{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O113976"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O113976/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB6705/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB6705/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB6705","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AB6688","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AB6687","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O113976","accessionNumber":"W.7-2005","objectType":"Radio","titles":[{"title":"Volksempfänger radio, model VE 301w","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Volksempfänger radio was the brainchild of Joseph Goebbels who realised 'the revolutionary impact of the invention of radio, which gave the spoken word true mass effectiveness'. It was expressly intended as a propaganda tool for the Nazi government and the model number - VE 301w - refers to the date of Hitler's assumption of power in January 1933. It sold for 76 Reichmarks, a third of the price of competitors. Walter Maria Kersting's simple design was made under license by 28 different manufacturers, and the radio was specifically manufactured to only receive medium-wave signals, thereby limiting the possibility of listening to stations from outside Germany.","physicalDescription":"Rectangular brown bakelite radio with circular loudspeaker covered in linen fabric in the centre of the upper part of the front, above three control knobs arranged horizontally along the bottom edge. A moulded arc around and over the central knob frames the tuning dial. Printed card backboard.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Kersting, Walter Maria","id":"A15009"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Statssfurter Rundfunk GmbH","id":"A15010"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bakelite","id":"AAT14544"},{"text":"linen (material)","id":"AAT14069"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"electrical components","id":"x36640"},{"text":"phenol formaldehyde","id":"AAT14540"}],"techniques":[{"text":"compression-moulding","id":"AAT54068"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Compression-moulded phenol-formaldehyde resin ('bakelite'), electrical circuits, linen, printed card","categories":[{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Electrical appliances","id":"THES49024"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Audio equipment","id":"THES49027"},{"text":"Politics","id":"THES48908"}],"styles":[{"text":"Modernist","id":"AAT21474"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AB6705","2006AB6688","2006AB6687"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"74","id":"THES49720"},"free":"","case":"CA007","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Radio","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Germany","id":"x28873"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Germany","id":"x28873"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1933","earliest":"1933-01-01","latest":"1933-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"39","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"27.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"with knobs","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Volksempfänger radio, model VE 301w, brown bakelite case with linen, designed by Walter Maria Kersting and manufactured by Statssfurter Rundfunk GmbH, Germany, 1933","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"p.123","free":"Hawes, Robert and Sassower, Gad. <u>Bakelite Radios</u> (Edison, New Jersey, 1996)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The radio as propaganda tool\n\nThe ‘Volksempfänger’ (People’s Receiver) was released in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. It was designed to be a widely affordable mass-communication tool for the new Nazi government and cost just a third of the price of other radios. By 1941, two-thirds of German homes owned a ‘Volksempfänger’, enabling the spread of fascist propaganda through Nazi-controlled radio stations.\n\nBakelite radio \n‘Volksempfänger’, model VE 301w, 1933\nDesigned by Walter Maria Kersting \nManufactured by Stassfurter Rundfunk GmbH, Germany\nBakelite case, linen and electronic components \nMuseum no. W.7-2005\n\nThe object sits in the 'Crisis and Conflict' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021.\r\n","date":{"text":"2021","earliest":"2021-01-01","latest":"2021-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.7-2005"],"accessionNumberNum":"7","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2005,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PK7209","2025PG0888"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-13","recordCreationDate":"2005-07-08","availableToBook":false}}