A. Atwater Kent
Encyclopedia
Arthur Atwater Kent, Sr. (1873–1949) was an inventor and prominent radio manufacturer based in Philadelphia, usa. In 1921, he patented the modern form of the automobile ignition coil
.
In 1921, Kent produced his first radio components, selling the do-it-yourself kits consisting of "breadboards" that could be assembled by early radio enthusiasts. The same year, he introduced the Model 5, primarily as a promotional tool. In 1923, his firm started producing complete radio sets, using a facility on Stenton Avenue, introducing the Model 10 for Christmas that year. This was followed by the Model 9 "and a broad line of breadboard sets". In 1924, the company moved to a new $2 million plant at 4745 Wissahickon Avenue in North Philadelphia. This plant, constructed in sections, would eventually cover 32 acres (12.9 ha).
In 1925, the Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company became the largest maker of radios in the United Statesn. The company also sponsored the popular "Atwater Kent Hour"
, a top-rated radio concert music program heard on NBC and CBS
from 1926 to 1934. The show featured top entertainment and became one of the most popular and acclaimed regular radio programs of the era. At its peak in 1929, the company employed over 12,000 workers manufacturing nearly one million radio sets. Its models included the metal-cabinet seven-tube Model 57 at US$105 and the wooden-cabinet eight-tube Model 60 at US$80. The plant itself was an architectural sensation and received hundreds of visitors annually. By 1931, the company boasted that it had produced over three million radios.
Atwater Kent radios were of high quality and many examples of working models exist today. They are highly prized by collectors and restorers. Cabinets were made by the Red Lion and Pooley furniture companies for Atwater Kent and exhibited attractive woodworking designs. Some models so closely resembled contemporary furniture that they did not appear to be radios. One example was a radio inside a grandfather clock.
The onset of the Great Depression
greatly hampered sales of Atwater's premium radio sets. The company attempted to compensate by building smaller, tabletop radio sets but Kent was not one to compromise on quality. This was compounded by the expiration of patents on the superheterodyne circuit—which led directly to the proliferation of inexpensive All American Five
radio designs. This meant that new firms could easily enter the market without the same level of capital investment Kent had put into his production process, which relied on heavy metal presses for the relatively large Tuned Radio Frequency (TRF) type radio chassis the firm produced. Kent dissolved his design engineering facility in 1931 and shut down his radio factory in 1936. A major local competitor, Philco, which had branched out into air conditioners and refrigerators, acquired the closed plant and built refrigerators there.
In 1937, Kent helped to organize and pay for the restoration of the Betsy Ross House
in Center City Philadelphia. In 1938, Kent helped found the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
, Philadelphia's city history museum.
Kent's son-in-law, William L. Van Alen, is the founder of the United States Court Tennis Association
Kent is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
.
He was awarded the John Scott Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1914.
Ignition coil
An ignition coil is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system which transforms the battery's 12 volts to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite the fuel...
.
Biography
Arthur Kent was born on December 3, 1873, in Burlington, Vermont, to a family of moderate means. The Kent family moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1881, where they lived at four different locations. His father was a doctor who had also been a machinist, who maintained a machine shop in Worcester when Arthur was a child. Kent entered Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s freshman mechanical engineering class in fall 1895. He was elected treasurer of the class of '99, but only stayed in the position for one semester, due to the fact that he did not show up for recitations after the mid-year exams in January. Kent excelled in mechanics and drawing, but was weak in chemistry, algebra and language, and had no interest in these subjects. He was already running a small business and that was his top priority. His business was called the Kent Electric Manufacturing Company, which he began in the back room of his father’s machine shop, where he sold small electric motors, generators, fans, and later automobile ignition systems.In 1921, Kent produced his first radio components, selling the do-it-yourself kits consisting of "breadboards" that could be assembled by early radio enthusiasts. The same year, he introduced the Model 5, primarily as a promotional tool. In 1923, his firm started producing complete radio sets, using a facility on Stenton Avenue, introducing the Model 10 for Christmas that year. This was followed by the Model 9 "and a broad line of breadboard sets". In 1924, the company moved to a new $2 million plant at 4745 Wissahickon Avenue in North Philadelphia. This plant, constructed in sections, would eventually cover 32 acres (12.9 ha).
The Atwater Kent Hour
The Atwater Kent Hour was a top-rated radio concert music program heard on NBC and CBS from 1926 to 1934 with stars of the Metropolitan Opera often making appearances. Classical music was performed by a large symphony orchestra under the direction of Josef Pasternack...
, a top-rated radio concert music program heard on NBC and CBS
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
from 1926 to 1934. The show featured top entertainment and became one of the most popular and acclaimed regular radio programs of the era. At its peak in 1929, the company employed over 12,000 workers manufacturing nearly one million radio sets. Its models included the metal-cabinet seven-tube Model 57 at US$105 and the wooden-cabinet eight-tube Model 60 at US$80. The plant itself was an architectural sensation and received hundreds of visitors annually. By 1931, the company boasted that it had produced over three million radios.
Atwater Kent radios were of high quality and many examples of working models exist today. They are highly prized by collectors and restorers. Cabinets were made by the Red Lion and Pooley furniture companies for Atwater Kent and exhibited attractive woodworking designs. Some models so closely resembled contemporary furniture that they did not appear to be radios. One example was a radio inside a grandfather clock.
The onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
greatly hampered sales of Atwater's premium radio sets. The company attempted to compensate by building smaller, tabletop radio sets but Kent was not one to compromise on quality. This was compounded by the expiration of patents on the superheterodyne circuit—which led directly to the proliferation of inexpensive All American Five
All American Five
The term All American Five is a colloquial name for mass-produced, superheterodyne radio receivers that used five vacuum tubes in their design. These radio sets were designed to receive amplitude modulation broadcasts in the medium wave band, and were manufactured in the United States from the mid...
radio designs. This meant that new firms could easily enter the market without the same level of capital investment Kent had put into his production process, which relied on heavy metal presses for the relatively large Tuned Radio Frequency (TRF) type radio chassis the firm produced. Kent dissolved his design engineering facility in 1931 and shut down his radio factory in 1936. A major local competitor, Philco, which had branched out into air conditioners and refrigerators, acquired the closed plant and built refrigerators there.
In 1937, Kent helped to organize and pay for the restoration of the Betsy Ross House
Betsy Ross House
The Betsy Ross House may be where Betsy Ross lived when she may have made the first American Flag. By 1876, several surviving family members said this was the location....
in Center City Philadelphia. In 1938, Kent helped found the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
The Philadelphia History Museum was founded in 1938 as Philadelphia's city history museum.-Founding:...
, Philadelphia's city history museum.
Kent's son-in-law, William L. Van Alen, is the founder of the United States Court Tennis Association
United States Court Tennis Association
The United States Court Tennis Association is the governing body for the sport of real tennis in the United States. The first association president, William L. Van Alen, convened its initial meeting on January 30, 1955 at New York City's Racquet and Tennis Club. William F. McLaughlin Jr...
Kent is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
.
He was awarded the John Scott Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1914.
Patents
- Induction coil structure - 1921 - Induction coil - 1923 - Induction coil - 1923 - Ignition coil - 1926 - Radio apparatus - (Filed Nov 29, 1922; Issued Aug 31, 1926.)Sources
- McMahon, Morgan E. A Flick of the Switch 1930–1950. Antiques Electronics Supply, 1990. Pages 62 & 63. ISBN 0-914126-10-5.
- Williams, Ralph O. "Atwater Kent: Master of Marketing". The AWA ReviewThe AWA ReviewThe AWA Review is a series of annual softcover books of articles on the history of radio published by the Antique Wireless Association, a membership organization based in Bloomfield, New York, USA. Volume 1 was published in 1986 and Volume 24 was published in 2011...
, Vol. 10, 1996.