Celestion model C12
Speaker
1927 (designed)
1927 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1924 Cyril French set up a business to manufacture loudspeakers in Hampton Wick. French was approached by Eric Mackintosh for help in improving his invention, one of the earliest cone loudspeakers. In 1926, The Celestion Radio Co was formed and manufactured Celestion loudspeakers and Celestion Woodroffe gramophone pickups. One year later, Mackintosh and French, patented "Improvements in and relating to loud speakers and the like instruments."
The first Celestion speakers were a necessary component of the new valve receivers that appeared on the market in response to the BBC increasing its transmitter power. With the slogan, ‘The very soul of music’ the Celestion Radio Company, launched their new Celestion C.12 model in 1927. Available in oak and mahogany the speaker cost £7 5s and £7 10s respectively, the equivalent of over £500 today. State of the art and highly decorative it took pride of place in the home.
The first Celestion speakers were a necessary component of the new valve receivers that appeared on the market in response to the BBC increasing its transmitter power. With the slogan, ‘The very soul of music’ the Celestion Radio Company, launched their new Celestion C.12 model in 1927. Available in oak and mahogany the speaker cost £7 5s and £7 10s respectively, the equivalent of over £500 today. State of the art and highly decorative it took pride of place in the home.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Celestion model C12 (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Wooden case |
| Brief description | Celestion speaker, wood with pierced/ fretwork front of a pattern of irregular hexagons in a lyre-form. |
| Physical description | A 'reed' type loudspeaker contained within a wooden case with pierced fretwork front and floral motif. There is decorative border around the edge of the speaker. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Object history | Bequeathed by David Rush [81/695] |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | In 1924 Cyril French set up a business to manufacture loudspeakers in Hampton Wick. French was approached by Eric Mackintosh for help in improving his invention, one of the earliest cone loudspeakers. In 1926, The Celestion Radio Co was formed and manufactured Celestion loudspeakers and Celestion Woodroffe gramophone pickups. One year later, Mackintosh and French, patented "Improvements in and relating to loud speakers and the like instruments." The first Celestion speakers were a necessary component of the new valve receivers that appeared on the market in response to the BBC increasing its transmitter power. With the slogan, ‘The very soul of music’ the Celestion Radio Company, launched their new Celestion C.12 model in 1927. Available in oak and mahogany the speaker cost £7 5s and £7 10s respectively, the equivalent of over £500 today. State of the art and highly decorative it took pride of place in the home. |
| Associated object | W.29-1981 (Pair) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.30-1981 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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