Radios and other engineering beauty

Made by Idzerda, from design to sale

Notebook T.C.1 Radiotelephone Transmitter Notebook T.C.1 Radiotelephone Transmitter (1920-11-25/1922) by NV Netherlands Radio IndustryThe Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Craftmanship and technical ingenuity

Those are the two main ingredients for the objects Hans Henricus Schotanus à Steringa Idzerda (1885-1944) produced in his factory between the two World Wars. He was a perfectionist and had an eye for detail and quality. His radio's and technical objects are designed and made with such craftsmanship and high end materials, they still stand out today. 

Design sketch of the front plate of a Bivario receiver.

Cost of producing a Bivario.

Blueprints of Deka and L.F.B. (1918) by NV Netherlands Radio IndustryThe Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Deka de Luxe

One of the receivers Idzerda built was the Deka. He made several versions of this radio, called the Deka, the Deka de Luxe and the Deka Superieur.

Deka de Luxe radio receiver, NRI (1922) by NV Netherlands Radio IndustryThe Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Deka de Luxe, NRI

Copy for a French brochure (1923) by NV Netherlands Radio IndustryThe Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Apparently Idzerda also wanted to tap into the French market of listeners.

Booklet with serial numbers from Idzerda Pages with sold equipment and serial numbers (1918-08-01/1933) by Hanso Schotanus à Scheringa IdzerdaThe Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Tracking the trace

In this little booklet Idzerda kept notes of all the equipment he sold. On this page we can trace the registration number of one of the Deka's in the collection of Sound and Vision. It's number 5774 and was sold on August 13 1923. According to our registration, the Deka was donated on August 16, 1979 by Miss C.M. van Boetzelaer-Jordens. Most likely this was the wife of another Dutch radio pioneer the Baron Rutger van Boetzelaer.

High frequency inductor branch ring coil (1920) by N.V. Dutch Radio IndustryThe Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Coils, NRI.

Technical drawing of a spark gap, NV Netherlands Radio Industry, 1919, From the collection of: The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
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Blueprint of coil with integrated variometer, Jacques van Pelt, Netherlands Radio Industry, 1919-07-11, From the collection of: The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
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Credits: Story

Carlien Booij, Pieter Bakker, Erik van Tuijn

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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