An extremely rare 1940s Salford Electrical Instruments (for GEC) reel-to-reel tape recorder

An extremely rare (one of twelve) late 1940s Salford Electrical Instruments (for GEC) walnut-cased reel-to-reel floor-standing tape recorder The hinged quarter-veneered walnut top enclosing two stacking reels on a single driveshaft, beside planished plate with GEC branding and controls with remarks, the Art Deco-style case with mesh grille housing large single speaker, 22" x 16.5" x 35" high, (56cm x 42cm x 89cm), together with a folder of assorted plans and blueprints, and two boxes of spare valves, reels, etc. Provenance: Purchased by the father of the current owner whilst working at Salford Electrical Instruments. For another example, see exhibit YL1997.20, Museum of Science and Industry, where catalogued: "This was one of the first British tape recorders. It was made by Salford Electrical Industries (SEI) in response to a request from British Railways, which was interested in the possibility of pre-recording station announcements. This tape recorder has a unique reel-to-reel design, with one reel mounted above the other on the same drive shaft. When British Railways decided not to go ahead with the idea, Salford Electrical Instruments (SEI) decided to adapt the 12 prototype tape recorders for home use. However, the tape recorders proved to be too large, heavy and expensive for commercial production. Instead, SEI sold off the machines to its workers.

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