Transparent blue cut glass mirror, chrome-plated metal, fabric, painted wood; assembled.

The “Bluebird Collection” of chrome and mirror radios was put into production by the Sparton Corporation in 1935. The choice of mirror color was blue, as here, or peach. A plateau mirror— a mirror of the same size and color, on which the radio could sit—was also available. The knobs on the front of the radio control the volume and dial setting. Walter Dorwin Teague was among the first industrial designers in the United States, and he created many well-known designs for products ranging from interiors to Steuben glass to Scripto pens. The “Bluebird” radio is a classic example of American Modern or “Streamline Moderne,” a variant of the Art Deco style.