Radio Maxim | Aarau

An exceptionally rare original Art Deco-era poster designed by Otto Ernst, the in-house graphic designer at the Trüb printing house, advertising radios from the Aarau-based manufacturer Maxim—in this case, likely the E20 model. The company, which originally specialized in thermoelectric devices, was the first in Switzerland in the early 1920s to manufacture radios developed in-house, meaning it did not rely on foreign licenses.

The receivers—which, as can be seen in the photo, still had to be connected separately back then—were so sturdy and reliable that Maxim was the market leader in this country until the mid-1920s; after that, however, the company stood no chance against larger competitors like Grundig or Philips and ceased production.

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