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THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => QSO => Topic started by: W4RON on February 10, 2008, 06:26:37 PM



Title: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: W4RON on February 10, 2008, 06:26:37 PM
I made a nice find today. I got a call from the owner of a local antique mall
Friday telling me about some radio bookends they had gotten in.
She said they had a speaker on them and radio station call letters.
I didn't get there yesterday since we were a little busy moving a friends
radio collection, so I went by this afternoon hoping that no one had beat
me to them.
Luckily they were still there and they followed me home.
They're cast bronze with Western Electric microphones on them and an
amateur call sign W1ASZ.
I took a photo and put in on my web page,
http://radioheaven.homestead.com/W1ASZ.html

W1ASZ is not listed on QRZ now, I show it in my 1929 call book
as belonging to Raymond Griswold in Bridgeport Conn.
Does anyone have an earlier callbook with this call listed?
Has anyone ever seen and ad where bookends like this could have
been ordered?

I also took a shot this morning and posted a "wanted old radios" ad on Craigslist.
I've already had 3 replies, one from a guy with a 1925(?) Majestic that he spent
$300 having "fixed up", one from a lady that said she has a bunch of really old radios for sale, she sent photos, 4 of them are digital clock radios, one is a beat up 40s RCA. The other reply didn't have any radios, just early hearing aids...

Just like in fishing, when you throw your hook in the water you never
know what you might catch.

The weekends over, I hope everyone has a nice week.

73, Ron W4RON


Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: Carl WA1KPD on February 10, 2008, 07:40:44 PM
Ron,
Take a look at this

http://www.wicc600.com/raygriswold.htm (http://www.wicc600.com/raygriswold.htm)
Carl / KPD


Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: N3DRB The Derb on February 10, 2008, 08:13:32 PM
check out the ganged motor generators in that one picture.

used to have a pretty huge collection of pre war QSL cards at one point, and I know one of them was a hand lettered card 1ASZ. no prefix.




Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: W4RON on February 10, 2008, 08:31:37 PM
Ron, Take a look at this
http://www.wicc600.com/raygriswold.htm

WOW, thanks Carl, that's a great find.

73, Ron


Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: W4RON on February 11, 2008, 06:40:25 AM
Thanks to Carl and my friend Lud Sibley I know a lot more about
W1ASZ than I did before.
I've updated the web page, check it out if you're interested,
http://radioheaven.homestead.com/W1ASZ.html

73, Ron W4RON


Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: WA3VJB on February 11, 2008, 08:26:05 AM
Ron,
Take a look at this

http://www.wicc600.com/raygriswold.htm (http://www.wicc600.com/raygriswold.htm)
Carl / KPD
"...the seven piece band in the bedroom on Sunday evenings proved to be..."

Now that's an AMer  !!


Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: W1UJR on February 11, 2008, 08:32:43 AM
Ah, the 20s, the halcyon days of radio...

Great find Ron, funny how even the most simple things can tell a wonderful story!
Glad that Carl and Lud were able to help, we've all learned from that.

From the webpage mentioned, I found this great story of dedication to radio...

""My father met my mother while installing the station in the Bridgeport Area. He was trying to get local clearance to put up the transmitting towers in the Sport Hill area (Stepney, Easton?). There was local opposition as there was a fear the electricity would make the cows sterile. My father had met Celestine Piccot, my mother, I believe they met in Bridgeport when she introduced him to a farmer in Stepney (Stepney Road?). My grandfather became convinced there was no danger to the cows, he convinced others, the towers went up on Sport Hill. They were married in Bridgeport on January 14, 1928 and lived in the cinderblock transmitting building on Sport Hill."  ;)


Title: Re: W1ASZ bronze bookends
Post by: WBear2GCR on February 11, 2008, 07:30:03 PM
Sweet Bookends!

 ;D :D ;D
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