Emerson Model 610 Plastic Radio (1949)

I bought this maroon-and-gold gem at an auction of old props from the Northern Exposure TV show. It was utterly filthy, jumbled in a pile of junk including a rusty hotplate and a battered payphone. I got the whole lot for a small price, and was delighted to find several other old radios in addition to this one. But this is by far my favorite.

Emerson made a couple of other models with very similar lines. Model 615B, with an all-wood cabinet, looks like a close cousin. Model 616A is an interesting hybrid wood-and-plastic model. The cabinet proper is wood, but it uses the same distinctive one-piece plastic grille and dial cover, as well as the same clear plastic knobs to the side.