TV & RADIO
When TVs Were Small and Radios Were Big!
About the collection
Step back into the world of 1950s and 1960s home entertainment and discover how families listened to music and watched television before smartphones, streaming and on-demand entertainment.
The 1950’s Museum has a fascinating collection of vintage radios, black-and-white televisions, gramophones and recording equipment, showing how quickly home entertainment developed during the post-war years.
See a range of classic radios from well-known British manufacturers including Dansette, Alba, PYE, Nocturne, Murphy, Bush, Cossor, Philips and Ferranti, alongside a selection of vintage televisions including the Peto Scott TV169.
You can also discover old 78rpm wind-up gramophones and a Bekson 68 reel-to-reel mini tape recorder, famously seen on Thunderbirds 5.
Don’t miss
- 📺 Peto Scott TV169 – a classic vintage television
- Black-and-white televisions – remember when TV screens were small and everything was in black and white
- 📻 Vintage radios – including Dansette, Alba, PYE, Nocturne, Murphy, Bush, Cossor, Philips and Ferranti
- 78rpm wind-up gramophones – see how music was played before modern record players
- Bekson 68 reel-to-reel mini tape recorder – as seen on Thunderbirds 5
- Our collection of vintage home entertainment equipment – a fascinating glimpse into how families listened, watched and recorded in post-war Britain
