The DeForest Crosley Model 850

A Rare Canadian Grandmother Clock Radio
from the Dawn of the Depression Era

 

In the early years of radio broadcasting, there was a brief and remarkable period when radio manufacturers attempted something far more ambitious than simply building electronic receivers. They sought to create objects of beauty — grand pieces of furniture that would symbolize modernity, prosperity, sophistication, and technological progress within the home.

Among the finest surviving examples of this artistic and industrial ambition is the 1931 DeForest Crosley Model 850 Grandmother Clock Radio.

Standing tall and elegant, the Model 850 was never intended to be merely a radio. It was designed as a centerpiece for the modern Canadian household — an object that blended fine furniture craftsmanship, advanced electrical engineering, and decorative design into a single luxurious creation.

Today, nearly a century later, surviving examples of the Model 850 are exceptionally rare. For collectors of Canadian radios, Art Deco furniture, and early electrical technology, the DeForest Crosley 850 represents one of the most visually distinctive and historically significant radio designs produced in Canada during the Great Depression.

The example presented here, serial number 8504943, survives as a remarkable artifact from that extraordinary era.

Canada’s Radio Boom

To fully appreciate the significance of the Model 850, it is important to understand the remarkable growth of the Canadian radio industry during the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Radio broadcasting had exploded in popularity during the 1920s. Families gathered nightly around glowing receivers to hear news, music, drama, sporting events, political speeches, and live entertainment arriving magically through the air.

For many households, the radio became the center of domestic life.

Canadian manufacturers quickly recognized the tremendous demand for radio receivers and began building large industrial operations capable of competing with American companies.

Among the most important of these firms was DeForest Crosley Radio Corporation of Toronto.

The company emerged from the combination of two influential names in radio history:

·       Lee De Forest, the pioneering inventor whose vacuum tube innovations helped make radio broadcasting possible;

·       and Powel Crosley Jr., the American entrepreneur whose affordable radio sets revolutionized home entertainment.

Although the Canadian operation eventually became largely independent from the American Crosley company, the DeForest Crosley brand retained tremendous prestige throughout Canada.

By the late 1920s, DeForest Crosley had become one of the largest radio manufacturers in the British Empire.

Its Toronto factories produced:

·       radio chassis,

·       loudspeakers,

·       cabinets,

·       transformers,

·       and luxury console receivers.

The company marketed its products as modern, sophisticated, and distinctly Canadian.

Luxury During Hard Times

The timing of the Model 850’s introduction makes the set particularly fascinating.

The radio was produced during approximately 1931–1932 — the darkest years of the Great Depression.

Economic hardship was widespread. Factories closed. Unemployment soared. Families struggled financially.

Yet paradoxically, radio ownership continued to expand.

Manufacturers understood that consumers could no longer justify spending large sums of money on simple appliances. To survive economically, radio companies increasingly marketed their products as luxury furniture investments rather than mere electronics.

The DeForest Crosley Model 850 emerged directly from this strategy.

Rather than building an ordinary console radio, DeForest Crosley created an elegant grandmother clock cabinet that concealed a powerful eight-tube radio receiver within.

The result was both practical and theatrical.

The radio became:

·       a household timepiece,

·       a decorative furnishing,

·       a symbol of modern electrical convenience,

·       and a source of entertainment.

Even today, the cabinet retains an imposing and graceful presence.

Its tall proportions, refined lines, and carefully balanced styling distinguish it immediately from conventional radio consoles of the period.

The design reflects a transitional moment between:

·       traditional furniture craftsmanship,

·       late Victorian longcase clock design,

·       and the emerging geometric influence of Art Deco styling.

This combination gives the Model 850 a timeless elegance rarely matched by later radio designs.

Consolidated Industries Limited

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Model 850 is the “Consolidated Industries Ltd.” imprint found upon the chassis.

This marking reveals an important chapter in Canadian industrial history.

In 1931, DeForest Crosley underwent a major corporate reorganization under the leadership of Major James E. Hahn. The company became part of a larger holding organization known as Consolidated Industries Limited.

This new corporation unified several electrical and appliance interests under a single corporate umbrella.

These included:

·       DeForest Crosley radios,

·       Hammond electric clocks,

·       Norge refrigerators,

·       and related appliance businesses.

This relationship is particularly important because the Model 850 integrated both radio and clock technologies into one product.

It is believed that the clock mechanism itself was connected to Hammond clock manufacturing interests operating within the Consolidated Industries organization.

As a result, the Model 850 was more than simply a radio with a clock attached.

It represented an early example of integrated home electrical design — a sophisticated combination of technologies intended to symbolize modern living.

At the time, electric clocks themselves were still considered somewhat luxurious.

The use of a reliable synchronous electric clock movement added prestige and functionality to the radio while reinforcing the company’s image as a leader in modern electrical innovation.

Advanced Engineering for Its Day

While the cabinet attracts immediate attention, the engineering inside the Model 850 was equally impressive for its time.

The receiver employed an advanced eight-tube superheterodyne chassis — a sophisticated design during the early 1930s.

The radio featured:

·       AC-powered operation,

·       a powerful push-pull audio output stage,

·       and an electrodynamic loudspeaker capable of delivering room-filling sound.

Compared to entry-level receivers of the period, the Model 850 occupied the premium end of the market.

Its sound quality and reception performance would have been considered excellent in 1931.

At a time when many households still relied upon battery-powered sets with limited audio output, the Model 850 represented modern convenience and technical sophistication.

Listeners would have gathered around the glowing dial to hear:

·       dance orchestras,

·       hockey broadcasts,

·       political speeches,

·       news bulletins,

·       and live network entertainment.

For many families, the radio connected them to the wider world during an uncertain and rapidly changing period of history.

A Rare Survivor

Today, surviving examples of the DeForest Crosley Model 850 are extraordinarily uncommon.

Several factors contributed to the low survival rate.

First, specialty furniture radios generally sold in much smaller numbers than conventional consoles.

Second, the tall cabinet design made the radio vulnerable to damage.

Over the decades, many examples suffered from:

·       veneer deterioration,

·       moisture damage,

·       broken clock mechanisms,

·       cabinet instability,

·       and improper storage.

Large floor-standing radios were frequently discarded during the postwar years when newer television sets and compact hi-fi systems became fashionable.

As a result, relatively few complete examples survive today.

The survival of serial number 8504943 is therefore historically significant in itself.

Even more remarkable is the fact that the radio has reportedly undergone professional restoration while preserving its original appearance and character.

The cabinet has been refinished to a high standard, the electronics restored for reliable operation, and tasteful Bluetooth/FM functionality added to allow modern listening while preserving the radio’s historical integrity.

This combination of restoration and usability allows the radio to function once again as it was originally intended — not merely as a display object, but as a living piece of household technology.

Art Deco Elegance

The Model 850 occupies a unique place within the evolution of industrial design.

Its cabinet reflects the growing influence of Art Deco styling that swept through architecture, furniture, and consumer products during the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Unlike the heavily carved Victorian furniture of earlier decades, the Model 850 embraced:

·       cleaner vertical lines,

·       balanced geometric proportions,

·       restrained ornamentation,

·       and an emphasis on elegance through form rather than excessive decoration.

The result is a radio that still appears sophisticated nearly one hundred years later.

Collectors often describe the Model 850 as one of the most visually impressive Canadian radio cabinets ever produced.

Its narrow vertical form gives it a commanding architectural presence while occupying surprisingly little floor space.

Placed within a period home, library, office, or collection room, the radio immediately becomes a conversation piece.

>Collector Interest and Historical Importance

Among advanced collectors of Canadian radios, the Model 850 enjoys a reputation as one of the most desirable and unusual Depression-era sets.

It appeals simultaneously to several collector communities:

·       vintage radio collectors,

·       Art Deco enthusiasts,

·       furniture historians,

·       clock collectors,

·       and museum curators interested in early industrial design.

Its rarity further increases collector demand.

Public sales records are scarce, and examples rarely appear on the open market.

Professionally restored examples with strong cosmetic presentation are especially difficult to locate.

Because the Model 850 combines so many desirable characteristics — rarity, scale, historical significance, and visual impact — it occupies a special place within Canadian radio collecting.

It represents a period when manufacturers were willing to create bold, imaginative products that blurred the line between technology and fine furniture.

More Than a Radio

Perhaps the greatest significance of the DeForest Crosley Model 850 lies in what it represents culturally.

This was not merely an appliance.

It was a symbol of optimism.

During one of the most difficult economic periods in modern history, companies like DeForest Crosley continued to produce beautiful and ambitious products that celebrated innovation, craftsmanship, and the promise of modern electrical living.

The Model 850 reflected the belief that technology could improve daily life while also bringing elegance and beauty into the home.

Today, surviving examples serve as reminders of that remarkable period in Canadian industrial history.

The radio stands not only as a collectible object, but as a work of functional decorative art.

Serial number 8504943 survives as an exceptional example of this heritage — a rare Canadian masterpiece from the golden age of radio.

Nearly a century after it first stood proudly in a Canadian living room, the DeForest Crosley Model 850 continues to command attention, admiration, and respect.

It remains one of the finest surviving expressions of Canada’s early radio industry and one of the most distinctive clock radios ever produced.