FAQ
Walter Dorwin Teague (American, 1883–1960). "Sparton" Table Radio, circa 1933. Sparks-Withington Co. Jackson, Michigan. Glass, metal, wood, rubber, 8 3/4 x 17 1/2 x 8 3/8 in. (22.2 x 44.5 x 21.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by the Walter Foundation, 83.158
The first radio station, KDKA of Pittsburgh, was established in 1920, and by 1925 there were 571 stations in the United States and more than 2.75 million radios had been sold. This radio exhibits the simple, bold, rounded forms of the streamlined style that characterized much American design of the 1930s and implies the idea of motion and aerodynamics even in stationary objects. Walter Dorwin Teague was originally trained as a graphic designer, but after a successful stint as a freelance designer for Eastman Kodak cameras, he became one of the most renowned industrial, or product, designers in this country.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum