Women and the early radio industry

Tinkering with radios was a niche hobby at the end of the First World War. But by 1939, around 86.5% of British households owned their own radio and regularly tuned in to news and entertainment. 

Also called a tuning capacitor, the condenser sets the resonance frequency of the radio circuit, enabling listeners to ‘tune-in’. These men are using paraffin wax to seal condensers—necessary for guaranteeing ‘years of service’ as part of a genuine ‘All-Telsen’ radio circuit.

And this woman is soldering connections onto a Telsen Aerial Coil, an essential component for receiving radio signals.

Lancashire-based Ferranti Technologies made their name in radio with parts like the AF3 transformer that this woman is making. Using innovative manufacture techniques, they provided a reliable and less expensive alternative to the industry leader—the Marconi ‘Ideal’ transformer.

To ensure quality, all transformers were tested before leaving the factory. This woman is using a rotary turntable at the Ferranti Works in Hollinwood to test completed transformers.

By 1927, Ferranti had expanded its range of radio components, providing home constructors with everything they needed to build their own radio sets—like the variable condenser this woman is testing. Ferranti even sold complete build-at-home kits with instructions for novices!

Just 2/3 of British homes had access to electricity by the end of the 1930s, making batteries important consumables. At this wireless celluloid battery shop in Clifton Junction, workers are sealing, finishing, and testing ‘unspillable’ batteries to make sure they don’t leak.

Valves were key components in radio circuits capable of detecting and amplifying a range of radio frequencies, often at a considerable distance from the source. This woman is deftly assembling valve filaments at the Ferranti Works in Hollinwood, Lancashire.

Valves, also known as vacuum tubes, were delicate and required regular replacement. Resembling a lightbulb, the vacuum surrounding the filament was essential for controlling the flow of electric current through the radio circuit. This worker is exhausting and sealing each unit.

The most common issue was trapped gas molecules ‘poisoning’ the cathode, causing valve failure. At F. Cossor Works, electric furnaces heated metal valve components to 1500°F in an atmosphere of hydrogen to minimize the risk.

The increasingly specialised nature of valves and radio circuits gave companies that could supply both an edge. Initially a leading valve producer, by 1938 F. Cossor was the UK’s 3rd largest supplier of radio sets. This woman is soldering a transformer for a Cossor set.

The pace of technical and design changes during the 1920s and 30s meant that there was little advantage in building up large product stocks. As radio sales were seasonal, firms relied on labour-intensive techniques suitable for un- and semi-skilled labourers.

Almost 60% of manufacturing jobs were held by women who could be laid off during the slow season—like these women, assembling complete sets at the Ferranti Radio Works in Moston.