Vintage Telefunken: Family Heirloom Likely Made by Women

Exploring the history of women’s roles in the production of early electronics

In the early 1960s, my grandparents purchased a Telefunken stereo console, a beautiful, sturdy and extremely fucking heavy radio console that became a household fixture…until it was ultimately relegated to their overcrowded basement. Decades later, this vintage piece sits proudly in the sunken living room in the front of my 1960s ranch, right under the bay window. 

Telefunken and the Women Behind the Scenes

Telefunken (original full name: the Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegrafen mbH) was established in Germany in 1903 and quickly became a renowned manufacturer of radios, TVs and electronics. By the 1940s, it had moved to wartime production, relying on a workforce that included many women, particularly in assembly line roles requiring meticulous attention to detail.

During World War II, Telefunken, like many companies at the time, leaned on women in roles that considered “suitable” for us girls, such as, you know, the simple work of assembling radios and wiring delicate components. It was believed that women were better suited to these tasks, a stereotype which effectively limited women to certain roles and restricted opportunities for advancement. And while women’s work was critical, it was rarely acknowledged or compensated fairly.

Despite their skill and dedication, women workers were generally treated as disposable, welcomed into the workforce during the war but dismissed as soon as the soldiers returned home. Their roles in industrial production were undervalued and, at best, transient. They filled a need, then faded away.

#typical

A Personal Connection

My Telefunken holds a special place in my heart, not just because it’s fantastically mid-century, but because it’s a direct link to my family’s history. My grandparents bought this radio on January 26, 1962, at a time when electronics were transforming family life. 

My grandfather was a career military man. He and his family, including my mother and aunt, were stationed in Italy for three years during this time (read more about that). I’m fairly certain they purchased this while they were stationed in Italy, and that it then traveled back to America, where they then lived in, among other places, Maryland, Texas, New Jersey and finally, Pennsylvania, where it resides today.

My Telefunken was purchased through the Air Forces Europe Exchanges, likely related to the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, which seems to be similar to a buyer’s club for military service members. The Exchange offered access to discounts, which sounds very much like my grandfather. They paid $275, which is the equivalent of $2,800 today. Yikes.

I know all of this because I framed the receipt, which was inside it, as both a cool artifact and a testament to the fact that my family never throws anything away, ever. Not a single thing.

But for them, the Telefunken wasn’t just a luxury purchase (although at that price tag, it was); it was also a gateway to the world, and for them, a connection to home, the US. It brought music and news into their living room, a central part of family gatherings and evening rituals. Having it in my house feels like preserving a slice of their lives.

Why Keeping Vintage Electronics Matters

Saving vintage electronics, which make up a large portion of my collection, is about more than appreciating the design or dipping into nostalgia. These objects reveal that women played pivotal roles in manufacturing, and give us a view into how women’s public and private worlds were evolving.

Owning a vintage Telefunken stereo console is one way to celebrate this legacy and remember the roles that everyday women played in shaping modern media. Women’s voices are often absent from history books, but their influence lives on in the objects they owned and made.

Curious about more objects that came from my family? Check out this story about the hand-crafted pitcher set my grandmother bought while living in Italy.