|
 In
the 1920s you couldn't have a safer way of being firmly in touch with
the future than combining the words "radio" and "robot," which is just
what we have here. Thing was, radio was about as new as robots,
so hooking them together was like rigging a gryphon to a unicorn.
As near as I can figure, the robot in the top figure was a common
wheeze of those years; place a radio receiver in an unexpected spot
and watch the crowd go "ooooo!" Entertainment was thin on the
ground back then. Other favourite spots were trees, guitars,
snowmen, Christmas trees, and even tombs.
The second picture is of
the Radio Robot from the Ideal Homes Exhibition. It didn't
really do much of anything except sit and stand, but it clutched a
pair of radio valves in its hands, which probably justified the name.
Sort of. Kind of. |
