A Brief History of Crosley Radio

Crosley Radio is a manufacturer of antique reproductions of the crosley brand of radio, record player, turntable, phonograph, cd player, antique telephones and antique reproductions of music boxes. Many of our current designs are authentic reproductions of the models originally designed by Powell Crosley.
In 1920, Powel Crosley, an auto accessories manufacturer in Cincinnati, OH, set out to purchase a simple radio set for his son. Shocked to learn that these sets were selling for $130.00 or more, he decided to build one himself, which he did — for $35.00. From that experience, Crosley went on to build one of the most successful electronics companies of the early 20th century.

Powel Crosley is most well-known for the production of mass market radios, and the creation of WLW – ‘The Nation’s Station’ and the 500,000 watt tower he constructed that transmitted FDR’s Fireside Chats - incidentally, whose signals were reported to have been heard as far away as Australia! By the mid 1900’s he presided over a star-studded radio empire that featured such stars such as Rosemary Clooney, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, and more.

A true industrialist, Crosley also became known for a multitude of ventures. He was famous for The Crosley – a miniature-sized automobile, fashioned after the lightweight European cars. The chubby-profiled vehicle promised 50 gallons to the tank and was sold in department stores for just $325. Crosley’s lifelong obsession with automobiles began at a young age when Crosley, just twelve, won a bet with his father by successfully powering a four-wheeled wagon with an electric battery and motor.

Having dubbed himself the man of ‘50 jobs in 50 years,’ he continued to amaze the masses with such creations as: The Shelvador – a refrigeration unit that introduced the new concept of door shelving units, The Musicone – an instrument used to amplify the entire range of the human voice, The Moonbeam – Crosley’s self-designed airplane, The Roamio – the first car radio, The Icy-Ball – a chemical-mechanical ice box that served rural areas lacking electricity, The Reado – a facsimile system that transmitted words and pictures via radio waves, The Koolrest – a bed cooling system, The X-er-vac – a machine that stimulated the scalp in an effort to counter baldness, and The Go-bi-bi – a go-kart/stroller type contraption for young children just to name a few.

However, Crosley’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop there. As a Cincinnati native, he decided to step in when the Cincinnati Reds declared bankruptcy. Crosley acquired the team ensuring they would remain an integral part of Cincinnati’s culture. In 1930 he went on the build Crosley Field which triumphed until 1970 as the famous Cincinnati Reds’ playing field. Crosley was credited with producing the first night baseball game, transforming Crosley Field from night to day with the flick of a switch powering 615 lamps. He went on in subsequent years to broadcast the first live baseball game on WLW-TV – the Crosley television broadcasting division.

More about Crosley products.

Timeline of the Crosley Radio Company.

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