TubeRadioLand:Home > Others > Crosley 179
entitled "The Land of Far Beyond"
by Enid Blyton (Methuen, 1942), is
long gone, but recently I located a
site on the net featuring the
book.
It is complete with the aforemen-
tioned illustration, showing "
The
City of Happiness". Undoubtedly,
there had been some morphing of
the image in my mind during the
intervening years, but the assoc-
iations between it and this radio
shone through brightly!

Examples of similar "shining city"
themes in the literature include
Crosley 179 Art Deco "Dual Seventy" Tombstone Radio (1934)
Crosley Model 179 'Dual Seventy' (1934)
Crosley Model 179 'Dual Seventy' (1934)
Crosley Model 179 'Dual Seventy' (1934)
Crosley Model 179 'Dual Seventy' (1934) rear view
The Crosley model 179 tombstone radio was one of 13 new
sets introduced in January of 1934 at Crosley's annual sales
convention held in Cincinnati. The sets, referred to as "Ultra
Moderne" by Crosley, rounded out the company's 1934 line
announced previously in 1933. The model 179 is unquestion-
ably among the finest of Crosley's creations. It features ex-
quisite book-matched golden veneers of Nyssa wood, with
ebony contrasts and fluted silver embellishments. The cab-
inetwork mirrors the finest architectural elements of its day
and is for sure Art Deco at its best!

From the first moment I saw a photograph of this radio, it has
inspired the impression of a shining city upon a hill, an assoc-
iation I realize traces back to an illustration I saw in a story-
book during the 1960s as a young child.  My copy of the book,
Newspaper ad from March 1934
The "dual seventy" model 179 is a two band 7-tube receiver
covering standard broadcast from 540-1700kc and police/
amateur/aviation bands from 1645-4300kc. The tube line-up
is 58 (RF amp), 58 (mixer/LO), 58 (IF amp), 56 (2nd detector/
AVC), 56 (AF amp), 2A5 (AF output) and 80 (rectifier). The
schematic is available
here, courtesy of NostalgiaAir.

The chassis of my receiver is shown in the photo immediately
above. It is missing the multi-tube shield that should be
attached to the rear.
..you will be surprised what far away stations you'll get on your Crosley.
the "Emerald City" in Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizzard
of Oz (published in 1900) and the "Celestial City" in John Bun-  
yan's "
Pilgrim's Progress" (first published in 1678).
"Designed to appeal specifically to those who appreciate
and admire the daring brilliancy of modern art"
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Shown to the right is a clipping
from the Jan 26th 1934 edition    
of the San Antonio Light, desc-
ribing the introduction of the
Crosley Ultra-Moderne Models
earlier that month.
continued in next
column..
"created for a definite market, a market that
insists upon brilliancy and boldness as well as good
taste"
                                    Powell Crosley Jr.
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