{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O85202"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O85202/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT2383/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT2383/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AT2383","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AJ8629","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O85202","accessionNumber":"W.31-1992","objectType":"Radio","titles":[{"title":"Patriot Midget","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) was one of America's most influential industrial designers and helped to define the 'streamline' styling that characterised American design throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. Bel Geddes was a prolific designer who designed cars, trains, theatrical sets and exhibitions for world fairs, including the 1934 century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago and the New York World's Fair of 1939, where 'Futurama', his model of the city of 1960 for the General Motors exhibit, envisioned skyscrapers and double-decker streets.\n\nDespite his interest in the smooth rounded shapes, strong horizontal lines and aerodynamic styling of streamlining, Geddes choose a rectilinear casing for his 'Stars and Stripes' American Flag design for 'The Patriot', which was manufactured by the Emerson Radio and Phonograph Corporation. The radio was made from Opalon, a thermoplastic similar to Bakelite, which came into widespread use in the 1930s and was available in various combinations of three colours: red, white and blue. The knobs were blind embossed with stars to further reinforce the patriotic message. The 'Patriot' radio was heavily promoted with Uncle Sam top-hat imagery and was linked to Emerson's 25th anniversary of radio business. Overall, Bel Geddes aimed to convey ideas of industrial and technological prowess and instill a sense of national pride in his design as America emerged from the Great Depression. A variant, the Aristocrat, was also available in at least seven other colour schemes.  \n\n","physicalDescription":"Rectilinear radio set of cast phenol-formaldehyde resin. The main part of the case is oblong, cast in blue 'Catalin'. On its proper right side is a grille for the loudspeaker, formed from alternating bands of red and white 'Catalin'. On the proper left side is a large circular tuning dial. Below this are two knobs cast in blue 'Catalin', a five-pointed star decorates each knob. On top of the set is a retractable handle.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bel Geddes, Norman","id":"A10437"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Emerson Radio","id":"A10439"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"phenolic","id":"AAT14540"},{"text":"catalin","id":"AAT136731"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"},{"text":"assembling","id":"AAT53007"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Assembled cast phenolic resin ('Catalin') parts","categories":[{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"},{"text":"Audio equipment","id":"THES49027"},{"text":"Product design","id":"THES49025"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"},{"text":"Shekou","id":"THES279777"},{"text":"Values of Design","id":"THES279818"},{"text":"Design Society","id":"THES279819"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AT2383","2006AJ8629"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"74","id":"THES49720"},"free":"","case":"CA007","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Radio","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United States","id":"x29333"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1940","earliest":"1935-01-01","latest":"1944-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"19","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"13.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Patriot' Midget radio designed by Norman Bel Geddes and manufactured by Emerson, Catalin case, ca. 1940","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Baker, Malcolm, and Brenda Richardson (eds.), <i>A Grand Design: The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>, London: V&A Publications, 1999.","id":"AUTH348910"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"A radio expressing national pride\n\nAmerican flag-inspired radio \nPatriot Midget, about 1940\nDesigned by Norman Bel Geddes \nManufactured by Emerson Radio Corporation, USA \nCast Catalin case and electronic components \nMuseum no. W.31-1992\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.31-1992"],"accessionNumberNum":"31","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1992,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PG3410","2025PG0888"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-13","recordCreationDate":"2003-11-05","availableToBook":false}}