First Models?
 

Can someone here please tell me the first models for zenith, philco, rca, westinghouse, etc.

Please include model #s and pics please w/ year. What was the first year someone made a commercial radio??

I believe the first consumer radio was the RCA RA and DA units (which needed to be combined to have a complete set (less speaker). You can find TONS of pictures of them by putting their model numbers(erm...I mean letters) into a search of Antique Radio Clasified's site.

Philco's first model was the 511: http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1928.htm

RCA was created by the government during or just after WWI because there was fear that the British Marconi company was going to have too much influence in radio communications. Then KDKA in Pittsburg came on the air under the auspices of Westinghouse, and W. saw from all the cards and letters coming in that there was an interested if amateur audience out there who had built their own sets. They figured that plenty of people who were not technically bent would want to purchase ready-built receivers so seized the opportunity and started making simple crystal and one tube sets, and on it went. In the beginning RCA was just a holder of patents and G.E. and Westinghouse did the actual manufacturing. You'll find some of those early sets with either Westinghouse or RCA names on them.

A very interesting website on which one can spend many hours is:

http://earlyradiohistory.us/index.html

deforest radios were among the first
 

Looking at certain things, deforest radios were among the first, western house, some rca?

Any GOOD books on radios from the 1914 to 1922 years w/ pictures and or prices someone here can suggest please?

Rosetta Stone
 

Radio Manufacturers of the 1920's Vol 1,2,3 by Alan Douglas
Got me interested in old radios. When I found these at our library I thought I had located the Rosetta Stone. Later I purchased the set on Amazon.

bob K