About the radio: The depression is still on and although Arthur Atwater Kent would like to build nothing but high end radios his engineers are telling him that he needs to build less expensive radios in order to compete.

This set was their lowest priced radio that year. It's pluses include an attractive and quality cabinet, a superheterodyne circuit and the popular "police band". But with only 4 tubes and no RF amplifier stage they had to include a regenerative detector in order to increase the sensitivity.
The following year Atwater Kent closed his factory.

Arthur Atwater Kent  (1873-1949) founded the company in 1895 making electric motors, fans and automobile electric and ignition parts. In 1921 he began producing radio components and then, in 1923, complete radios. By 1925 his company was the worlds leader and his "Atwater Kent Hour" was the most popular show on the radio.
A victim of the depression, he closed his factory in 1936. Before retiring, he founded the Atwater Kent Museum in Philadelphia. Visit the museum at www.philadelphiahistory.org.

The World Of 1935

· President: Franklin D. Roosevelt
· Population: 127,250,232
· Unemployment: 20.1%
· Cost of a first class stamp: $0.03

U.S. Headlines

· Roosevelt's New Deal calls for social security, better housing, equitable taxation, and farm assistance.
· Nazis repudiate Versailles Treaty, introduce compulsory military service.
· Mussolini invades Ethiopia; League of Nations invokes sanctions.
· Nazis enact Nuremberg Laws against Jews to prevent "racial pollution."
· Heinrich Himmler starts breeding program to produce "Aryan super race."
· George H. Gallup begins the "Gallup Poll." In 1936 the poll will successfully predict outcome of the presidential election.

Oscars:

· Outstanding Production: "Mutiny on the Bounty"
· Best Actor: Victor McLaglen, "The Informer"
· Best Actress: Bette Davis, "Dangerous"

· World Series: Detroit d. Chicago Cubs (4 - 2)

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Historical Data From InfoPlease.com

· 1st metal tubes.
· 1st radio broadcast of "Fibber McGee & Molly"
· E. Howard Armstrong demonstrates FM.
· "G-Men" Premiers. (Later; "Gang Busters")

Top 10 Radio Shows in 1935
(CAB ratings*)

1. Major Bowes Amateur Hour
2. Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (Rudy Vallee)
3. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny)
4. The March Of Time
5. Burns & Allen Show
6. Amos 'n' Andy
7. First Nighter / Town Hall Tonight (Fred Allen)
8. Maxwell House Show Boat
9. Shell Chateau (Al Jolson)
10. Gulf Headliners (Phil Baker)

(*The Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting rated radio program popularity from 1929 through 1935)

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Top Ten Shows from "A Thirty Year History of Radio  Programs 1926-1956" by Harrison B. Summers

The Radio History Society's Atwater Kent Page
Atwater Kent's Philadelphia Museum Homepage
Atwater Kent Radio.com

An Atwater Kent Site with Technical Information
The International Society of Atwater Kent Collectors
Radio Attic's Atwater Kent Pictures
Larry at Old Time Reproductions Made the knobs.
Any other Atwater Kent Links? Please Email Me!

The cabinet wasn't too bad. Note the missing veneer at the top of the cabinet and wrong knobs.
Replacement knobs from Larry Bordonaro at AntiqueRadioKnobs.com, a great guy to work with!

Someone had disconnected the RF section of the radio and added the yellow and red wires to create a permanent phono input. Other than that it was just a standard re-cap etc.