Version 1 of a most unusual radio made in the form of a functional table lamp. It sits 19" high, the sphere which houses the electronics is 7" in diameter. The volume control, tuning mechanism & dial are in the base. There were supposedly no radios built during the war years as there was a ban on such manufacturing but he date is stamped on the bottom: "Apr 14th 1944". The components and circuitry used is clearly that of a earlier era, like the 1938 - 39 period. I assume since the components and circuitry used is of an earlier period, this was somehow exempted this from the ban. Another interesting note is the manufacturer and the distributor. It has a sticker that states: "Kristal-Lite Radio, Hal S. Bennett, mgf & distributor, Salt Lake City, UTAH". It also has a metal tag (typical of radios made in the 1930's in the Los Angeles are) that states: Mfg by Mission Bell Radio Mfg Co. Los Angeles Ca. I also suppose that the electronics was special ordered from "Mission Bell" by The "Hal S. Bennett Co." and fitted into the lamp by the Utah Co. I would be interested to know how many were made and what ever happened to the "Hal S. Bennett Co." version 2
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