Antique Bakelite Plastic Radios Makers Dates OOP Book A leading reference on bakelite radios, this early out-of-print book pictures and describes over 130 antique radios including makers, dates, and descriptions.

BAKELITE RADIOS – A Fully Illustrated Guide for the Bakelite Radio Enthusiast by Robert Hawes, Chartwell Books, Inc., NJ, 1996.

Lavishly illustrated in color, this book 'begins its story more than one hundred years ago, when radio was a scientific toy, soon to be disguised in elaborate cabinets in late nineteenth century living rooms as it entered into domestic use. As production techniques developed, manufacturers dreamed of a material that would replace wood with its necessity for assembly in bits and pieces, staining and polishing. Bakelite was a dream come true: an attractive material that could be made to resemble wood, but had all the properties of the new plastics. Now radio cabinets could be turned out like jello from a mold, and designers and craftsmen had the freedom to turn radio cabinets into an art form of their own right.'

Today, items made in bakelite have become collectors’ pieces for their vibrant color, art deco form and sheer beauty. Over 130 full color photographs of a new, international selection of bakelite radios reveal why they are so collectible, and provide a remarkable overview of design style through the decades of the twentieth century.

8.8 in. x 11.3 in. hardback with dust cover in protective plastic sleeve in very good condition. 128 pages.

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