The Airite radio deskset is real piece of art, copying deco building designs of the era.
The radio chassis was made by the International Radio Corporation of Ann Arbor, Mich
for Milwaukee's Sengbusch Self-Closing Inkstand Company
who produced and marketed the radio as the "Airite," introduced in 1936.
The Sengbusch company is well known to ink well collectors today.
From Milwaukee City Directories, Gustave J. Sengbusch first listed selling inkstands
out of his home at 885 11th Street in 1905.
The Airite was his company's only radio-combo offering.
It included side-attached ink wells, Lux or Waltham clocks or weather gauge options.
It has the same chassis that was used in the
IRC Kadette "Jewel" radio,
and using the same knobs and escutcheons.
The pushbutton switch below the volume control beautifully lights the middle column.
There were several deco design variations of the lighted column seen in the articles below.
The Airite cabinet was available in black, walnut, ivory or marble plaskon (beetle).
Any example of the Airite is extremely scarce.
I've seen only a few damaged brown ones over 30 years, and never in black, white or beetle.
Low production numbers and the fragile construction using a thin cabinet likely contribute to its rarity.
The sales brochure below show all the possible variations of the Airite.
It seems that the Airite radio was part of a typical design theme from the time.
In 1936, Philip B Maher designed this building in Chicago for Zenith radio,
No specific designer was found credited for the Airite radio.
