Henry P. Glass – Radios

See also: ChairsKling StudiosLamps
Glass BiographyElly & Henry Documentary

Plastic Radio Cabinet

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Plastic Radio Cabinet

Dated August 22nd 1946, this may be one of the first designs for the FADA Radio Company. And #5 means it was the fifth variation of this design.

Glass’s extensive annotations in the upper right indicate he was new to their engineering requirements.

The “grill” of cones covering the speaker area and tuning knobs were described by Glass as being transparent made in polystyrene, acetate, or acrylic.

The radio designs were kept for decades in the Henry Glass office files and passed on to his two children.

Henry P. Glass designer A D I
FADA RADIO
Plastic Radio Cabinet

Graphite on tissue
8.22.46
Stamped with name and address lower right: 666 N. Lake Shore Drive Chicago IL
Unmatted 14 x 17 inches

Plastic Radio Cab

Click on image to view larger version

Plastic Radio Cab

Glass had just seen principals of FADA radios and was energized to design table and portable models for that and other companies.

This September 13, 1946, design in wood-grained Bakelite, though probably not shown in the FADA meeting, shows his knowledge of the technical moulding process with upper left text spelling out the engineering requirement.

He’d also just designed Streeterville’s Kling Studios whose interior wood paneling seemed to inform this use.

The radio designs were kept for decades in the Henry Glass office files and passed on to his two children.

Henry P. Glass designer A D I
Plastic Radio Cab

Graphite on tissue
9.13.46
Stamped with name and address lower right: 666 N. Lake Shore Drive Chicago IL
Unmatted 14 x 17 inches

Plastic Radio Cabinet

Click on image to view larger version

Plastic Radio Cabinet

Even though future work for the FADA radio company seemed to have evaporated by late October, Glass was transfixed on their designs.

This drawing from October 31, 1946, shows his simpler approach of the late 1940s look. By incorporating his tuning dial into the same angle as the speaker fins, Glass simplifies the opening into a single rectangle while at the same time bulging the bottom of the catalin cabinet.

The radio designs were kept for decades in the Henry Glass office files and passed on to his two children.

Henry P. Glass designer A D I
Plastic Radio Cabinet

Graphite on tissue
10.31.46
Stamped with name and address lower right: 666 N. Lake Shore Drive Chicago IL
Unmatted 14 x 17 inches

Plastic Radio Cabinet

Click on image to view larger version

Plastic Radio Cabinet

A few days later on November 5, 1946, he again designed an angled tuning dial at the bottom of the similarly angled speaker openings with an “egg crate” appearance.

Here, he also specifies Catalin Cabinet and its ability to absorb any color in the mix. Having erased the FADA name, If it had found a client, Glass would have specified which color combinations looked best while keeping to the budget requirements.

The radio designs were kept for decades in the Henry Glass office files and passed on to his two children.

Henry P. Glass designer A D I
FADA RADIO erased in client name
Plastic Radio Cabinet
Graphite on tissue
11.5.46
Stamped with name and address lower right: 666 N. Lake Shore Drive Chicago IL
Unmatted 14 x 17 inches

Radio Cabinet

Click on image to view larger version

Radio Cabinet

The date of August 21 is the day before the first time the FADA name appears in the stamped client space, however, “FADA RADIO CO” was erased from this area. So Glass may have shown this design to another company somewhat later.

Its dense, black and gray pigment and dotted line indicating the Pull Out Handle make it one of the most striking design drawings in the ArchiTech Gallery radio collection.

The radio designs were kept for decades in the Henry Glass office files and passed on to his two children.

Henry P. Glass designer A D I
FADA RADIO CO erased in client name
Radio Cabinet
Graphite on tissue
8.21.46
Stamped with name and address lower right: 666 N. Lake Shore Drive Chicago IL
Unmatted 14 x 17 inches