{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O144902"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O144902/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT4252/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT4252/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BT4252","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O144902","accessionNumber":"W.20-1992","objectType":"Radio","titles":[{"title":"Credit card radio","type":"popular title"},{"title":"Model ICR 501","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"This credit-card-sized radio represents an important stage in Sony's development of miniaturised audio equipment. Its predecessors included the first pocket radio, the TR-63, developed in 1957, and the Walkman, introduced in 1979.\r\n\r\nThe electronics are all incorporated into one chip, which takes up only a fraction of the space inside the plastic casing. Most of the space is devoted to batteries and to the component that controls the tuning, called a capacitor. The capacitor was itself replaced by an even smaller tuning component, a tiny diode, in later models. The small size of all the components allowed the designer great freedom to choose the shape of the final product, making it resemble another familiar product: a credit card.","physicalDescription":"A credit card sized radio made of plastic.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Sony","id":"A5666"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Sony","id":"A5666"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Plastic case","categories":[{"text":"Audio equipment","id":"THES49027"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Product design","id":"THES49025"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2008BT4252"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR003","id":"THES385145"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Radio","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1985","earliest":"1980-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Sony (UK) Ltd","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"8.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"5.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"This represents a further stage in Sony's development of compact audio goods, leading on from the first pocket radio TR-63 (1957) and the Walkman (1979, see W.12-1992)","briefDescription":"Credit card radio, Model ICR 501, designed and manufactured by Sony, plastic, ca. 1985","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"miniature (size attribute)","id":"AAT121995"},{"text":"radio","id":"AAT249989"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"SONY AM 'CREDIT CARD' MODEL ICR 501\r\nDesigned and made by the Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, about 1985\r\nPlastic case\r\nGiven by Sony (UK) Ltd.\r\nW.20-1992\r\n\r\nThe 'micro' nature of recent technology allows designers great freedom in their choice of appearance for technological products. Sometimes, as here, this freedom has been used to make one product look like another.\r\n\r\n[20th century gallery]","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["W.20-1992"],"accessionNumberNum":"20","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1992,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-24","recordCreationDate":"2008-02-08","availableToBook":false}}