The magic of early radio broadcasts captivates the country. News is heard on the very day it happens, and opera performed in New York City is experienced live in small towns from coast to coast.
This new medium sparks the creative sprite and attracts entertainers, craftspeople and entrepreneurs.

Shortly after the first broadcasts in 1920, the popularity of radio explodes. Americans eagerly embrace the invisible world of sound that ripples across the land. By decade’s end, over 60% of households own a radio.

Radio roars into the 20’s!

• Westinghouse introduces the first home radio and puts KDKA, the first commercial radio station on the air in 1920.
• Radio stores serve as popular community gathering places offering the latest in technology and handcrafted radios.
• Stock market speculation in commercial radio companies explodes.
  Key discoveries:

• AC vacuum tube allows radio to use household current
• Dynamic loudspeaker
• Radio circuitry is refined and improved dramatically
• Radio content is tailored for the home and commercialized

Gallery Four Highlights:

• Sarnoff loudspeaker
• Crystal Radio Sets
• Vacuum Tubes