THE HISTORY OF REMLER RADIOS
In 1915 Elmer Cunningham started the vacuum tube Audio Tron Sales Company in San Francisco
and was in direct competition with Lee de Forest, a leading manufacturer of triodes sold under the Audion brand.
In 1918 Cunningham founded Remler Company Ltd. in San Francisco.
Elmer's name backwards with an additional R created the name "Remler".
The 1922 advertisement below shows Cunningham's Remler also had a Chicago presence.
Then in late 1922, co-founders Thomas B. Gray and Ernest G. Danielson bought out
Cunningham and became sole owners of Remler Radio.
The 1923 Remler ad below shows Cunningham's name removed and expansion to New York.
A few years later, a 1926 advertisement shows Remler as a division of Gray & Danielson Mfg Co.
Remler offered dozens of radio parts and by the late 1920s, they began manufacturing
complete radio recievers offering many different radio models.
In the early 1930s, the popular Remler Radio Scottie series began,
with their beautifully designed radio models adorned with the iconic Scottie dog logo,
making them incredibly popular with both radio and scottie dog collectors today.
Cunningham is a surname of Scottish origin and Eleanor Roosevelt had a Scottish Terrier
named Meggie when the family entered the White House in 1933
which have been suggested as inspirations for Remler's Scottie Dog logo.
In 1940, FDR's 2nd Scottie dog, "Fala" was born.
Fala was a media sensation which heightened Scottie dog popularity.
Remler offered many different radio designs with the scottie dog emblem over the years
which continued into the late 1940s.
Along with the bold Scottie radio cabinet designs came a series of
unique decorative knobs adding even more elegance.
The Scottie line of radios was only a part of Remler's radio offerings.
Their catalog included a full range of radio models including portables to large floor consoles.
The consumer line of Remler radios were not expensive, but well made radios.
Remler also supplied radios to different retail chains who displayed their own names on the cabinets.
Industrial electronics, school PA systems and transcription turntables were also part of
the wide range of Remler products.
In late 1946, Robert Coleman Gray took over presidency and became the sole stock holder of
Remler Company Ltd. as Ernest G. Danielson, co-founder, retired as president.
In the early 1950s, the reorganized Remler left the consumer radio market.
The Remler Company continued business in the San Francisco Area manufacturing
electronics for government entities and lasted until 1988.
Remler Radio manufacturing never strayed from San Francisco and
their radios were primarily marketed on the west coast
with many of the radio dials labeled with west coast radio station call letters.
Remler radio dials with east coast radio station labels are seldom found, but show
that marketing Remler radios in the east was attempted.
Many Remler Radio designs were unique in the radio market, including many
beautiful deco designs and plastic cabinets with an apolstered look.
Remler radio knobs were also unusual and unique with great styling.
