 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Private (1892–1961) Subsidiary (1961–present) |
| Industry | Electronics |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Philo Farnsworth |
| Products | Consumer electronics |
| Parent | Philips (North America), Electrolux (elsewhere) |
| Website | www |
Philco (an acronym for Philadelphia Battery Company)[1] is an American electronics manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia. Philco was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In 1961, the company was purchased by Ford and, from 1966, renamed "Philco-Ford". Ford sold the company to GTE in 1974, and it was purchased by Philips in 1981. In North America, the Philco brand is owned by Philips. In other markets, the Philco International brand is owned by Electrolux.
In the early 1920s, Philco made storage batteries, "socket power" battery eliminator units (plug-in transformers), and battery chargers. With the invention of the rectifier tube, which made it practical to power radios by electrical outlets, in 1928, Philco entered the radio business.[2] They followed other radio makers such as RCA, Atwater-Kent, Zenith Electronics, Freshman Masterpiece, FADA Radio (Frank A. D'Andrea Radio), and AH Grebe into the battery-powered radio business. By the end of 1930, they were selling more radios than any other maker, a position they held for more than 20 years.[3]
Philco built many iconic radios and television sets, including the classic cathedral-shaped wooden radio of the 1930s (aka the "Baby Grand"), and the Predicta series of television receiver sets of the 1950s.
Philo Farnsworth, credited for inventing the first fully functional all electronic television system (U.S. patent 1,773,980, filed Jan 7, 1927), worked at Philco from 1931 to 1933.[4][5]
- ^ "What does PHILCO mean?". Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
- ^ "The History of Philco: Chapter 2: From Batteries and Socket-Powers to Radios". Archived from the original on 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
- ^ "Chapter 3: Leadership in Radio; Philco History". Archived from the original on 2019-11-16. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
- ^ Eschner, Kat. "The Farmboy Who Invented Television". smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "The Museum of Broadcast Communications - Encyclopedia of Television - Farnsworth, Philo". www.museum.tv. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.