"Bluebird" Radio

Walter Dorwin Teague|Sparton Corporation (Jackson, Michigan)

1934 · Glass, chrome-plated metal, fabric, painted wood · Modern and Contemporary Art

The sleek design of this radio embodies the luxurious, carefree lifestyle espoused by Hollywood movies and popular music of the 1930s, which portrayed skyscraper living as the height of sophistication. Following a tantalizing advertising campaign, the Sparton Corporation unveiled four radio models—including the Bluebird—at the 1935 National Electrical and Radio Exposition in New York. With its dramatic chrome accents and bold blue glass body balanced on glossy black round feet, the Bluebird quickly became known as a masterpiece of Art Deco design.

Artist

Walter Dorwin Teague|Sparton Corporation (Jackson, Michigan)

Date

1934

Medium

Glass, chrome-plated metal, fabric, painted wood

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

John C. Waddell Collection, Gift of John C. Waddell, 1998