I made it from the Radio: Keys 2527 - 2530
Purple Clock Radio circa 1980
Forty some years ago I entered high school and began decades (and decades) of owning my very own clock radio. A clock radio where I heard about a contest on CKOM to call in and win a record (and some teasing about my “did I win?” response from people at school). A clock radio that played “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” one night leaving me mesmerized by the sound. A clock radio that moved with me from my parents’ house to my dad’s to my mom’s to my dad’s to my mom’s to many places on my own (14 in total according to my brothers) before I landed in my current house with my husband, then our kids, and then (when they grew up and moved away), just my husband. Over 31 years in my current situation - a nice change from my tumultuous youth. That’s a very long time for a clock radio. A few months ago the ability to adjust the alarm and time stopped. The radio still worked and the clock still worked - but I wouldn’t always want to get up at 7 am and I was one power outage away from everything resetting to noon.
That clock radio is likely the oldest object in my possession that I used on a daily basis. Of course I had to take it apart and see what sort of keys I could make out of it. I was surprised by the layers of metal bits and how well it still worked after so many years.
pieces of disassembled clock radio
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far (and I think those metal “E”s will work their way into many a key):
“key” sculpture from radio speaker and plug in
other side of “key” sculpture from radio speaker and plug in
small “key” sculpture from purple radio dial and antenna wire
other side small “key” sculpture from purple radio dial and antenna wire
“key” sculpture from metal pieces, electrical cord, and switch
Other side “key” sculpture from metal pieces, electrical cord, and switch
“key” sculpture from radio parts: metal “E”, electrical cord, red time display
Other side of “key” sculpture from radio parts: metal “E”, electrical cord, time display
