I first noticed these "Crosley" branded systems last fall at a Target
store in Louisville, KY. Later I found out that our library had
purchased a couple of the CR73 models at the local Wal-Mart for
inexpensive listening stations. They are pretty much what you'd expect
for a $99 phono/radio/cd/cassette entertainment center made in Asia.
Not the worst thing in the world, but you can do better for not much
more.
What is interesting to me is that the "Crosley Radio" (i.e. Modern
Marketing Concepts, Inc.) corporate office is in Louisville, KY. Given
that Crosley was a Cincinnati-based empire there may be a 'slim' chance
that this is a descendant, but I doubt it.
The whole Powel and Lewis Crosley saga is pretty amazing, from radios
and automobiles to broadcasting (WLW), WWII, and the World-Series. I've
just received a new book, ("Crosley: two brothers and a business empire
that transformed the nation" / Rusty McClure, D.A. Stern, Michael A.
Banks / ISBN 1578602912; 9781578602919) but have not started reading it
yet.
Berea College has some WLW transcription disks from the late 1930's
through the early 50's as part of our John Lair Collection (of Renfro
Valley fame.)
John H. Bondurant
Sound Preservation Archivist
Hutchins Library, Special Collections & Archives
Berea College
CPO LIB
Berea, KY 40404
[log in to unmask]
Office: 859-985-3389
Fax: 859-985-3912
On Apr 20, 2007, at 12:00 AM, ARSCLIST automatic digest system wrote:
>
> From: "Steven C. Barr(x)" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: April 19, 2007 11:01:19 PM EST
> Subject: Re: Crosley Radio
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ryan Jurison" <[log in to unmask]>
>> I was looking around at some audio systems, today, hoping to find a
>> new one
>> for my home, when I ran across the rather attractive Crosley Radio,
>> vintage-themed entertainment systems. I was wondering if anyone owns
>> one of
>> these, or has any firsthand experience with them, and if you would be
>> willing to share your thoughts on them.
>>
> The important thing is that they finally decided to offer properly-
> sized 78 needles to match their turntable speed! Sadly, these are
> NOT diamond...and anything less than a diamond wears out quickly
> from playing abrasive shellac-compound discs.
>
> Crosley, of course, is a famous old name in home radio (as well as
> early "compact cars" before ecology had even been thought of...!)
> but whether this "Crosley" is a descendant firm, or simply some
> company over in the land of Hooflungdung that managed to scoop
> up the trademarks and "goodwill" for about 17 kabongs...
>
> Steven C. Barr
>
>
>
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