Stone Vintage Radio Museum - Antique Radios, Wireless, Crystal Sets, Tubes, and Valves

The Clapp-Eastham company began in 1906 (actually, it did not adopt the Clapp-Eastham name until 1908) manufacturing X-ray equipment. The firm added wireless pieces over the next few years. I believe the Blitzen receiver was the first complete receiver the firm manufactured. Indeed, at a time when most transmitters and receivers were assembled from parts purchased separately, it is one of the first complete receivers (not the first) made by any manufacturer in the US. The Blitzen is a crystal receiver first sold in April 1912. It sold for the princely sum of $33. The one pictured here actually cost $37 because it has the optional switch and loading coil seen on the right outside of the receiver. All that was needed was an antenna, a ground, and a set of headphones and you were good to go. This particular Blitzen came from an estate. The gentleman who sold it to me said it belonged to his grandfather and when they were disposing of his things they came upon the Clapp-Eastham. Not much is know about its origins other than the grandfather had it for many years.

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