill