Anyone Recognise this Radio.

[Shaman]

   
Hi, this is an odd radio, no identifying marks, numbers, only the letters C or G in the middle of the dial, its all octal valves, its a transformer set opposed to a mains dropper, lovely brown Bakelite cabinet, see what you think, thanks in advance.....Alan.

[Tedzed1]

Hello Alan, it is a J G Graves, manufactured at Hallamgate Works, Crookes Rd, Sheffield.

Not a lot of info on this make to be found.

[Shaman]

Hi Paul, many thanks, its not far away, nice old info sheet, i agree there is very little regards these sets, its a pity, this one is well made, heavy, and good quality for its day....regards...Alan.

[Paula A]

Graves are rare and very good. They didn't seem to survive the war, but they did have a utility manufacturer number (U37). I wonder of we will ever see a Graves Utility set turn up ?

[Shaman]

Hi Paula i was ignorant of the make of set i had, it would be nice to know how old it is, they did make some ancient sets, nice looking too, the link below shows another set, they made, it would seem the firm started producing radios as far back as 1925.....Alan.


http://www.classicwireless.btinternet.co.uk/graves.htm

[Paul_RK]

Hi Alan,

Definitely post-war, this model: I'd say 1948 give or take a year. The circumstances of manufacture are a bit obscure, though, so I'm not at all sure whether there was an active Graves factory after the war. This set shares its chassis with a Derwent model which turns up quite often - I have one of those, the cabinet's fairly similar but not identical. I think there's a very closely related Raymond version as well.

Paul

[Shaman]

Hi Paul, i have a Raymond set here in my collection, there does seem to be a few manufacturers involved i guess, parts not so obtainable, after all its only 2 years after the war. Thanks for your interesting reply, i have just found this link below for a derwent, its very very near...regards...Alan.


http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/central_derwent.html

[Paula A]

Graves are a very interesting company.

I'm really doubting the brand survived after cease of hostilities. I did a vast amount of research (I am one of the few who can claim one time membership of the Graves Owners Club) and they are documented up until the start of the war, but as JG died in July 1945 it seems the company died with him as any sort of manufacturer. There is no trace of any radio manufacture after 1945. It is possible some were put together from stocked parts just after the war by "surplus" buyers, but no evidence of Graves manufacture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30120216@N0...otostream/

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/J._G._Graves

And I KNOW one member will find this a very interesting link.. Graves sold branded lathes too!!! http://www.lathes.co.uk/graves/

And for anybody who REALLY wants to search.. You could almost have a completely Graves branded home, including the bricks and slates.. Motorbikes and bicycles, railway bits and engineering tools (clocks and silverware are well known, clothing.. what didn't they sell??)..
A couple of oddities turn up though showing the company lived on doing it's mail order business into the early 60's

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shefflibrar...enfifties/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shefflibrar...enfifties/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shefflibraries/6812234591/

It's almost impossible to tell a 1939 set from a 1946 one without dated documentation, unless it's a completely new design.. Graves seem to have left very little, especially strange when you consider it's impossible to visit Sheffield and not come across the name!!!

Don't know about anybody else.. but I would say the styling there is 100% 1930's Whats the date on the main smoothing cap?.. probably changed.. Mine had one from 1946 fitted. Mark R found the quality of Graves sets last year. A re-cap of a complete basket case and it just worked.. original Mullard Golds too.. very nice. We are seeing a few more turning up now as people realise they are very good quality, and far more scarce and interesting than the 2 a penny DAC90 that for some reason everybody seems to want.

[pwdrive]

Just caught a glimpse of him in the 1881 & 1911 Census, born in Lincolnshire apparently, apprentice watch maker? (1881 Sheffield) Director of mail order firm (1911 Sheffield)

I am not a Graves expert...

Lawrence.

[Paul_RK]

Hi Paula,

...It's almost impossible to tell a 1939 set from a 1946 one without dated documentation, unless it's a completely new design...

That's true in one direction - some 1945 designs seem to be ones that were in the pipeline in 1939 - but a post-war set's tuning dial can give evidence (unless of course it's been changed) that a set wasn't built in 1939. This one's dial shows BBC West on 514.6 metres: it's a wavelength the BBC first used for Allied Expeditionary Force broadcasting in June 1944, then for BBC West from July 1945 ( http://www.bbceng.info/Technical%20Revie..._nw_6a.pdf ).

I think the evidence is firm for the J. G. Graves brand having reappeared after the war, if only on this model. You may very well be right, though, that there wasn't any distinct post-war Graves manufacturing facility. The history is quite obscure of the other two brands associated with this model or something very like it. Derwent were more prominent before the war than after it, but at least one transistor model carried the Derwent name: Raymond sets are relatively numerous at least into the early '50s but seem to cease abruptly about there.