Sunday, September 15, 2013
The Strange Story of John Meck As A Young Man
No one in his Chicago circle of friends and family understood John Meck very well. Classic education, good grades in school, participation in inter and intra-mural sports were all expectations for boys in the 1920's who were thought to be headed toward a life of success. Although he struggled throughout his school career, was something of a loner (we would call him a 'geek' today), and did not distinguish himself in sports, John still managed, to the relief of his parents, to earn good enough grades to be accepted at Northwestern University.
Growing up in Glencoe, Illinois, John's life was that of the privileged upper middle class. The Mecks were a model 1920's family as his father, a professor by education and background, was the school principal and his mother managed the family's active social life. There is no evidence that John was anything but a typical and normal teenager, perhaps a bit more taken with the new gadgets and technology that were emerging during the 1920's, but otherwise just another smart, growing boy.
So in the fall of 1925, off he went to Northwestern, living on campus and pursuing his Freshman studies. Or so it was thought. Sometime after December 1, 1925, John Meck disappeared from school. Neither his friends nor family heard from him after he left. One college classmate recalled him saying something like he 'was dissatisfied with being a student and wanted to learn the radio business'.1
The amplifying vacuum tube had just been developed by the early 1920's and this new technology revolutionized the radio industry. Companies were springing up all over the place manufacturing consumer radios for the burgeoning broadcast business. In mid-summer 1920, AM type broadcasting began in Argentina. Shortly thereafter, the first known radio news program in the U.S. was broadcast by station 8MK (the unlicensed predecessor of WWJ in Detroit). In November of 1920, station KDKA of Pittsburg was the first to broadcast election results (Warren Harding won). In 1921, the first commercial station, WBZ of Springfield, Massachusetts was licensed and by 1925, when Meck left school, there were more than 600 commercial radio stations and home radios were being manufactured and sold everywhere.2
In this exciting time of new technologies and industries, where in the world was John Meck?
No one knows where or if John Meck completed college. No more is known of him until just prior to World War II when he founded Meck Industries in Plymouth, Indiana. The company began business by manufacturing phonographs and public address systems. During the war, it expanded into making quartz crystals for military radios and other electric devices for the War Department. After the war, the company produced radios carrying names like Deluxe, Lee, Mirror Tone, Trail Blazer and Plymouth. In 1949, they made and marketed their first home 7 inch and 10 inch TV receiving sets. The business continued on making radios and TV's, and even acquired another company, until 1956, when it closed.
To this day, no one knows for sure where Meck went to school. Some speculate maybe Notre Dame, for why else would he have chosen Indiana for the location of his business? Meck's radios are not common finds since the company was never a real economic force in the radio boom during the post-War years. But what the company produced was elegantly designed and made with high quality components. Owning one today is a true collectible reflecting the innovative entrepreneurial spirit of John Meck
FOOTNOTES
1. The Mystery of John Meck, Glencoe Historical Society web article, June 10, 2010.
2. The History of Radio, Wikipedia
© David Simons, Sep 2013Growing up in Glencoe, Illinois, John's life was that of the privileged upper middle class. The Mecks were a model 1920's family as his father, a professor by education and background, was the school principal and his mother managed the family's active social life. There is no evidence that John was anything but a typical and normal teenager, perhaps a bit more taken with the new gadgets and technology that were emerging during the 1920's, but otherwise just another smart, growing boy.
So in the fall of 1925, off he went to Northwestern, living on campus and pursuing his Freshman studies. Or so it was thought. Sometime after December 1, 1925, John Meck disappeared from school. Neither his friends nor family heard from him after he left. One college classmate recalled him saying something like he 'was dissatisfied with being a student and wanted to learn the radio business'.1
 |
| Mirror Tone Mod 850 Deluxe mfg 1947 Meck Industries |
In this exciting time of new technologies and industries, where in the world was John Meck?
His parents were so concerned after John mysteriously dropped out of sight (and college) that his mother reported him missing to the Evanston, Illinois police and commissioned a wanted poster offering a $200 reward for information of her son's whereabouts. There is no record as to whether or not anyone collected.
Finally, in April, 1926, after circulating fliers about her son around the area radio shops and factories, John's mother located him working in a radio store on Dearborn St. Again, he explained that he wanted to learn the radio business, not the classics or the law or any other liberal arts that his parents foresaw him doing. In return for him returning home, his parents agreed that he could get his education wherever he wanted.
 |
| Late 1940's Meck Radio Ad |
To this day, no one knows for sure where Meck went to school. Some speculate maybe Notre Dame, for why else would he have chosen Indiana for the location of his business? Meck's radios are not common finds since the company was never a real economic force in the radio boom during the post-War years. But what the company produced was elegantly designed and made with high quality components. Owning one today is a true collectible reflecting the innovative entrepreneurial spirit of John Meck
FOOTNOTES
1. The Mystery of John Meck, Glencoe Historical Society web article, June 10, 2010.
2. The History of Radio, Wikipedia
Here is a link to one of the Meck Industries radios recently restored and is available for sale in our shop.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Our Radio Restoration Process
 |
| Restoration of 1951 Crosley Dashboard Radio |
Vintage tube type radios have been a big part of our inventory for years. Early radios reflect cultural and design influences of their era making them more than just an appliance, making them a type of icon of their time. Case design reflected all aspects of American life. Manufacturers like Crosley, for example, took their inspiration from the automobile industry (see Crosley 'Dashboard' radios), and the Jet Age look was reflected not only in the fins of cars, but in the table radios sitting in living rooms and bedrooms. Colors from home decor found their way into radio design. Often, plaids and other patterns from the fashion industry were integrated into speaker grills or dials.
Sadly, it's as though the excitement of innovation has passed us by and we now too often find these classics sitting around for years, not working and mouldering away in a basement, shed or some other out-of-the-way place. Our mission has been to restore and bring life and relevance back to them. We believe vintage tube radios are an important historical artifact and look as beautiful sitting on a desk or dresser as when they were made; and we want to help get more of them back to that status.
Sadly, it's as though the excitement of innovation has passed us by and we now too often find these classics sitting around for years, not working and mouldering away in a basement, shed or some other out-of-the-way place. Our mission has been to restore and bring life and relevance back to them. We believe vintage tube radios are an important historical artifact and look as beautiful sitting on a desk or dresser as when they were made; and we want to help get more of them back to that status.
Our objective is to restore each radio to as much of its former look and originality in as safe and reliable a manner as possible. Cosmetically, we rarely re-paint a case unless it is so far gone that to do otherwise would be wrong. When we have to apply a new finish, we choose both a period appropriate color and type of enamel paint that most closely resembles the original. Many bakelite cases were painted with automotive enamels and luckily those type of finish materials can still be purchased through classic car outlets. Each case that has been repainted will also have been hand rubbed and buffed to a satin sheen. Any of our vintage radio listings will disclose the extent of finish restoration that has been done.
Internally, most of our radios follow the same basic electrical design for super hetrodyne radios from the 1930's through the 1970's (when vacuum tubes were discontinued in favor of the newly invented transistor). Most radios are known as 'American Five's' or 'American Fivers', which simply means the radio signal is received, translated and amplified through a series of 5 vacuum tubes. Joining them together in a workable circuit to produce sound in a controlled manner are any number of capacitors, resistors, transformers and other components. In restoring an old radio, the main task is to make sure that the circuit is working correctly and safely. Any components that are 'out of spec' or are considered too obsolete, are replaced. All tubes are checked and replaced as necessary.
It should be noted that some sellers of old non-working radios often speculate in their descriptions that the radio is not working "probably because of a bad tube". This is almost never the reason an old radio doesn't work. As old fashioned as vacuum tubes may seem, they were highly reliable and very efficient in doing their job; namely to grab out of the air and amplify an almost non-existent radio signal. In most cases, a tube will have gone bad as a result of another component failing and plugging in new tubes generally will not bring a dead radio to life. For this reason, in those cases where a tube has gone bad, we carefully examine the circuit leading to and related to that tube in order to find and correct the underlying problem. One of the ways we do this is by measuring the voltages to each of the tube pins and comparing them to known specs. We also measure pin resistances for the same reason. The results yield a lot of information as to where the circuit may be faulty.
Over the years we have invested lots of money in our collection of vintage radio electrical schematics and other reference material to which we frequently refer in tracing problems with old circuitry.
Many old table radios grounded their circuits through the metal chassis, a dangerous practice not done in electronics today. This was not a problem so long as the radio was plugged in the right way to assure correct polarity. However, since polarized plugs did not exist in those days, a radio plugged in that reversed polarity would work just fine but a lurking danger of electrocution hovered nearby on the metal chassis. An unsuspecting person opening up the back to reach in and replace a tube or repair a part was subject to a nasty experience. Radios that we restore with this issue always have the power cord replaced with a polarized plug (the small and large prongs) to make sure it can be plugged in only one way.
Finally, after we have corrected any electrical problems and installed new required parts, we let the radio play for several hours to make sure there are no intermittent issues. We also test the radio again just before shipping it to a buyer.
Our policy regarding radio cosmetics is simple: restore to as close to original as possible and retain as much of the original finish and patina as we can. Because our radios are 40, 50, 60 and more years old, this means that we are willing to tolerate what we term 'character marks'. It is not our intent to 'refinish' to a new condition. We absolutely will not repaint a radio to anything other than its original color and we will not use easier to apply finishes that don't look proper for the age of the radio. In most cases, the paint used was high gloss enamel, often baked onto the case. We replicate this in our process. Wood cases were usually done in shellac or lacquer (a few were done with esoteric materials that are no longer available so we have to improvise).
Radios listed in our shop will always disclose the level of restoration that was done.
Internally, most of our radios follow the same basic electrical design for super hetrodyne radios from the 1930's through the 1970's (when vacuum tubes were discontinued in favor of the newly invented transistor). Most radios are known as 'American Five's' or 'American Fivers', which simply means the radio signal is received, translated and amplified through a series of 5 vacuum tubes. Joining them together in a workable circuit to produce sound in a controlled manner are any number of capacitors, resistors, transformers and other components. In restoring an old radio, the main task is to make sure that the circuit is working correctly and safely. Any components that are 'out of spec' or are considered too obsolete, are replaced. All tubes are checked and replaced as necessary.
It should be noted that some sellers of old non-working radios often speculate in their descriptions that the radio is not working "probably because of a bad tube". This is almost never the reason an old radio doesn't work. As old fashioned as vacuum tubes may seem, they were highly reliable and very efficient in doing their job; namely to grab out of the air and amplify an almost non-existent radio signal. In most cases, a tube will have gone bad as a result of another component failing and plugging in new tubes generally will not bring a dead radio to life. For this reason, in those cases where a tube has gone bad, we carefully examine the circuit leading to and related to that tube in order to find and correct the underlying problem. One of the ways we do this is by measuring the voltages to each of the tube pins and comparing them to known specs. We also measure pin resistances for the same reason. The results yield a lot of information as to where the circuit may be faulty.
 |
| A Recently Revived Zenith AM/FM |
Many old table radios grounded their circuits through the metal chassis, a dangerous practice not done in electronics today. This was not a problem so long as the radio was plugged in the right way to assure correct polarity. However, since polarized plugs did not exist in those days, a radio plugged in that reversed polarity would work just fine but a lurking danger of electrocution hovered nearby on the metal chassis. An unsuspecting person opening up the back to reach in and replace a tube or repair a part was subject to a nasty experience. Radios that we restore with this issue always have the power cord replaced with a polarized plug (the small and large prongs) to make sure it can be plugged in only one way.
 |
| Somewhat Rare Silvertone in Plaskon Case |
Our policy regarding radio cosmetics is simple: restore to as close to original as possible and retain as much of the original finish and patina as we can. Because our radios are 40, 50, 60 and more years old, this means that we are willing to tolerate what we term 'character marks'. It is not our intent to 'refinish' to a new condition. We absolutely will not repaint a radio to anything other than its original color and we will not use easier to apply finishes that don't look proper for the age of the radio. In most cases, the paint used was high gloss enamel, often baked onto the case. We replicate this in our process. Wood cases were usually done in shellac or lacquer (a few were done with esoteric materials that are no longer available so we have to improvise).
 |
| A Beautiful Emerson Moderne |
© David Simons, Sep 2013
Here are links to some of the radios we have restored and are currently available in our Etsy shop:
Philco Clock Radio
Arvin Table Radio
Crosley Dashboard Radio
Westinghouse Clock Radio
Monday, September 2, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Timely Information from our Archives
Here is some basic information from our archives we thought would be interesting to share. Sometimes its nice to have these primary facts readily at hand.
Sterling Silver Quality
___________
Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. 99.9% silver is called "Fine silver." Sterling components and jewelry made in the USA are often stamped "Sterling." Goods made for international trade are often marked "925" indicating the 92.5% fineness. "Coin" silver is used in some countries and could be marked "900" or "800" depending on fineness.
Other markings may be seen that are less clear. "Mexican Silver", "German Silver," "Indian Silver," "Montana Silver," or simply "silver" do not guarantee any silver content. "German Silver" is another name for the alloy of Copper, Nickel and Zinc usually called Nickel Silver. Despite the name, Nickel Silver contains no silver.
In many countries, precious metal must be stamped with a quality mark such as "925" for sterling. Some countries require jewelry of precious metal be submitted to a governmental assay office for destructive testing before being marked and sold.
In the USA, The National Gold and Silver Marketing Act does NOT require precious metals to be marked with quality. However, if a quality mark is used, the mark must be accompanied by a manufacturer's hallmark that is a registered trademark. If there is ever a question about the precious content of a piece of jewelry the manufacturer can be traced using the registered hallmark stamped on the piece. This accountability is particularly important in gold jewelry. A devious manufacturer could mark a piece 18Kt when, in fact, it was 10Kt and worth 1/3 less on gold content alone.
Sterling Silver is very easy to test. Silver plated brass, Nickel Silver or low quality silver alloys will turn green when a drop of Nitric acid is applied. Sterling will turn a creamy color. When testing suspect goods a small file can be used to cut through any plating or lacquer in an unobtrusive part of the item.
For many reasons, not all silver jewelry is marked. Registering a trademark costs over $1000. The maker may not spend the money to have a legal hallmark. Small time artists and Native American silversmiths rarely trademark their work. The sizes or designs of some pieces do not lend themselves to quality marking. Findings and components are often not quality stamped leaving the assembler the choice of attaching a mark, perhaps on a chain tab, to the finished piece.
Many individual artists will stamp a quality mark along with their name or initials. While this satisfies the accountability at the heart of the US stamping act, it is not considered legal.
In summary:
1) US Law does not require precious metal to be marked with a quality stamp.
2) Some European countries DO require marking. Many tourists in the US will question goods sold without quality markings.
3) US law requires a maker's mark in the form of a hallmark or registered trademark in addition to the quality mark if the goods are quality marked.
2) Some European countries DO require marking. Many tourists in the US will question goods sold without quality markings.
3) US law requires a maker's mark in the form of a hallmark or registered trademark in addition to the quality mark if the goods are quality marked.
Content courtesy of Big River Mercantile archives
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)