Not always do radio companies start as radio manufacturers. John K. Stewart & Clark Company in 1905 started producing speedometer for the Ford Motor Company (used in the model T). Since his business was automotive related, at that point, John Stewart joined Edgar Bassick in 1912 and expanded their product line to include vehicle horns. Stewart continued to expand their core business by acquiring the Warner Instrument Company. This conglomerate, combine their names to form a new company called: Stewart Warner Corporation. Realizing other expanding markets such as: radio; appliances, and other industrial products; Stewart Warner started producing these new products which grew into a 6 floor million square ft. facility in Chicago. It was the age of credit and consumerism in which this country experienced 8 years of unprecedented industrial growth after World War 1; this was known as the “Roaring Twenties”.

In addition to their illustrious success, this company was bought and sold several times thereafter when other companies acquire assets that Stewart Warner controls. Of course, the companies stop making tube radios but they are still in business today and owned by the Datcon Instrument Company.

I always marveled at the cabinet designs and those craftsmen who built these radios. Not only did they invent the cabinet designs, they also invented the machinery and the process to produce the designs; absolutely amazing. There is no question that the greatest furniture was created during the depression.These “craftsmen”, were immigrants who migrated from Europe to the UnitedStates. When they came to this country, they brought their trades and skills. During that time in history, labor was cheap and business was very competitive especially during the depression, therefore, companies put that extra work into radio furniture cabinet design to out do the other competing company. According historic records, a third of all furniture produced during the depression was radio furniture; this was a huge industry that kept the country going and it was one of the corner stones of manufacturing for the United States.

As a collector for 40 years, the most famous of all the Stewart Warner models they produced some very stylish radios such as the small Spade tabletop, 2 miniature tombstone, 5 different medium size tombstone, one large "S" grill tombstone and 2 smaller "S" grill tombstone radios.

Conditionis as follows:

    1)  Original knobs

2) Cabinet is in beautiful condition

3)  Grillcloth is original

4)  Original speaker

5)  Original tube shields with tube shield caps

6)  Chassis needs to be restored

7) Cabinet measures: 17 1/4" high x 13 3/4" wide 8 1/4" deep

Legal Caution:

This radio is for decoration only, if you should decide to use this radio; you use this radio at you own risk. This is an old electrical device that can short which was made of substandard parts and has no safety circuit protect. I will not be responsible for any damages, loss, material health injuries; legal fees, and environmental concerns for testing and disposal. It also should be noted that radio manufacturers use toxic and dangerous internal materials in the construction of this radio which varied from manufacturer to manufacturer, therefore this caution will serve as notice to the buyer and will not be the responsibility of the seller for any of the legal concerns under all conditions.