The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Depression Era Carphone


Before smart phones, mobile phones, cell phones and even citizens band (CB) radios there were "car phones;" so named because portable phones were so bulky that an automobile was the only practical way to carry them.  Usually, such phones were in limousines, used by the executive passenger while being chauffeured.  As Paleofuture notes, Huge Gernsback advocated for more widespread use of car radios as two-way communication devices as early as 1935.  Radios were becoming more popular in cars, and he proposed making them all capable of two-way communication to provide a means of summoning emergency assistance.

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