Philco, (founded as Helios Electric Company, renamed Philadelphia Storage Battery Company) was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In North America, it is a brand owned by Philips. In other markets, the brand is owned by Electrolux.
In the early 1920s, Philco made storage batteries, "socket power" battery eliminator units, and battery chargers. With the invention of the rectifier tube, which made it practical to power radios by electrical outlets, In 1928, Philco decided to get into the booming radio business. They followed other radio makers such as Atwater-Kent, Zenith Electronics, RCA (and the little-remembered Freshman Masterpiece, FADA Radio, AH Grebe, etc.) into the battery-powered radio business. By 1930, they were selling more radios than any other maker, a position they held for more than 20 years.
Subject ID: 5534
MorePhilco, (founded as Helios Electric Company, renamed Philadelphia Storage Battery Company) was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In North America, it is a brand owned by Philips. In other markets, the brand is owned by Electrolux.
In the early 1920s, Philco made storage batteries, "socket power" battery eliminator units, and battery chargers. With the invention of the rectifier tube, which made it practical to power radios by electrical outlets, In 1928, Philco decided to get into the booming radio business. They followed other radio makers such as Atwater-Kent, Zenith Electronics, RCA (and the little-remembered Freshman Masterpiece, FADA Radio, AH Grebe, etc.) into the battery-powered radio business. By 1930, they were selling more radios than any other maker, a position they held for more than 20 years.
Philco built many iconic radios and TV sets, including the classic cathedral-shaped wooden radio of the 1930s (aka the "Baby Grand"), and the very futuristic (in a 1950s sort of way) Predicta series of television receivers.
Philo Farnsworth, who invented cathode ray tube television, worked at Philco for some time.
Subject ID: 5534
Subject ID: 5534