11.3.1.3 - THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Fig. 306 - A piece of furniture following the Louis XVI style.
As aforementioned profound changes in production techniques began to force not only in
Fig. 307 - The famous cathedral style radio cabinet..
technology of radio but also in the desing of the cabinet and so the industrial desing quickly imp roved the marketing aspects in the electronic industry.
In the later twenties, wood was widely use d material for cabinet making. In the beginning cabinets’ design followed classical furniture models, as the Louis XVI period style. Fig 306
For historical allocation purpose, the industrial design started in 1930, when Edward L.Comb developed in the USA the cathedral style for Philadelphia Storage Battery Company, later known as Philco Radio. The cathedral style was a great marketing success and until today it is the most famous cabinet style ever known. Fig 307
Competition and deep economical aspects, as the crack of Wall Street in 1929, forced the industry also to launch innovative products according to the market trends.
Fig. 308 - The development of a home radio receiver’s cabinet in the early thirties.
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Thus, either in Europe as well as in the USA the manufacturers were supported by experts in the industrial desings. Now, from a simple piece of furniture, the home radio receiver had acquired its own shape. For instance the Zenith model Transoceanic, whose cute style was developed by Robert Davol Budlong. Fig 308