You can find inspiration in a diverse range of things from nature to objects. I keep my eyes open soaking in all the little details of things that I find inspiring. I find huge inspiration for looking at old objects and antiques. When I found out that my neighbor “Crazy Ed” was a huge collector of radios I was very intrigued. Crazy Ed’s Radio Emporium is what he calls his radio hobby/business. Ed is a retired engineer and saying he has a collection is a huge understatement. His house is filled to the brim with mostly radios but other objects like record, clocks, old light bulbs and even a turn of the century Edison Phonograph. Some of these radios are as old as late 1800s.
When I got the first tour of Ed’s collection I wished more than anything I had my camera with me and thankfully he was nice enough to let me come back another day and take a few pictures. I really got pumped looking at all the details of these radios. The knobs, carvings, embellishments, ornate graphics, the list goes on. Observing the art found in these radios can give you great inspiration for your next design piece. From the curves and flourishes of the old fashion turn of the century style radios to the art deco style radios from the 30s. There is such beautiful line work in these radios and the craftsmanship is mind blowing. What quality. I am not only inspired by these radio because of their aesthetic appearance but also by what they did and still do. Radios are, and especially back then, were a huge deal. I can look at these a radios and almost start to hear sound coming out of them as I think of the time frame they are from. My mind goes nuts thinking of all the music they have played, the history they have reported, where they have been, and who listened to them. My curiosity gets the best of me as I imagine this stuff. It is like a fairy tale but then I realize it is real. If these radios could have recorded what came through them in their life time and be played now, it would be incredible.
When I first met Ed and he shared with me about his unique interest and collection, I quickly learned he shared this interest with a decent sized group of men making it not as unique as I thought. Every Wednesday evening our street is filled with cars because Ed is having his weekly Radio meeting. He and his buddies get together every week to talk, share, swap, and work on their Radio collections. What a great hobby and great collection full of inspiration.
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Good post, and cool radios! I can certainly identify with your inspiration of old objects. I could spend hours just looking for cool antiques!