This gorgeous Art Deco “skyscraper” design console radio is the 1935 Midwest D-16. The radio has a premium grade 16-tube, high output chassis, and with its 12-inch speaker it's an incredible performer. The radio picks up many stations even with the simplest antenna and the wood cabinet gives everything you play a deep, rich sound.
History - This model first appeared in the fall of 1935. This model has some nice showroom features including multiple wood veneers, slow and fast tuning speeds, Tune-A-Lite tuning indicator variable IF bandwidth control known as Micro-Tenuator, and a fully variable tone control known as Fidel-A-Stat. The dial is especially attractive. The faceplate has a globe in the center and is surrounded by chrome wings and controls. The dial has Mother-of-Pearl look and is intricately detailed. The price when new was $99.50
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found restored to this condition. We acquired this radio in early 2018 from a collector who had partially restored it. The cabinet was in great shape and had its original finish. The chassis was working but it needed the restoration completed and the components upgraded.
Starting in 1920, A.G. Hoffman began building simple battery-operated radios in his basement in Cincinnati Ohio and branded them 'MIRACO', a shortened form of the name of his new company, Midwest Radio Company. By 1924 advertisements identified the business as Midwest Radio Corporation and the bulk of his sales were by mail order. New catalogs were printed every year, showing the current offerings.
Midwest is known for large numbers of tubes used in their radio chassis at a time where the tube count was a selling point. The average consumer, having little knowledge of radio's inner workings, had seized on this idea as a handy measurement of a radio's worth. Some manufacturers added tubes that were unneeded or useless, but every tube on a Midwest chassis had a function. Midwest's designers might use four or six audio tubes where two would work, but the additional tubes are why the large Midwest chassis have exceptionally good sound.
Most mid-1930's Midwest models featured large tuning dials, sometimes framed with fancy chrome metalwork. Midwest's cabinets are generally large, with interesting multi-veneer designs, sometimes with "futuristic" or art-deco styles, especially during the later 1930s.
After World War II, Midwest continued to produce radios, but with scaled-down chassis and cabinet designs. They even ventured into television production beginning in 1949. The company struggled during the early 1950s and finally went bankrupt in 1957. The company name, service department, and parts inventory were sold to Thomas Talley, of Cincinnati, who supplied parts until around 1970 when the remaining stock was hauled to the dump.
Cabinet – The cabinet on this radio when we got it was original and in fantastic shape. It needed minor touchups. The grill cloth was deteriorated, and we added lighter a period correct cloth to compliment the lighter wood tones of the cabinet.
Dial – The very stylish Mother-of-Pearl dial with its red and yellow lights is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The dial glass is free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks and we replaced the bulbs with new ones. The surrounding chrome escutcheon has been cleaned and will keep its Art-Deco look well into the future.
Chassis – We took extra steps and worked with a top expert at the California Historical Radio Society to ensure this radio produces no hum and will last for another 80 years or more. In the previous restore the chassis was stripped and spray painted with the original sliver color. They did a fantastic job, so it shows no signs of rust. We went through the entire underside of the chassis replacing all the capacitors, checking, and replacing resistors and wires where needed.
It now plays stations well across all bands even with the simplest antenna. All tubes were checked and where needed replaced with NOS (new old stock) tubes. We replaced the tuning belt with a new that should last indefinitely. A period correct power cord and 1.5A fuse were installed for electrical safety. We added an specialized input on the back for the Bluetooth receiver then performed a complete IF and RF alignment.
Speaker – Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 12 -inch Magnavox speaker cleaned tested. The result is clear audio across the entire audio frequency range. This radio produces exceptional bass tones for its size and the great sound will fill the room. See link to demo on YouTube below.
Bluetooth - Additionally, we fitted this radio with our custom Bluetooth / MP3 adapter, which allows you to switch between the radio or your smartphone or music device. Access your streaming audio service or the playlist on your smart device to provide classic tunes and bring the warm, bright, analogue sound to any music or recording you choose. The quality of the sound is excellent. You will have the best of “digital” and “analog” combined.
Year of Manufacture: 1935
Band Frequency Ranges:
LW Band...125 kHz to 350 kHz
BC Band...550 kHz to 1500 kHz
P Band...1.5 MHz to 4.5 MHz
SW1 Band...4.5 MHz to 12 MHz
SW2 Band...12 MHz to 32 MHz
See demo video here. If you cannot view, then copy and paste the link to browser: youtu.be/QNuUlRHIF_8
Dimensions: 28” W x 46” H x 15.5" D
Weight: 55 pounds
History - This model first appeared in the fall of 1935. This model has some nice showroom features including multiple wood veneers, slow and fast tuning speeds, Tune-A-Lite tuning indicator variable IF bandwidth control known as Micro-Tenuator, and a fully variable tone control known as Fidel-A-Stat. The dial is especially attractive. The faceplate has a globe in the center and is surrounded by chrome wings and controls. The dial has Mother-of-Pearl look and is intricately detailed. The price when new was $99.50
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found restored to this condition. We acquired this radio in early 2018 from a collector who had partially restored it. The cabinet was in great shape and had its original finish. The chassis was working but it needed the restoration completed and the components upgraded.
Starting in 1920, A.G. Hoffman began building simple battery-operated radios in his basement in Cincinnati Ohio and branded them 'MIRACO', a shortened form of the name of his new company, Midwest Radio Company. By 1924 advertisements identified the business as Midwest Radio Corporation and the bulk of his sales were by mail order. New catalogs were printed every year, showing the current offerings.
Midwest is known for large numbers of tubes used in their radio chassis at a time where the tube count was a selling point. The average consumer, having little knowledge of radio's inner workings, had seized on this idea as a handy measurement of a radio's worth. Some manufacturers added tubes that were unneeded or useless, but every tube on a Midwest chassis had a function. Midwest's designers might use four or six audio tubes where two would work, but the additional tubes are why the large Midwest chassis have exceptionally good sound.
Most mid-1930's Midwest models featured large tuning dials, sometimes framed with fancy chrome metalwork. Midwest's cabinets are generally large, with interesting multi-veneer designs, sometimes with "futuristic" or art-deco styles, especially during the later 1930s.
After World War II, Midwest continued to produce radios, but with scaled-down chassis and cabinet designs. They even ventured into television production beginning in 1949. The company struggled during the early 1950s and finally went bankrupt in 1957. The company name, service department, and parts inventory were sold to Thomas Talley, of Cincinnati, who supplied parts until around 1970 when the remaining stock was hauled to the dump.
Cabinet – The cabinet on this radio when we got it was original and in fantastic shape. It needed minor touchups. The grill cloth was deteriorated, and we added lighter a period correct cloth to compliment the lighter wood tones of the cabinet.
Dial – The very stylish Mother-of-Pearl dial with its red and yellow lights is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The dial glass is free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks and we replaced the bulbs with new ones. The surrounding chrome escutcheon has been cleaned and will keep its Art-Deco look well into the future.
Chassis – We took extra steps and worked with a top expert at the California Historical Radio Society to ensure this radio produces no hum and will last for another 80 years or more. In the previous restore the chassis was stripped and spray painted with the original sliver color. They did a fantastic job, so it shows no signs of rust. We went through the entire underside of the chassis replacing all the capacitors, checking, and replacing resistors and wires where needed.
It now plays stations well across all bands even with the simplest antenna. All tubes were checked and where needed replaced with NOS (new old stock) tubes. We replaced the tuning belt with a new that should last indefinitely. A period correct power cord and 1.5A fuse were installed for electrical safety. We added an specialized input on the back for the Bluetooth receiver then performed a complete IF and RF alignment.
Speaker – Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 12 -inch Magnavox speaker cleaned tested. The result is clear audio across the entire audio frequency range. This radio produces exceptional bass tones for its size and the great sound will fill the room. See link to demo on YouTube below.
Bluetooth - Additionally, we fitted this radio with our custom Bluetooth / MP3 adapter, which allows you to switch between the radio or your smartphone or music device. Access your streaming audio service or the playlist on your smart device to provide classic tunes and bring the warm, bright, analogue sound to any music or recording you choose. The quality of the sound is excellent. You will have the best of “digital” and “analog” combined.
Year of Manufacture: 1935
Band Frequency Ranges:
LW Band...125 kHz to 350 kHz
BC Band...550 kHz to 1500 kHz
P Band...1.5 MHz to 4.5 MHz
SW1 Band...4.5 MHz to 12 MHz
SW2 Band...12 MHz to 32 MHz
See demo video here. If you cannot view, then copy and paste the link to browser: youtu.be/QNuUlRHIF_8
Dimensions: 28” W x 46” H x 15.5" D
Weight: 55 pounds