Description:

A lot of three evocative Third Reich artifacts, includes: a dark brown Bakelite radio set, 12 3/3" x 10 3/4" x 7 1/4", the model VE 301 Dyn "Volksempfaenger" ("People's Receiver"), designed by engineer Otto Griesing at the request of propaganda minister Josef Goebbels and retailed to the German people at an affordable rate expressly for the purpose of receiving state-sponsored propaganda broadcasts. The radio was of a very rudimentary and simple design for the era, relying on three vacuum tubes and capable of receiving only long and medium-wave bands, as foreign radio broadcasters, such as the BBC relied on shortwave broadcasts to reach distant listeners. The face of the radio bears a dial graduated for long and medium-wave bands, also bearing the names of various German and Austrian cities, allowing the listener to easily tune to those state-sponsored broadcasts. Switches for each band and three knobs for volume and tuning are positioned below, and a molded national eagle and swastika appears on either side of the dial. The larger portion of the face is dominated by the cloth speaker screen. The fiberboard rear panel bears the radio's model number and identifies the manufacturer as "Radio H. Mende & Co." of Dresden. It also features a diagram of the radio's tube configuration and several warning messages, as well as an eagle-and-swastika insignia over "Reichs Rundfunk", the German state broadcasting company. A metal plaque bearing the serial number "52369" is affixed to the metal chassis within the radio, and all three vacuum tubes are present and intact. The fabric-clad power cable is also present and intact. An additional eagle and swastika are visible at the upper right corner of the interior of the cabinet, and a scrap of an adhesive label bearing the same symbol appears on the rear of the speaker cone. Short-wave broadcasts could still be received by this radio under the right atmospheric conditions and with the help of an external antenna; many Germans took advantage of this capability despite the constant threat of severe punishment. The cabinet shows damage in several areas: an irregular 1 3/4" x 3/4" piece has been broken out of the right-hand side, with some losses and a crack to the rear bottom right corner. The bakelite frame of one switch on the front is also detached. All of the above detached fragments appear to be present, but would require skilled repair. The cable cladding is frayed, and the bakelite plug housing is damaged, with the detached fragments of bakelite still present. Untested. WITH: a second radio, a model VE 301 Dyn GW "Volksempfaenger", with a fiberboard rear panel bearing the radio's model number and identifying the manufacturer as "Braun Radio" of Frankfurt. It also features a diagram of the radio's tube configuration and several warning messages. A metal plaque bearing the serial number "570690" is affixed to the metal chassis within the radio, and all four vacuum tubes are present and intact. The fabric-clad power cable is also present and intact. An additional eagle and swastika is visible on the rear of the tuner housing. The cabinet shows a large crack running along the top panel from the center of the front edge to the rear left-hand corner. The upper right-hand screw hole of the rear panel is broken, with the screw missing. Untested. WITH: an additional model VE 301 Dyn GW "Volksempfaenger" with a replacement rear panel and cord, the metal chassis inside bearing a paper label identifying the manufacturer as "Korting-Radio" of Leipzig, with the serial number "215579". The rear of the tuning control and speaker cone, as well as the top of the chassis and an internal wire loop, bear small eagle and swastika markings. The speaker cone has broken away from the interior of the cabinet at the bottom corners, and the mount for the central vacuum tube has broken loose. Untested. All offered as-is. Three pieces.

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July 30, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000