Today I picked up a 1933 Columbia Mantel Company, Fireside Singer. It is a faux fireplace mantel with a built in Philco 89 radio. This one is missing the faux marble base, the tuning knob a tube or two and the faux fire logs and andirons. It has also been painted beige, argh!

Here are a few photos:

Richard

The original "electronic hearth"...

Now THAT'S something you don't see everyday. Interesting.

Here is what little I know of it, "borrowed" from Ron "Mr. Philco" Ramirez website PhilcoRadio.com.

Mine is a 1933 model with a Philco 89 Chassis in it.

In 1932, the Columbia Mantel Company of Louisville, Kentucky, marketed a unique fireplace mantel which included a Philco Model 80 Jr. chassis. The "Singing Fireside" included a faux fireplace with a light concealed behind its "logs" to give the impression of an open fire. The radio itself was concealed behind sliding doors.

(borrowed from: http://www.philcoradio.com/history/hist6.htm )

And here is an image of the 1932 version with the Philco 80 chassis:

(borrowed from: http://www.philcoradio.com/history/othrphil.htm )

If anyone sees a vintage faux set of logs that look similar to those in the picture let me know! I see 70's vintage ones regularly but I don't recall seeing anything from the early 30's.

Richard

This is the precursor to the Koronette fireplace stereo!

:Today I picked up a 1933 Columbia Mantel Company, Fireside Singer. It is a faux fireplace mantel with a built in Philco 89 radio. This one is missing the faux marble base, the tuning knob a tube or two and the faux fire logs and andirons. It has also been painted beige, argh!
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:Richard
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