02-11-2015, 05:09 PM
When I was a kid in the 40s, prior to the Cyril Lord fitted carpet phenomenon, it was all the rage to paint the perimeters of wooden floors with a ghastly dark brown treacly varnish whose name said it all - 'Darkeline'. Then a carpet square completed the floor furnishing. To economise on varnish, the floorboards beneath the carpet was left bare.
As to smoking pipes, as often as not, on the cover of magazines such as Practical Wireless and Practical Householder magazines, there's be some chap with a pipe hanging out of the corner of his mouth. They'd always be wearing collar and tie, and on the front cover of PW, quite often it was a bow tie! Seemed in congruous to be in a workshop fiddling with a radio chassis and signal generator while wearing a bow tie. What was all that about?
During the 40s, when 'Utility' furniture was all that could be had, it was invariably finished in dark oak (and actually remarkably well made) which reflected the tastes of the era.
As I recall, it was the mid to late 50s when tastes for dark furniture, dark varnish and dark radio cabinets went out of fashion. Many brown Bakelite radio cabinets from the mid to late 50s were factory sprayed in lighter - often garish colours. As an example, I have a Pilot Little Maestro T105 (1956) which has a brown Bakelite cabinet which was factory sprayed in a sky blue colour with gold lining. When I restored it I kept the same colour. I doubt that the set would have sold had it been brown. By that time, the DAC90A was a dull reminder of the years of post-war austerity, which lingered on as a rental set.
Waffled and dribbled Yorkie, taking the thread further off topic.
As to smoking pipes, as often as not, on the cover of magazines such as Practical Wireless and Practical Householder magazines, there's be some chap with a pipe hanging out of the corner of his mouth. They'd always be wearing collar and tie, and on the front cover of PW, quite often it was a bow tie! Seemed in congruous to be in a workshop fiddling with a radio chassis and signal generator while wearing a bow tie. What was all that about?
During the 40s, when 'Utility' furniture was all that could be had, it was invariably finished in dark oak (and actually remarkably well made) which reflected the tastes of the era.
As I recall, it was the mid to late 50s when tastes for dark furniture, dark varnish and dark radio cabinets went out of fashion. Many brown Bakelite radio cabinets from the mid to late 50s were factory sprayed in lighter - often garish colours. As an example, I have a Pilot Little Maestro T105 (1956) which has a brown Bakelite cabinet which was factory sprayed in a sky blue colour with gold lining. When I restored it I kept the same colour. I doubt that the set would have sold had it been brown. By that time, the DAC90A was a dull reminder of the years of post-war austerity, which lingered on as a rental set.
Waffled and dribbled Yorkie, taking the thread further off topic.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
