Philadelphia History Museum: Made to be Played - 6abc Loves the Arts

The Philadelphia History Museum has made it a mission to tell the story of Philadelphia from the late 1600's through today. And a new exhibit looks at the history of radios here.

It's called Made to be Played and it's a look at vintage radios dating back to the 1920s. Philadelphia broadcast pioneer Roy Shapiro was an avid collector and museum executive director Charles Croce says he donated them to the museum just before his death, last year.

"He gave us 31 radios from his collections," says Croce, "He knew we had radios, Atwater Kent radios and we had Philcos and RCAs, so he just wanted to add to our collection."

The exhibit not only features these classic pieces, but also explores what radios meant to the people that they served.

"These are original works of art that Atwater Kent produced to sell his products. You see the young boy listening to a baseball game; you see the young woman listening to radio...radios actually became pieces of furniture," says Croce, "people would gather around it just like you would a television today and listened to the news or perhaps radio plays, the Lone Ranger, Green Hornet."

The exhibit also features a montage of clips highlighting the role radio has played in major motion pictures...from War of the Worlds to Groundhog Day to Good Morning Vietnam.

"Younger people who may not have been around certainly when these radios were either used or created but certainly know the movies," says Croce, "so it connects it and makes it much more relevant.

Made to be Played is on exhibit through January. For tickets and museum hours, go to www.TheArtsinPhilly.org.