Sparton Blue Mirror Radios

SPARTON COMPANY HISTORY

The Sparks Withington Company of Jackson, Michigan, was founded in the early 1900s by the Withington brothers, Philip
and Winthrop. Soon afterwards they were joined by Captain William Sparks, at which time the company became known as
Sparks-Withington and the Sparton tradename was born. Initially they produced small metal parts, mainly for the
burgeoning automobile industry. One of their early products was the first all-electric horn for automobiles in 1911.
Beginning in the mid twenties, they produced numerous domestic radio receivers, starting out with battery sets, followed by
the first "all-electric" receiver in 1926 and soon progressing onto large and impressive console models, many featuring
highly ornate cabinetry. One of their catch phrases was "Radios Richest Voice", another was "The Pathfinder of the Air".

They are of course most famous for their series of highly acclaimed mirror and chrome radios produced in the mid to late
1930s, at the height of the Art-Deco period, following their association with the noted industrial designer Walter Dorwin
Teague. These magnificient radios became the status symbols of the well-to-do set of the day and shot the Sparton name
to fame. In 1935 they produced the Nocturne and Bluebird models, followed by the 557 sled in 1936, the deluxe 558 sled in
1937 and, the last of their mirror radios, the seven-sided 409GL in 1938.

Through the thirties they manufactured not only radio sets but also refrigerators, though this was not a profitable line for
them and by the end of the decade they had given up on this business. During this period they employed in excess of 6000
people in their six plants, five of which were in Jackson, Michigan and one in Canada. By as late as 1956 they continued to
be known as Sparks-Withington, producing radios and eventually television sets under the Sparton trade name. However,
beyond that date, a shareholder revolt resulted in the ousting of the original controlling families and Sparton was officially
adopted as the company name. Unlike many of the pioneering domestic radio manufacturers, the Sparton company is still in
business today in the field of high-tech, though no longer as a manufacturer of radios. A detailed history of the corporation
can be found at www.fundinguniverse.com.

Bluebird 566 Dial Face

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